The next episode from Telltale’s Back to The Future series is upon us, which means iPad game reviewers will be once again left struggling to find something to write.
There’s plenty to talk about - technical issues, a clunky touch interface, excellent voice acting, and a strong script - but the problem is that all these points were true of the last episode.
Indeed, you won’t need a time travelling DeLorean to feel like you’ve read this all before.
We gotta go backEp 3’s story starts with Marty crashing the DeLorean back in 1986, having previously defeated the gangster Biff in the past.
However, this isn’t the 1986 Marty remembers - far from it. Somehow, the last game set in motion events that have led to Hill Valley becoming its very own police state, walled off from the world.
Jennifer is now a rebellious punk chick, the ‘current’ Marty is a bookish nerd, and in charge of this Orwellian dystopia is none other than Citizen Brown (no longer ‘Doc’).
It’s a strong setup that feels very true to the Back to the Future franchise. As with the previous games, there’s plenty of one-liners and situations that will resonate with fans of the film, and call-backs to earlier events in Telltale’s other games.
It ends on a good cliff-hanger, too, which will certainly have series followers chomping at the bit for Ep 4 to come around.
The game’s low difficulty and copious hints mean that it’s very unlikely you'll be unable to reach the finale, either, although the partially broken controls of the last two games will do their damnedest to stop you.
The battery's deadCertain puzzles are made infinitely more opaque thanks to the guidelines about what you can interact with (displayed by holding down two fingers on screen) never quite matching up to the screen.
This isn't a serious problem for most of the game, but during an event near the end that involves tapping on very specific spots it can be annoying.
And then there are the performance issues.
If you were hoping Telltale has addressed the stuttering performance that afflicts all of its iPad ports, you're in for a disappointment. It's fine if you're lucky enough to own an iPad 2, but if you're rocking Apple's first-generation tablet you're in for a bumpy ride.
Back to the Future Ep 3 HD's excellent story and presentation ensure that you'll enjoy the couple of hours you spend playing it. We just hope the next episode addresses some of the mistakes of the past.
Read our review of Back to the Future Ep 1 HD - It's About Time. [Buy it.]
Read our review of Back to the Future Ep 2 HD - Get Tannen. [Buy it.]
Read our review of Back to the Future Ep 4 HD - Double Visions. [Buy it.]
Read our review of Back to the Future Ep 5 HD - Outatime. [Buy it.]
Back to the Future Ep 3 HD
Part 3 is an enjoyable continuation of the Back To the Future story, but is still plagued by the technical issues of past attempts
Will Wilson
Will's obsession with gaming started off with sketching Laser Squad levels on pads of paper, but recently grew into violently shouting "Tango Down!" at random strangers on the street. He now directs that positive energy into his writing (due in no small part to a binding court order).