Maroc - 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - Aujourd'hui 01:19

NeverAwake: FLASHBACK – Review

Ahead of getting into our first review of 2026, allow us, dear reader, to wish you all the best for the new year. With a ton of exciting games on the horizon, we have no doubt that this is going to be a fantastic year. As usual, we’ll be by your side to help you avoid the stinkers and shine a light on the hidden gems that you might miss otherwise. Before we get ahead of ourselves though, let’s take a look at the last game we played in 2025: NeverAwake FLASHBACK. Did we end the year with a bang or a whimper? Story Technically speaking, FLASHBACK is a sequel to the first NeverAwake game, though it feels more like an epilogue than a fully fleshed-out story. We didn’t play that first game ourselves, but fortunately, one of our fellow reviewers did. Their impressions allowed us to piece together FLASHBACK’s premise, as the game itself insists on not giving you the necessary information to actually understand what is going on. The gist of it is that Rem, the young girl protagonist of the first game, is starting to experience nightmares again. Together with her plushie Gabe-chan, Rem returns to her subconscious to confront her returning fears. With no recap of the events of the first game, and only fragmentary, subtle, and secondary storytelling, FLASHBACK’s narrative elements definitely feel underdeveloped. The game supposedly has seven unlockable endings, but it gives you no reasons to actually care about these, so we didn’t even bother seeking them all out. Graphics It’s not uncommon for retro-inspired video games or straight-up ports of old titles to include CRT filters to mimic old TVs. FLASHBACK does this as well, but the effect works better here because it doesn’t just want to tap into nostalgia, but it also reinforces the otherworldly feel of the game’s nightmare setting. Turning the CRT filter off reveals a distinctive, hand-drawn look for both character sprites and environments. The art style tends towards the surreal and expressive, matching the atmosphere. The inherent simplicity of FLASHBACK’s visuals works in the game’s favor, as it isn’t very demanding, resulting in a performant and stable experience with minimal visual clutter and no notable slowdown or other technical issues. Sound With so little effort put into storytelling, it’s not surprising that FLASHBACK eschews voice acting entirely. Instead, the game’s soundscape is carried by its soundtrack. The atmospheric music is emotionally resonant, often shifting between eerie, melancholic, and even whimsical depending on the situation. The soundtrack is subtle but effective, helping to establish the right mood without overwhelming the gameplay. It’s supported by the game’s layered ambience, which adds depth to the different nightmare environments that Rem finds herself in: calmer areas feel quieter and more subdued, while more intense segments have heavier ambience. Rounding things out is a set of clear, distinct, and polished sound effects. The sounds of attacks, enemy cues, and environmental interactions provide good feedback and fit the game’s aesthetic. They’re minimalist but purposeful. Gameplay Just like its predecessor, FLASHBACK is a fast-paced twin-stick bullet-hell shooter with a roguelite structure. The game is built around short, arcade-style runs rather than a linear campaign. Players control Rem as she flies through surreal nightmare arenas, shooting in 360 degrees, dodging dense projectile patterns, and collecting souls to clear stages instead of simply surviving. Each 15-20 minute run consists of nine stages, with players choosing between branching routes that vary both in difficulty and in rewards. Progression is run-based rather than permanent. Builds reset after each run, encouraging you to experiment with different weapons and accessories. This is further emphasised by the game making use of a seed system, allowing you to revisit prior runs instead of getting a randomized set of stages every time. FLASHBACK emphasizes skillful movement, pattern recognition, and quick decision-making, featuring heavy bullet density, challenging bosses, and high readability despite the chaos. Much of the game occurs in small rooms or arenas where enemies spawn, and combat unfolds in short bursts. Combat itself isn’t overly complex in terms of controls, but enemy patterns and timing still make fights feel demanding and engaging. Fortunately, FLASHBACK’s controls are tight and responsive, which is crucial for dodging and positioning. Once you start to understand the tempo of chaining attacks and timing your actions, the game really starts to shine. At a certain point, the game almost felt like we weren’t playing an action game anymore but a rhythm game instead. That’s not to say that FLASHBACK is a walk in the park. This is a tough game, especially when it comes to late-game encounters or boss fights. While the game undeniably throws difficulty spikes at players, these are punishing but fair. Deaths never felt cheap and always were the result of player error. Arcade-style shmups are typically short affairs -just look at G-Darius or the Cotton series- that rely on replaying them over and over again, as you memorize enemy attack patterns and try to improve your score. FLASHBACK certainly isn’t different in this regard, and most players should be able to see everything there is to see in about 3 hours. That is by design, and half the fun comes from skill-based progression. Success tends to come from learning enemy patterns, mastering movement, and executing timing rather than simply grinding stats or gear. If that sounds like your kind of game, then FLASHBACK is definitely going to be worth its price tag, which sits just below €10. Conclusion There is something poetic about ending a year with a game where you literally blast nightmares to smithereens. It signals a fresh start. The symbolism is entirely coïncidental, as making us wax about a year ending wasn’t what FLASHBACK set out to do. Fortunately, though, the game does achieve what it sets out to do for the most part -our only gripe with the game was how undercooked its narrative was. FLASHBACK successfully ticks off every other box and is a worthy addition to the library of any arcade-style shooter fan.