Despite length and difficulty issues, BttF: Episode 1 is clever, entertaining, and does justice to the source material
This is a review of Episode 1: It's About Time. I have just completed it, and thankfully, I was not disappointed. While it's very short, the few hours that I did spend playing it were awesome. This is one of the best games that I've played, that is based on an already-established license.
The story is, without a doubt, the strongest aspect of the game (or at least this episode), and is the main reason to get it. I won't talk about the plot at all, because, trust me, you don't want me to spoil it for you. Fans of the movies will definitely be pleased, but sci-fi fans, in general, are likely to enjoy it as well. Thankfully, the developers did manage to get Christopher Lloyd to reprise his role as Doctor Emmett Brown. Unfortunately, they could not get Michael J. Fox to voice Marty McFly (although they did get his likeness); AJ LoCascio replaces him, and although he does a good job, you can easily tell that he's not Michael J. However, taking such a story-focussed game, and putting it into an episodic format, comes with a price. Episode 1 is VERY short; I beat it in about 3 1/2 hours, but skilled players will probably beat it in less than 2 1/2. Since there are no collectables or alternate paths, you will probably only play the game once.
Back to the Future is a point-and-click adventure game, and a very good one at that. While the puzzles aren't terribly difficult (I didn't find most of them to be that difficult, and I suck at puzzle games), they are very clever. So much so that I will talk very little about them, to keep from spoiling them (I know I said that before about the story, but I really mean it). The cleverness of the puzzles (as well as their similarity to events in the movies) provide a lot of "ooh" and "ah" moments, making them really fun to solve. However, there were more than a few instances where you could get the job done without thinking, simply by constantly clicking on different objects using different items (yes, you can carry and use items). The hint system is also a bit problematic. Pressing TRIANGLE will make a hint appear; the problem is, you can usually get an additional hint by pressing X, for no cost, whatsoever. These make a lot of the puzzles too easy, and can often spoil puzzles completely. However, most of the puzzles manage to remain exciting and entertaining, anyway, thanks to how well they are interwoven into the narrative.
The weakest part of the game is the graphics. If you are absolutely obsessed with realistic visuals, be warned; Back to the Future's visuals are anything but realistic. Visually, I think that the game is a mixed-bag. I really like the cartoony style, but aside from the characters' facial appearances, the amount of detail is far from impressive. I have seen cartoony Wii games with far better graphics than this. Thankfully, the audio is all-around excellent, in all respects: the voice-acting, sound effects, music...you name it.
I have yet to play the rest of Back to the Future, but It's About Time brings this episodic series to a really great start. If Episodes 2-5 turn out to be just as good (if not better), then the entire PSN bundle will definitely be worth the cost of admission. 10-15 hours, of a game that's THIS entertaining...yup, definitely worth $20.