Video games have come a long way since they were 1st introduced. Many games now are trying to appeal to older gamers and bring new gamers into the mix by releasing retro inspired games. Back in 1995 is a new release from Throw the Warped Code Out and Ratalaika that tries to inspire nostalgia by rooting itself in the survival horror genre of the mid 90’s.
You play as a man trapped in a city with monsters everywhere. It is up to you to figure out what has befallen the city and how to escape. Using only your wits and items you find around the buildings, you must defeat the monsters, find out what happened to your daughter, and what survivors are doing in the wake of this mystery.
Back in 1995 was designed as a true survival horror game from 1995. As such, they decided to impose all the limitations that games from that era had. While a noble idea, it was poorly executed in this case. While the story is interesting, game play is mired in control issues, lag, and overall graphics issues. In emulating the game style of 25 years ago, they highlighted all the reasons that these games are not played any more. You will get the hang of the controls by the end of the 1st chapter, but there is frustration through out the game as you try to navigate the world.
Graphics are straight from the mid 90’s, which is the style of the game, but hey seem to have gone a bit overboard. The view of game play is through imaginary CCTV cameras located in the corners of rooms. This means there are blindspots that can cause issues when enemies are about. They have also included texture warping to try and complete the trip to the past. Unfortunately, the amount of warping used is very distracting and borders on nauseating when the entire floor starts moving.
Back in 1995 is out now for XB1, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, PC and 3DS. If you are looking for a trip down memory lane, this is worth a look -but remember this road is filled with pot holes. If you didn’t play games a few decades ago, you won’t appreciate the nostalgia the game is trying to capture.
