3 decades after the first game, Flashback 2 has a release window

Flashback 2, the sequel to the cult classic '90s platformer which came out before I was even born, has gotten a new gameplay trailer and a release window. You'll be hopping, skipping and jumping your way to victory against the sinister Morphs when it comes out this November, a cool 31 years after the first game.

Taking place in "in an action-packed cyberpunk universe where the fate of humanity itself hangs in the balance," the sequel is a direct follow-up to the first game that looks set to emulate its side-scrolling, Prince of Persia-esque gameplay. You'll play series hero Conrad B. Hart—a name of frankly terrifying power—as he fights opponents who are "determined to enslave every civilization in the Solar System".

Unlike the first game, the new one is a resplendent 2.5D affair, letting you move along the ol' Z-axis and adding a bit more depth to the game's puzzles. It should be a faithful sequel— original creator Paul Cuisset is leading the project—although it's not yet clear if it'll have any ties to the 1995 3D follow-up game Fade to Black (nevermind the cancelled, though now available via emulation, Game Boy Advance sequel).

I'm eager to see how this one turns out. Flashback is still a great game with some excellent ideas, as this retrospective Tom Senior wrote for PCG last year can attest, and the idea of a new one with modern bells and whistles is intriguing.

If you've not played the first one, you can pick it up on Steam for an absolutely ridiculous £0.89/$1 over on Steam until May 8. The second game is there too, and you can keep tabs on the Flashback 2 Steam page for updates as development continues.

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.