Now that I've made it through the ep I can can agree that it is too short for my taste. And it was a bit easy, especially when compared to other TT titles, but I'm still very glad it's here and I am thankful to have played it. Bring on Episode 2
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet (as I haven't read the entire thread) but has anyone ever considered that this episode was ridiculously easy because it wasn't made primarily for us (adventure game fans)? Back to the Future is the biggest IP Telltale has had to work with to date and as such attracts the fans of the IP. Such fans may not actually be familiar with or actually like adventure games.
With that in mind, Back to the Future Episode 1 was pretty fun to play. For once I'm glad to have a Telltale episode with some decent advanced options (in comparison to say, Wallace and Gromit or Sam & Max Season 3) with the inclusion of Anti-Aliasing. The hint system works for those who feel stuck on a certain area but don't want to be entirely spoiled by its' solution. Also worthy of note is the new splash screen/Telltale login. If it works like I think it does, this may be the first time we'll see each episode combined into one executible file with each episode being selected from this menu. Big props to Telltale on that choice.
Overall, while it may be easy, Episode 1 of Back to the Future is a sign of good things to come. I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the season. Good job Telltale.
(Also, am I correct in saying that this doesn't use SecuROM? I checked and found nothing, although that could just be me getting rusty.)
I found it very entertaining unfortunately as it is with tell tale games i have to wait a long time to play the next episode, i did find it very short =z but fun =D
It's not like the game requires any crazy amounts of skill. There are TWO built-in hint systems in the game (which is easy enough on your own). I'm sure he can handle it.
Usually the recent Telltale games have been 3-5 hours long with me getting around 3 times (and i suck at adventure games so this is still fairly easy). This one was about an hour and a half long and I got stuck once, and even then, it was a matter of not realizing something was highlight-able.
Story-wise, it was fine. Dialog definitely has a Telltale twang to it. It felt more like a Heavy Rain type thing where it was more like an interactive story than an actual game.
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet (as I haven't read the entire thread) but has anyone ever considered that this episode was ridiculously easy because it wasn't made primarily for us (adventure game fans)? Back to the Future is the biggest IP Telltale has had to work with to date and as such attracts the fans of the IP. Such fans may not actually be familiar with or actually like adventure games.
I have a fun read for you from a former designer of Telltale's.
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet (as I haven't read the entire thread) but has anyone ever considered that this episode was ridiculously easy because it wasn't made primarily for us (adventure game fans)? Back to the Future is the biggest IP Telltale has had to work with to date and as such attracts the fans of the IP. Such fans may not actually be familiar with or actually like adventure games.
I don't know about you, but I can't think of an audience that likes being lead around by a leash, being called slack-jawed morons very loudly and clearly by their own entertainment, with giant glowing arrows saying "PUSH THIS, PUSH THIS THING, GOOD BOY YOU COHESIVELY CONNECTED LOOK AT THIS THING AND PUSH THIS THING. GOOD BOY. YOU GET A TREAT."
There was literally a few minutes worth of actual gameplay total, with the rest of the time being taken up by cinematics and walking around. You couldn't have a platformer with no enemies or hazards and say it's great regardless because it wasn't designed for hardcore platformer games. When you buy a game, THE GAME PART IS NOT OPTIONAL. This episode is a sign of really terrible things to come, not just for Back to the Future but for the rest of Telltale's properties, and playing this has convinced me that I no longer care about a game just because it has the Telltale name attached, and honestly it's starting to become something of a point against it.
I don't know about you, but I can't think of an audience that likes being lead around by a leash, being called slack-jawed morons very loudly and clearly by their own entertainment, with giant glowing arrows saying "PUSH THIS, PUSH THIS THING, GOOD BOY YOU COHESIVELY CONNECTED LOOK AT THIS THING AND PUSH THIS THING. GOOD BOY. YOU GET A TREAT."
There was literally a few minutes worth of actual gameplay total, with the rest of the time being taken up by cinematics and walking around. You couldn't have a platformer with no enemies or hazards and say it's great regardless because it wasn't designed for hardcore platformer games. When you buy a game, THE GAME PART IS NOT OPTIONAL. This episode is a sign of really terrible things to come, not just for Back to the Future but for the rest of Telltale's properties, and playing this has convinced me that I no longer care about a game just because it has the Telltale name attached, and honestly it's starting to become something of a point against it.
You're obviously not a fan of the "Metal Gear Solid" games
But by the way, I don't agree with anything you've said here - the episode just took me around 3 hours to complete without using any of the hints etc.
Of course, I wanted it to last longer, as I think any fan of "BTTF" would - but at this rate, I'll wind up with a 15 hour game for $20.00 - I'm pretty happy with that.
You on the other hand seem to have a bit of an axe to grind with TT based on some of your posts that I've read in the other threads - if you really dislike the game (and the companies policies / pricing points) as much as you say you do, I would suggest asking for a refund, because this doesn't appear to be the game for you.
Ok I just finished it, Im disappointed, Its too short and was WAY too easy for someone like me who has played too many adventure games. Only time I got stuck was finding the ANT... which was harder cause I didnt see it at the top of the screen at all really.
Anyways the plot of the story, AWESOME. I want more! But downfall.. I dont see myself replaying this over and over as say Sam and Max 1 (The orig) or even DOTT (Which ok.. can be beaten SUPER fast if you know what to do, otherwise even THOSE puzzles the 1st time around made one think and take awhile)
Now for feedback. I disliked in a way that the game handed itself to you. I mean everything you NEEDED to do basically... stayed in one spot you moved on to. In other adventure games. Im used to having to go "x" find "x" and then go back to "x", I know tedious but sometimes more items and areas to try to figure it out is a key element to a good puzzle adventure. When I only need to stay in the same room.. it gets easy to figure it out. So this 1st eppy is not challenging at all, Its just entertaining for the voices and story. I give ALOT of credit to the extra dialogue you DO have and choices if you choose to ask/use them.
So my curious thought after playing the 1st part is.. Is this game a adventure game or is it a sequel to a movie and you are just point and clicking your way through the story. (Only give this critic comment due to that 4 more eppies are coming and I know the 1st days comments are probably the most vital)
Great Job Script Writters as far as storyline! A+ you kept me engaged and cursed at To be continued!
A+ Music and Sfx Department. I enjoyed your variation on the music from the movies
D+ for the puzzle creators as it was too easy and didnt require any thinking really to figure things out. However a suggestion if you wish to keep it simple, Maybe do more with the Dialogue choices. Make it where have to say the correct phrases to "x" person, followed up by "x" person or so. Give a couple outcomes so it can be different, but ultimately the correct sequence of dialogue paths should match. Toss more items to use to trigger things etc.
Anyways, Now to wait and go back to something else in my life since this game is on hold now till next eppy comes.
In TTG history, the first episode is always easier than the rest. Puzzles do get more involved as it progresses into later episodes, often requiring jumping around to multiple destinations and acquiring numerous items to use and/or give to people.
I can finally say after almost 20 years... you have made a Back to The Future game thats awesome. The reason why its so awesome.... because it does what it intends to do... tell a awesome story. The voice acting is excellent. I stopped playing half way through the game for fear that Ill finish the whole episode in 1 night. Plan to milk it all the way to February.
But by the way, I don't agree with anything you've said here - the episode just took me around 3 hours to complete without using any of the hints etc.
How? I suppose you could stretch it that long if you spent most of your time messing around, but if you were trying to actually get somewhere then I don't know how you could much exceed the 2 hour mark. And, of course, hours don't mean anything at all. You could increase the hour count of any game by, for example, decreasing the walk speed of the characters, or having each cutscene last longer, or by having large spaces to walk between. What matters is meaningful game time, the time you spend actually playing a game rather than going through things that are decidedly not game. There is less than half an hour of meaningful game time in Back to the Future: The Game, less than half an hour of actual interaction. That time is made up of:
1. The alcohol puzzle.
2. The rocket drill preparation "Simon"-like game(which was too short and should have become more intense, but it was gameplay time and I liked it).
You on the other hand seem to have a bit of an axe to grind with TT based on some of your posts that I've read in the other threads - if you really dislike the game (and the companies policies / pricing points) as much as you say you do, I would suggest asking for a refund, because this doesn't appear to be the game for you.
I'd ask for a refund if it was my own purchase, to be frank. This was a gift, and honestly I now feel bad for wasting my friends' money. If by an "axe to grind", you mean I'm heavily disappointed with what they've become since Sam and Max: Season Two? Yeah, I have a pretty big axe. I can't remember the last time I was so directly insulted by a video game, I'm certain JumpStart 2nd Grade had more respect for its audience than It's About Time. If Telltale was in charge of that game, I'd learn my times tables with a giant HINT box on the top, people would loudly say words that rhymed with the correct numerical answer, and if I waited around too long they'd just say what the correct number was whether I wanted to be told or not. And, knowing Telltale as of Back to the Future, "too long" would be about 15 seconds.
Well, seeing as I am 23, and I still like to play the Putt-Putt and Freddi Fish games (which of course are insanely easy to an adult... read man child) I'll have no problem with the episode being easy.
Alright, here's my review for Cultural Zest later tonight;
Telltale’s new Back to the Future Game had me intrigued from the moment I heard about it. On the one hand, I knew that Telltale was a company that primarily produced comedic titles, and in the other perspective, Back to the Future was never a pure comedy franchise, more of a general entertainment type deal. I was interested in seeing how Telltale would work their story so that it does not betray either the trademark Telltale humour and writing, nor the classic Back to the Future style.
First of all, after playing the game for the first half or so, it seemed to encompass wholly both the Telltale style and the Back to the Future style of entertainment, which I found pleasing. There were visual gags, enticing and entertaining conversations, and the occasional swear, which I was glad to see that Telltale had not omitted. However, after a while this dropped off and it seemed to be either trying too hard or not trying hard enough, as if it couldn’t decide whether to be obvious or subtle, and instead fails at both.
The plot was pretty well thought out. While I won’t spoil it for you, the game picks up after the events of Part III, and pretty much everything is explained to some level of satisfaction, including the “new” DeLorean. It mostly makes sense, and this is a good thing for a continuation. I really have no gripes with the plot, but then again, Telltale don’t score points for writing good game stories anymore. It’s one of the unwritten laws of the universe; Telltale Games write excellent video game plots.
The puzzles, on the other hand, were lacking at best. I feel as if Telltale was struggling while they made this game, because Back to the Future does not really lend itself to puzzles. But so many of the puzzles are ridiculously simple, and if the solution is not blatantly apparent right from the get go, then the puzzle requires you to wait around for a few minutes, then you can try. Actually, that’s a bit harsh. Wait, no it’s not. One major puzzle in the game requires you to tell an accomplice to do something, then you have to walk around for a minute or two before he’s done. Then, after that, you have to wait around even more while another character does something else so you can solve the puzzle. THIS IS NOT GOOD STORYTELLING! This is artificially lengthening the play time of a game (which is still short anyway). And, later on, for the second and last slightly challenging puzzle in the game, we must follow our accomplice’s “instructions” to produce a vital item. And once you do it, guess what? They make you do it another 3 times with increasing difficulty. This, once again, is not how you make an adventure game. Adventure games should not test me to see how well I can follow rapidfire instructions. Adventure games should test my logic with tough puzzles.
On a slightly more positive note, the music in Back to the Future: The Game: It’s About Time! was good… from what I heard of it. Turns out that if you have everything still turned up to the max, the background music just gets lost. Which is a shame, as the musical side has always been the consistently outstanding part of any Telltale Game, something that would have made this otherwise underwhelming game much better had it been more prominent.
The characters are more lacklustre than I would expect from a Telltale Game; a lot of the supporting characters didn’t feel like they were really people, I actually perceived them as just being rendered animations. Even Marty and Doc. Perhaps this is because the characters in the films are portrayed by humans, that when they are compared to Telltale’s characters the latter pales. Nevertheless, the new characters that Telltale introduced are interesting, clever, and all play a part in the plot.
On a technical side, I am not a fan of the new launcher Telltale have developed that allows the user to access any of their games from a central hub. Sure, it’s kind of convenient, but it requires the user to log in EVERY SINGLE TIME they want to play the game. This hasn’t been required before, why now?
Also, while the graphics are very good, and the click-drag to walk method is well implemented, it feels a little cheap to not let us walk along the street but let us walk along the sidewalks.
So, all in all, the Back to the Future Game’s first episode was in some ways good but in many ways a bit of a letdown. Telltale are better than this. I know they can make great puzzles and believable characters, they just haven’t. I have a feeling that this series will get better towards the end, just like most Telltale seasons. But this is still poor for an opening of a first series, unfortunately. Despite it having many good moments, throughout the game the “hold your hand” approach, the bad puzzle designs, the horrifying shortness and the half way drop off all take away some of its potential awesomeness, leading me to a final rating of... 6.5/10
Yeah, it's not Telltale's best time... I'm calling it now, we are on the verge of "New Telltale"...
I have a fun read for you from a former designer of Telltale's.
Holy crap, is that THE Chuck Jordan? Sweet, I now have something new to read on the internet.
Just as you wrote, that was a fun read and there are good points made. Yes, I do agree the gaming/movie/everything industry is moving towards the 'mainstream' ideology and Telltale is no exception to this rule. That much was very apparent with Wallace & Gromit as well as Tales of Monkey Island, both seasons which moved away from traditional point-and-click mechanics to a direct control scheme. I know this is a tired argument but no matter how many times Telltale stamp their feet and proclaim that 'it was done so we can make our games more cinematic' (and playing Back to the Future I can definitely see this), I still think it can be done with traditional point-and-click mechanics. It would be far more work than it's worth certainly, especially considering Telltales' development schedule. However, it CAN be done.
Maybe I'm just not as aggravated as good ol' Dashing because I can accept the 'dumb-down approach' in a movie-based licence. Maybe it's because I've been playing Super Meat Boy for far too long now and needed something easy to take my mind off. Either way, I enjoyed my time with Back to the Future despite the short length and easy approach.
Holy crap, is that THE Chuck Jordan? Sweet, I now have something new to read on the internet.
Just as you wrote, that was a fun read and there are good points made. Yes, I do agree the gaming/movie/everything industry is moving towards the 'mainstream' ideology and Telltale is no exception to this rule. That much was very apparent with Wallace & Gromit as well as Tales of Monkey Island, both seasons which moved away from traditional point-and-click mechanics to a direct control scheme. I know this is a tired argument but no matter how many times Telltale stamp their feet and proclaim that 'it was done so we can make our games more cinematic' (and playing Back to the Future I can definitely see this), I still think it can be done with traditional point-and-click mechanics. It would be far more work than it's worth certainly, especially considering Telltales' development schedule. However, it CAN be done.
Control mechanics aren't the issue for me. I can wrap my mind around any control scheme if a compelling problem or series of problems presents itself. The problem is that now I'm turning hints off, I'm turning off notifications, I'm telling the game very loudly "DON'T HELP ME OUT PLEASE, I WANT TO FIGURE THIS OUT", and even then I find myself accosted by gigantic buttons and a game that thinks so little of me that it simply assumes that I did not mean any of that, that I'm not only too dumb to solve minor and insultingly simplistic puzzles, but that I'm also too stupid to understand what's for my own good when I say DO NOT HELP ME, THANK YOU, NO I DON'T NEED A BIB AND MY CUPS DON'T NEED A SIPPY LID.
Maybe I'm just not as aggravated as good ol' Dashing because I can accept the 'dumb-down approach' in a movie-based licence.
Well...I just wanna say that so far I am absolutely loving the game, every aspect of it!
Sure, Ep1 may be a bit on the easy side but I have no doubt that the difficulty + length will increase as the series continues, after all this episode is more or less the induction to the game.
Actual grinning all the way through, especially the opening sequence.
Control mechanics aren't the issue for me. I can wrap my mind around any control scheme if a compelling problem or series of problems presents itself. The problem is that now I'm turning hints off, I'm turning off notifications, I'm telling the game very loudly "DON'T HELP ME OUT PLEASE, I WANT TO FIGURE THIS OUT", and even then I find myself accosted by gigantic buttons and a game that thinks so little of me that it simply assumes that I did not mean any of that, that I'm not only too dumb to solve minor and insultingly simplistic puzzles, but that I'm also too stupid to understand what's for my own good when I say DO NOT HELP ME, THANK YOU, NO I DON'T NEED A BIB AND MY CUPS DON'T NEED A SIPPY LID.
I know, it's hard to sit through a game that's skewed to dullards like this is, just another example of modern media talking down to learned citizens like ourselves. Let us adjourn to the sidelines until Telltale presents us with a product that can appeal to our intelligence, perhaps an adventure game adaptation of a Dave Eggers novel or a Sam & Max season that offers more than "biting" pop culture satire. Anything other than this drivel they feed down our gullets now.
I know, it's hard to sit through a game that's skewed to dullards like this is, just another example of modern media talking down to learned citizens like ourselves. Let us adjourn to the sidelines until Telltale presents us with a product that can appeal to our intelligence, perhaps an adventure game adaptation of a Dave Eggers novel or a Sam & Max season that offers more than "biting" pop culture satire. Anything other than this drivel they feed down our gullets now.
Haha, you just reminded me of David "No, not the one that writes books and screenplays" Eggers who isn't with Telltale anymore. Guy was awesome.
Wow, just played a bit of the game and I think it is awesome. The guy doing the voice of Marty is spot on! Have not played a click and point game since I was like 5. Also really love the style and the intro is just superb!
I feared this game might be more of an interactive story than an adventure game. Rather dashing has convinced me to give this one a miss if this follows the same trend since S&Ms2. There are enough good adventure games still being made that have thoughtful puzzles AND story, at the end of the day if I wanted to watch an animated film I'd watch an animated film. Think I'll sit it out until the next Monkey Island
Installed without a hitch and played through, and I must say it has a very impressive level of detail, just incredible!
But yes, very short and simple game overall. I'm hoping that Telltale knew early on that they would be giving Episode 1 away for free so that this is actually a demo/season-intro and that the following episodes will have more depth and gameplay.
A few gripes from me:
- Bad camera work in Docs lab. Your view felt very obstructive.
- I didn't think the soup kitchen resembled the diner/bar enough to create that "familiar" connection
- We don't get the chance to get a good look at the DeLorean (ie. all around view) or a decent view of the clock tower (the actual clock part)
- The town square seemed very deserted
- Compared to something like Sam & Max, lacks alot of side jokes/items/conversations
Overall, just loving it! Can't wait for more! "Plan, we don't need a plan!"
Wow...that...may have been the shortest TT game ever. But then, maybe that's just cause I was enjoying it so much!
Ok...where to begin...
PRO'S
-Loved Marty McFly's character model. My new favourite Telltale model.
-Visuals were a lot better than I was hoping they'd be. BTTF could be Telltale's best looking game visually, a standard previously set by Sam & Max 305.
-Hill Valley was a great place to explore. Very nicely constructed environments in general.
-Doc's facial expressions were great. I "LOL"'d when Doc smirks at Kid Tannen in the car during the distraction.
-The soundtrack. Someone give Jared Emerson Johnson the oscar. Now. It's like it was taken right out of the movies, could be Jared's best soundtrack yet. AND it's only episode 1!!
-Best voice acting and casting in a TT game yet. As hoping. The fact that you were able to get Lloyd was incredible, and AJ and JAT served as brilliant actors for Marty and Young Doc.
-Good puzzle wise. I liked the puzzle when Emmett was emphasizing what to do. I had some AHA! moments a couple of times too.
-Great writing overall. It really feels like a worthy follow-up of the movies, once again, another license nailed by Telltale. One of the lines has given me a new signiature!
-Telltale's most cinematic game yet, feels like playing one of the movies.
-Good character development, and introductions so far. I have absolutely no reservations about these characters being part of the BTTF universe. They fit in perfectly fine.
-The beginning section was very haunting. You knew something was horribly wrong with the Twin Pines Mall scene.
-Thanks for not being "chicken" and not eliminating the curse words. It's almost a characteristic of the series.
-Nice cliffhanger. Went "AWWWWW" at the end. The story is shaping up to be great.
CON'S
-TOO SHORT! I really hope this was the shortest episode of the lot.
-Too easy and linear for the most part. I really hope this was just to ease new (modern) gamers in and that the difficulty would increase as it goes along.
-Felt a little too..."fan-service-y" in parts. But knowing Telltale, that's probably just to ease people back into the series after all this time.
-A couple of sound glitches caused some dialogue and sound effects to be missing, which is a shame, cause this is the best sounding Telltale Game yet!
SPECULATION
-Emmett and Edna will fall for each other, causing Emmett to almost give up science forever. Maybe that was the cause of the cliffhanger of this episode!...somehow.
-Marty will spend the next episode "fading out" and you must change the future so that Marty can fade back in.
-Doc will come face to face with his younger self.
All in all, fabulous start to the season, guys! Just up the difficulty and length, check for sound problems a little more, and turn down the fan service a notch, and you're set for your best season yet. You're halfway there already!
8/10
-Monkey
P.S. And hey, the fans seem to like it too! There aren't nearly as many "WE WANT FREE ROAMMM!" and "DRIVE THE DELLOREANNNN!!" posts as I feared there would be! Awesome!
Comments
With that in mind, Back to the Future Episode 1 was pretty fun to play. For once I'm glad to have a Telltale episode with some decent advanced options (in comparison to say, Wallace and Gromit or Sam & Max Season 3) with the inclusion of Anti-Aliasing. The hint system works for those who feel stuck on a certain area but don't want to be entirely spoiled by its' solution. Also worthy of note is the new splash screen/Telltale login. If it works like I think it does, this may be the first time we'll see each episode combined into one executible file with each episode being selected from this menu. Big props to Telltale on that choice.
Overall, while it may be easy, Episode 1 of Back to the Future is a sign of good things to come. I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the season. Good job Telltale.
(Also, am I correct in saying that this doesn't use SecuROM? I checked and found nothing, although that could just be me getting rusty.)
Story-wise, it was fine. Dialog definitely has a Telltale twang to it. It felt more like a Heavy Rain type thing where it was more like an interactive story than an actual game.
I have a fun read for you from a former designer of Telltale's.
There was literally a few minutes worth of actual gameplay total, with the rest of the time being taken up by cinematics and walking around. You couldn't have a platformer with no enemies or hazards and say it's great regardless because it wasn't designed for hardcore platformer games. When you buy a game, THE GAME PART IS NOT OPTIONAL. This episode is a sign of really terrible things to come, not just for Back to the Future but for the rest of Telltale's properties, and playing this has convinced me that I no longer care about a game just because it has the Telltale name attached, and honestly it's starting to become something of a point against it.
You're obviously not a fan of the "Metal Gear Solid" games
But by the way, I don't agree with anything you've said here - the episode just took me around 3 hours to complete without using any of the hints etc.
Of course, I wanted it to last longer, as I think any fan of "BTTF" would - but at this rate, I'll wind up with a 15 hour game for $20.00 - I'm pretty happy with that.
You on the other hand seem to have a bit of an axe to grind with TT based on some of your posts that I've read in the other threads - if you really dislike the game (and the companies policies / pricing points) as much as you say you do, I would suggest asking for a refund, because this doesn't appear to be the game for you.
Anyways the plot of the story, AWESOME. I want more! But downfall.. I dont see myself replaying this over and over as say Sam and Max 1 (The orig) or even DOTT (Which ok.. can be beaten SUPER fast if you know what to do, otherwise even THOSE puzzles the 1st time around made one think and take awhile)
Now for feedback. I disliked in a way that the game handed itself to you. I mean everything you NEEDED to do basically... stayed in one spot you moved on to. In other adventure games. Im used to having to go "x" find "x" and then go back to "x", I know tedious but sometimes more items and areas to try to figure it out is a key element to a good puzzle adventure. When I only need to stay in the same room.. it gets easy to figure it out. So this 1st eppy is not challenging at all, Its just entertaining for the voices and story. I give ALOT of credit to the extra dialogue you DO have and choices if you choose to ask/use them.
So my curious thought after playing the 1st part is.. Is this game a adventure game or is it a sequel to a movie and you are just point and clicking your way through the story. (Only give this critic comment due to that 4 more eppies are coming and I know the 1st days comments are probably the most vital)
Great Job Script Writters as far as storyline! A+ you kept me engaged and cursed at To be continued!
A+ Music and Sfx Department. I enjoyed your variation on the music from the movies
D+ for the puzzle creators as it was too easy and didnt require any thinking really to figure things out. However a suggestion if you wish to keep it simple, Maybe do more with the Dialogue choices. Make it where have to say the correct phrases to "x" person, followed up by "x" person or so. Give a couple outcomes so it can be different, but ultimately the correct sequence of dialogue paths should match. Toss more items to use to trigger things etc.
Anyways, Now to wait and go back to something else in my life since this game is on hold now till next eppy comes.
That sentence doesn't make sense.
But TTG's games are generally at the easier end of the difficulty scale.
"There was literally a few minutes worth of actual gameplay total, with the rest of the time being taken up by cinematics and walking around."
Now?
It was sarcasm. As in "Metal Gear Solid" and "games" don't belong in reference to one another.
I can finally say after almost 20 years... you have made a Back to The Future game thats awesome. The reason why its so awesome.... because it does what it intends to do... tell a awesome story. The voice acting is excellent. I stopped playing half way through the game for fear that Ill finish the whole episode in 1 night. Plan to milk it all the way to February.
Thank you and your awesome crew
a fan
Ahhh. Missed that the first time...:D
1. The alcohol puzzle.
2. The rocket drill preparation "Simon"-like game(which was too short and should have become more intense, but it was gameplay time and I liked it).
I'd ask for a refund if it was my own purchase, to be frank. This was a gift, and honestly I now feel bad for wasting my friends' money. If by an "axe to grind", you mean I'm heavily disappointed with what they've become since Sam and Max: Season Two? Yeah, I have a pretty big axe. I can't remember the last time I was so directly insulted by a video game, I'm certain JumpStart 2nd Grade had more respect for its audience than It's About Time. If Telltale was in charge of that game, I'd learn my times tables with a giant HINT box on the top, people would loudly say words that rhymed with the correct numerical answer, and if I waited around too long they'd just say what the correct number was whether I wanted to be told or not. And, knowing Telltale as of Back to the Future, "too long" would be about 15 seconds.
Telltale’s new Back to the Future Game had me intrigued from the moment I heard about it. On the one hand, I knew that Telltale was a company that primarily produced comedic titles, and in the other perspective, Back to the Future was never a pure comedy franchise, more of a general entertainment type deal. I was interested in seeing how Telltale would work their story so that it does not betray either the trademark Telltale humour and writing, nor the classic Back to the Future style.
First of all, after playing the game for the first half or so, it seemed to encompass wholly both the Telltale style and the Back to the Future style of entertainment, which I found pleasing. There were visual gags, enticing and entertaining conversations, and the occasional swear, which I was glad to see that Telltale had not omitted. However, after a while this dropped off and it seemed to be either trying too hard or not trying hard enough, as if it couldn’t decide whether to be obvious or subtle, and instead fails at both.
The plot was pretty well thought out. While I won’t spoil it for you, the game picks up after the events of Part III, and pretty much everything is explained to some level of satisfaction, including the “new” DeLorean. It mostly makes sense, and this is a good thing for a continuation. I really have no gripes with the plot, but then again, Telltale don’t score points for writing good game stories anymore. It’s one of the unwritten laws of the universe; Telltale Games write excellent video game plots.
The puzzles, on the other hand, were lacking at best. I feel as if Telltale was struggling while they made this game, because Back to the Future does not really lend itself to puzzles. But so many of the puzzles are ridiculously simple, and if the solution is not blatantly apparent right from the get go, then the puzzle requires you to wait around for a few minutes, then you can try. Actually, that’s a bit harsh. Wait, no it’s not. One major puzzle in the game requires you to tell an accomplice to do something, then you have to walk around for a minute or two before he’s done. Then, after that, you have to wait around even more while another character does something else so you can solve the puzzle. THIS IS NOT GOOD STORYTELLING! This is artificially lengthening the play time of a game (which is still short anyway). And, later on, for the second and last slightly challenging puzzle in the game, we must follow our accomplice’s “instructions” to produce a vital item. And once you do it, guess what? They make you do it another 3 times with increasing difficulty. This, once again, is not how you make an adventure game. Adventure games should not test me to see how well I can follow rapidfire instructions. Adventure games should test my logic with tough puzzles.
On a slightly more positive note, the music in Back to the Future: The Game: It’s About Time! was good… from what I heard of it. Turns out that if you have everything still turned up to the max, the background music just gets lost. Which is a shame, as the musical side has always been the consistently outstanding part of any Telltale Game, something that would have made this otherwise underwhelming game much better had it been more prominent.
The characters are more lacklustre than I would expect from a Telltale Game; a lot of the supporting characters didn’t feel like they were really people, I actually perceived them as just being rendered animations. Even Marty and Doc. Perhaps this is because the characters in the films are portrayed by humans, that when they are compared to Telltale’s characters the latter pales. Nevertheless, the new characters that Telltale introduced are interesting, clever, and all play a part in the plot.
On a technical side, I am not a fan of the new launcher Telltale have developed that allows the user to access any of their games from a central hub. Sure, it’s kind of convenient, but it requires the user to log in EVERY SINGLE TIME they want to play the game. This hasn’t been required before, why now?
Also, while the graphics are very good, and the click-drag to walk method is well implemented, it feels a little cheap to not let us walk along the street but let us walk along the sidewalks.
So, all in all, the Back to the Future Game’s first episode was in some ways good but in many ways a bit of a letdown. Telltale are better than this. I know they can make great puzzles and believable characters, they just haven’t. I have a feeling that this series will get better towards the end, just like most Telltale seasons. But this is still poor for an opening of a first series, unfortunately. Despite it having many good moments, throughout the game the “hold your hand” approach, the bad puzzle designs, the horrifying shortness and the half way drop off all take away some of its potential awesomeness, leading me to a final rating of...
6.5/10
Yeah, it's not Telltale's best time... I'm calling it now, we are on the verge of "New Telltale"...
huh?
oh, right
Just as you wrote, that was a fun read and there are good points made. Yes, I do agree the gaming/movie/everything industry is moving towards the 'mainstream' ideology and Telltale is no exception to this rule. That much was very apparent with Wallace & Gromit as well as Tales of Monkey Island, both seasons which moved away from traditional point-and-click mechanics to a direct control scheme. I know this is a tired argument but no matter how many times Telltale stamp their feet and proclaim that 'it was done so we can make our games more cinematic' (and playing Back to the Future I can definitely see this), I still think it can be done with traditional point-and-click mechanics. It would be far more work than it's worth certainly, especially considering Telltales' development schedule. However, it CAN be done.
Maybe I'm just not as aggravated as good ol' Dashing because I can accept the 'dumb-down approach' in a movie-based licence. Maybe it's because I've been playing Super Meat Boy for far too long now and needed something easy to take my mind off. Either way, I enjoyed my time with Back to the Future despite the short length and easy approach.
I don't know how this excuses anything?
Sure, Ep1 may be a bit on the easy side but I have no doubt that the difficulty + length will increase as the series continues, after all this episode is more or less the induction to the game.
Actual grinning all the way through, especially the opening sequence.
BUT, the game is amazing. A LOT better then a 4th movie could ever hope to be and my world is richer for having this game in it.
Can't wait to play through all the episodes!
I know, it's hard to sit through a game that's skewed to dullards like this is, just another example of modern media talking down to learned citizens like ourselves. Let us adjourn to the sidelines until Telltale presents us with a product that can appeal to our intelligence, perhaps an adventure game adaptation of a Dave Eggers novel or a Sam & Max season that offers more than "biting" pop culture satire. Anything other than this drivel they feed down our gullets now.
I know. Entirely random thing to pick out.
But yes, very short and simple game overall. I'm hoping that Telltale knew early on that they would be giving Episode 1 away for free so that this is actually a demo/season-intro and that the following episodes will have more depth and gameplay.
A few gripes from me:
- Bad camera work in Docs lab. Your view felt very obstructive.
- I didn't think the soup kitchen resembled the diner/bar enough to create that "familiar" connection
- We don't get the chance to get a good look at the DeLorean (ie. all around view) or a decent view of the clock tower (the actual clock part)
- The town square seemed very deserted
- Compared to something like Sam & Max, lacks alot of side jokes/items/conversations
Overall, just loving it! Can't wait for more!
"Plan, we don't need a plan!"
Wow...that...may have been the shortest TT game ever. But then, maybe that's just cause I was enjoying it so much!
Ok...where to begin...
PRO'S
-Loved Marty McFly's character model. My new favourite Telltale model.
-Visuals were a lot better than I was hoping they'd be. BTTF could be Telltale's best looking game visually, a standard previously set by Sam & Max 305.
-Hill Valley was a great place to explore. Very nicely constructed environments in general.
-Doc's facial expressions were great. I "LOL"'d when Doc smirks at Kid Tannen in the car during the distraction.
-The soundtrack. Someone give Jared Emerson Johnson the oscar. Now. It's like it was taken right out of the movies, could be Jared's best soundtrack yet. AND it's only episode 1!!
-Best voice acting and casting in a TT game yet. As hoping. The fact that you were able to get Lloyd was incredible, and AJ and JAT served as brilliant actors for Marty and Young Doc.
-Good puzzle wise. I liked the puzzle when Emmett was emphasizing what to do. I had some AHA! moments a couple of times too.
-Great writing overall. It really feels like a worthy follow-up of the movies, once again, another license nailed by Telltale. One of the lines has given me a new signiature!
-Telltale's most cinematic game yet, feels like playing one of the movies.
-Good character development, and introductions so far. I have absolutely no reservations about these characters being part of the BTTF universe. They fit in perfectly fine.
-The beginning section was very haunting. You knew something was horribly wrong with the Twin Pines Mall scene.
-Thanks for not being "chicken" and not eliminating the curse words. It's almost a characteristic of the series.
-Nice cliffhanger. Went "AWWWWW" at the end. The story is shaping up to be great.
CON'S
-TOO SHORT! I really hope this was the shortest episode of the lot.
-Too easy and linear for the most part. I really hope this was just to ease new (modern) gamers in and that the difficulty would increase as it goes along.
-Felt a little too..."fan-service-y" in parts. But knowing Telltale, that's probably just to ease people back into the series after all this time.
-A couple of sound glitches caused some dialogue and sound effects to be missing, which is a shame, cause this is the best sounding Telltale Game yet!
SPECULATION
-Emmett and Edna will fall for each other, causing Emmett to almost give up science forever. Maybe that was the cause of the cliffhanger of this episode!...somehow.
-Marty will spend the next episode "fading out" and you must change the future so that Marty can fade back in.
-Doc will come face to face with his younger self.
All in all, fabulous start to the season, guys! Just up the difficulty and length, check for sound problems a little more, and turn down the fan service a notch, and you're set for your best season yet. You're halfway there already!
8/10
-Monkey
P.S. And hey, the fans seem to like it too! There aren't nearly as many "WE WANT FREE ROAMMM!" and "DRIVE THE DELLOREANNNN!!" posts as I feared there would be! Awesome!