Back to the Future: The Game – Episode 1&2

“Time circuits on. Flux Capacitor… fluxing. Engine running. All right!”

I am sure everyone who was a child in the 90s has heard of the Back to the Future trilogy more or less. Therefore, I don’t think I need to describe the movie. When Telltale Games, the developer of games like Treasure of Monkey Island, Sam & Max, and CSI, announced they had reached an agreement with Universal Studios for the game rights of BTTF, fans of the series raised cries carrying tones of both joy and surprise. This was because the understanding in the gaming world that “movie games cannot rise above average” had been reinforced by many productions. Let’s see if TTG can break the molds and make us experience that old taste again.

“What the hell is a gigawatt?!”

BTTF The Game takes place a few months after the third movie that ended the series. The producers must have realized how suitable the BTTF universe is for development, as they chose to present us with untold stories rather than re-living the movie. TTG saw fit to make this game in the form of a season consisting of small episodes, just like their other games. All episodes are connected in terms of subject matter, and the first season consists of five episodes. To mention the plot of the first episode: months after Emmett Brown goes missing, the bank forecloses on Doc’s belongings. Marty McFly is inwardly saddened by this situation but can do nothing about it. Just then, the DeLorean time machine arrives. Our crazy inventor is trapped in the past and needs help. Events unfold…

“Doc, this is heavy.”

First of all, let me state that it is evident in every aspect that TTG has put effort into the game. The company showed the necessary care by including the movie’s producer, Bob Gale, in the production process. While Doc is voiced by Christopher Lloyd, who brought the character to life, Michael J. Fox, who has grown weak due to Parkinson’s disease, allowed his likeness to be used. For the voiceover of the Marty McFly character, an agreement was made with A.J. Locascio, a voice double for Fox. In other words, fans of the series will have no difficulty getting used to the characters. Our game is in the “Point & Click Adventure” genre, as we are accustomed to from TTG productions. This means that to progress the story, you must interact with the environment, talk to characters, and solve puzzles. However, it is difficult to find the puzzles that push the limits of absurdity found in the Sam & Max games in this game. In any case, the hint system within the game feeds you enough regarding what you need to do. For this reason, veterans of the adventure genre will find the exit door without much difficulty.

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

The visuals of the game are generally in a caricatured style. Although I know this is common in TTG games, I know there is a group among the series’ fanbase that wants realistic visuals. The characters and the environment are designed with completely bright colors. It is obvious that this is a situation that newcomers to the genre will find strange, but it must be admitted that it looks good. Marty, Doc, and the side characters we saw in the movies have been transferred faithfully. The DeLorean, in particular, looks great. When it comes to character animations, the main problems begin to show. The lip animations don’t seem to fit quite right. The movements of the characters also look quite robotic. Still, since these are not the prominent features of the genre, these minor problems can be ignored. The dialogue system, an indispensable part of adventure games, has merged with TTG’s experience to produce a delicious mixture. The script is well-written and the dialogues are quite entertaining. If you have sufficient English and a bit of curiosity about the series, I can say that you will enjoy it very much. The conversations make you smile frequently. Moreover, with a little attention, you can reach snippets of information about the movies that remain in the corners.

“Great Scott!”

To wrap it up, BTTF The Game is a game that fits perfectly into the molds of the adventure genre, though it has been a bit generous regarding puzzles. They might have done this so as not to discourage new players. A first-time player can complete the episode in about three hours if they listen to all the dialogues. When we look at the whole season, the total playing time will seem satisfying. TTG, which released two episodes with a one-month gap in its other games, set the difference between the first two episodes of BTTF The Game as two months. This means it is possible that we will see the game change and develop considerably in the second episode. Still, after the two disastrously bad games on the NES, we can say that this magnificent production has finally gained a game worthy of its name. Beyond being a movie game, it is indisputable that it has a style of its own.

Back to the Future: The Game – Episode 2

When Telltale Games made an agreement with Universal Studios and got the license for Back to the Future, some people spoke positively and some spoke negatively. But the only common thing was the excitement in the gaming community. A quarter-century had passed since the first movie, and a generation had grown up with these films. Ultimately, the first episode of the game came out, was bought, and played. There were some deficiencies, but there was no problem big enough to be ignored. TTG, in its enthusiasm to make a game for the fans of the series, preferred a cinematic narrative, and as a result, the mediocrity in the animations and the monotony of the game became noticeable. When the first episode turned out this way, differences of opinion formed on the producer company’s forums. One group expressed their gratitude to TTG for presenting such a gem to players again after years, while another group pointed out the shortcomings of the game and demanded better. In my review of the first episode, I held a view equidistant to both groups. TTG had made a good move by bringing this product to us, but had caused us to settle for an average game when they could have produced something much better. My basis for saying this is that the company has produced much higher quality work in the past.

Let’s get back to our topic. The name of the second episode of the five-episode first season of Back to the Future The Game is “Get Tannen!”. We continue the story from where the first episode ended. I won’t go into the subject too much so as not to spoil the fun for those who will play. In this episode, the producers saw fit to use a plot close to the ones in the movies. Again, we manage Marty McFly to deal with various problems and look for ways to return to our own time without disrupting the flow of history. As in the first episode, we witness the conflict between the McFlys and the Tannens in the Hill Valley of 1931; we even get a chance to return to 1985 for a while. In the review of the first episode, I had hoped that TTG put a two-month time difference between the two episodes and would focus on the shortcomings of the game during this period. However, during this two-month process, TTG released the first trailer for another Universal movie, Jurassic Park’s game, and also announced that they were interested in five more games (The Walking Dead, Fables, Puzzle Agent 2, Hector, King’s Quest Reboot). As a result, my fears were justified, and we faced a sequel that was technically no different from the first game.

BTTF: The Game fails in terms of visual storytelling, which is one of the disadvantages of making a movie game. Even the quality of the voice acting cannot hide the lack of animation. The movements are jerky and meaningless, the characters’ lips are not synchronized with what is said, and the textures are weak. In some scenes, you can see TTG doing everything possible just to avoid having to make a few more models. As such, you still find it difficult to immerse yourself in the game. The puzzles, which are the most important element that makes this game an adventure game, are extremely easy. So much so that sometimes you can predict the solutions to problems that haven’t even been put in front of you just by listening to what is said. Even when you set the hint level to the minimum. Solutions are usually hidden either in word games or in using objects right in front of your eyes. Therefore, it is possible for you to reach the end of the episode within an hour or an hour and a half.

So, are there no good parts to the episode? Of course there are. First of all, the dialogues are still magnificent, still entertaining. Humorous references and subtle touches give the player pleasure. Every character takes shape in your mind with what they say. Accordingly, the voice acting is of very high quality. Christopher Lloyd and A.J. Locascio continue to be a good duo. There is no difference between the Doc Brown and Marty in the game and the duo in the movies. However, here too, the lack of dialogue options and the fact that different choices remain without consequence is annoying.

In conclusion, “Get Tannen!” has not been a better or worse episode than “It’s About Time”. The pros and cons are still in place. When we look behind the technical problems, the game is still fun, but one cannot help but say “it could have been even better.” I think the finale of the second episode is more intriguing than the first one. This is a sufficient reason to continue playing. I don’t think I need to say that fans of the series who haven’t played the game yet are missing out on a lot.