For those who were already gaming in the ’90s, Back in 1995 will look and feel very familiar. Throw the warped code out clearly drew inspiration from early games like Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil and other amazing games that were released in this period. Did this peak your interest? Then let me introduce you to Back in 1995. You play as Kent, who has one sole mission. Get to a building that is a few blocks away. But alas, this wouldn’t be a game from the ’90s without it being a world that’s in calamity. A horrible disaster occurred, which spawned all the monsters that you’ll be encountering during your journey. Will you be prepared to uncover the mysteries that lurk within this old-school experience? If so, then read on, as we explore this nice “throwback Thursday”.
- Perfect nostalgia: Anyone who played games in 1995, will feel right at home when playing this game. The look, the feel, the sound? Everything screams old-school and it’s a style you’ll have to get used to if you were born in the 2000s and up. From the way the story is being told by voice-overs during short conversations, all the way to the text elaborating about what you’ll be needing to do as well as giving you more backstory that rests upon a blurry picture background. Ah yes, it was a truly magical time back then, and it’ll give you that special feeling when you give it a shot.
- Plot-twist: Sure, the game might look straight-forward, with a more than obvious storyline the more notes you discover. Still, I actually got thrown back by a plot-twist somewhere along the line. It takes a bit of courage to do this in a game, but I still got to give it to the developer. Kudos man! It actually made me appreciate this game more as I wasn’t all too impressed with what I was playing up until that moment.
- Questionable Enemies: One thing you won’t be found in Back in 1995, are original enemy designs. For instance, you’ve got your flying potato monster with noodle arms, brains on a stick with a dangly ball on the end.. Heck you even got walking legs with a nose, or whatever it might be. Not only are they kind of hard to look at, killing them isn’t fun or easy as well. Back in 1995 employs an auto-target mechanic, making your character lock onto the target that you’re aiming at. But this isn’t really reliable. More so, you’d often miss if your luck ran out. And then YOU had to run, if only it was that simple…
- Disturbing graphics: One thing to note though, if you’re going to venture into Back in 1995, prepare yourself. Not every surface texture is easy to look at. Especially not when it’s warping and deforming. Though not too annoying, it really makes it difficult to navigate in certain sections of the game. So much so that there is almost no distinction between hallway or wall… It blends into each other so perfectly… Thank god it wasn’t my nose that I crashed into the walls constantly…
- Moving antics: Turn… Around… Damn… You… Yeah, that’s definitely something that you’ll be saying and/or screaming at your television screen. Your movement is really really REALLY slow. So much so, that, if being chased by an enemy? You’d still be better off standing your ground, taking the hits like a man and shoot their faces off… Running away and then turning around negates the gained ground you had on them while running… Absolute bonkers! Give me a Monster or something, because I need more SPEED!
- Flinching?!: Oh god, if you are hit. You just, flinch!! Every!! Single!! Time!! This stops everything you were doing. Were you aiming? Not anymore. Were you running? Think again! Were you shooting? Haha, fooled you, your shot doesn’t go through! What is this bully mechanic?! What is the purpose? It’s not as if you get the chance when they’re right in your face to run and turn around. No kiting the enemies, nothing… And then adding a FLINCH mechanic? Ah man… That just breaks my balls.
- Game breaking bug: I had one huge and major bug happen to me during this entire game. This was when I reached the mid-way point of the game. It showed me the door into which I had to go through to get to the next level. After the cutscene ended, it should have transported me back to my character. Unfortunately, it did not do this, and I had to just move around and around until I was able to exit the room I was currently standing in, forcing the game into a new camera position. Thank god the room I was in wasn’t too cluttered with stuff so it made it fairly easy to get out. Still, though, this kind of bugs should not be allowed!
Score: 68%
Back in 1995 gives you one of the best and most authentic old school vibes that you’ll ever feel and/or receive from a recent release. Sure the game is not perfect in any means shape or form, but that still doesn’t hold it back from bringing you an enjoyable feeling. Though the length could have been a little bit longer, easily finishing it in around 2 to 3 hours. I’d still say, give it a chance!
Developer: Throw the warped code out Publisher: Ratalaika Games
Played on: Xbox One X Also available on: PS4 – Switch and PC
Alexis spent 2 hours and a half fighting potato men and scrotum monsters.
Achievement difficulty for 1000 Gamerscore: 3 hours is all you need!
Perfect for: Old-School fanatics, gamers who want to know how games played in our time… (yes I am getting older…)
Xbox Game Store link: Click here
