Despite its trilogy finishing over 30 years ago, theBack to the Futurefranchise is still an incredibly iconic sci-fi classic that deserves praise over the years. Even without a new entry in the series for so long,Back To The Future’s cultural impact can still be felt to this day, made apparent through its abundance of new merchandise and references in other media. While there have been several video game adaptations for the titular series, there’s still plenty more potential for a new interactive revival.
AlthoughBack To The Future’s creators have shot down anyhopes for a fourth film, they’ve shown plenty of interest in creating a virtual new story in the same setting. While it wouldn’t beBack To The Futurewithout Dr. Brown and Marty McFly,a video game adaptation could add new adventures to the previously established canon, much like another award-winning adaptation last year.Regardless of when aBack To The Futuregame finally makes its way to storefronts, there are plenty of great games out there whose formulas would pair excellently in a time-traveling adventure.
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Is The Perfect Inspiration For A Back To The Future Game
Sharing A Sense Of Whimsical World-Travelling Adventure
In an exciting interview linked by the officialBack To the Futureaccount on X,a brand-new video game adaptation is currently in the early stages of development for the franchise, although there are few details available so far. While there’ll likely be a moderately long wait until the project comes to fruition, the project’s infancy means there’s still plenty of time to take inspiration from the successful formulas of games like theaward-winningIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Even though the more violent action of theIndianaJonesfilms has a somewhat darker tone compared toBack To The Future, they share a surprising number of similarities, withThe Great Circle’s gameplay mechanics being the perfect reference point for a new video game adaptation of its sci-fi setting. Each of the original franchises were made in the same era of 80s-90s filmmaking, sharing a similar sense of storytelling and wonder that made them so memorable, on top of both projects being made with Steven Spielberg’s contribution.
Harrison Ford Weighs In On Troy Baker’s Performance In Indiana Jones & The Great Circle
The original Indy, Harrison Ford, had lots to say about the work Troy Baker put into his performance in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Much like Indiana Jones' globe-trotting adventure inthe Great Circle, a Back to the Future game could allow players to visit different periods with unique characters and environments, fast-traveling between them using the Delorean.It’s easy to imagine Marty getting trapped in the past, having to disguise himself much like Indiana’s dressing up inThe Great Circle, while he tries to repair the Delorean enough to get back home or prevent a catastrophic time paradox.
Marty McFly still has plenty of fight when push comes to shove.
Even ifThe Great Circletakes a more violent approach compared to the lighthearted adventures seen inBack To The Future, there’s plenty of room for tension and fist-fighting bullies like Biff when needed.It’s more likely that Marty would spend most encounters using his environment to escape anyone trying to give him trouble rather than Indiana’s combative approach. However, Marty McFly still has plenty of fight in him when push comes to shove.
There’s Plenty Of Potential For A Thrilling New Time Travel Adventure
Offering A Fresh Experience With The Same Beloved Characters
Even thoughThe Great Circletells its own fully contained story starring Indiana Jones, its story beats and humor play out much like the original films themselves, being part of the reason it was so well-received in the first place. While the upcomingBack To The Futuregame should follow suit with an original storyline occurring between or after the film’s events, it should embrace the originals in the same fashion rather than attempting to outdo them.
Much like how cut content from previousIndiana Jonesfilms would make for aperfect future DLC concept,there are bound to be plenty of scrapped ideas that aBack To The Futuregame could adapt into a fresh story. On top of its story potential, if aBack To The Futuregame aimed to have a fraction ofThe Great Circle’s immersive visuals and worldbuilding, it would greatly help each location traveled to come to life with incredible detail and accuracy, offering a definitive new experience for the series.
Each chapter of a newBack To The Futuregame taking place in a new time period would make them feel wholly distinct from the rest.
The quasi-open-world filled with mysteries to uncover, characters to meet, and puzzles to solve inThe Great Circlecould even be taken to greater heights with the addition of time travel. Each chapter of a newBack To The Futuregame taking place in a new time period would make them feel wholly distinct from the rest, letting players live out several parts of history rather thanThe Great Circle’s static, albeit incredibly interesting, pre-war setting.
Offering The Definitive Back To The Future Experience
A Chance To Surpass Its Original Source Material
Aside from the several arcade-style entries of the 80s,Back To The Future: The Gameby Telltale Games has been the only adaptation that attempted to recreate a similar level of storytelling as the original films. Rather than acting as a generic retelling of the movies,Telltales’Back To The Futuretook the characters in new directions while offering its own unique story and settings that follow the third film. The original game was fairly well received at the time, although it faced criticism regarding its overly simplistic puzzles and slower pace.
A newBack To The Futureadaptation could capitalize on the absence by combining its classic storytelling with modern game design.
Unfortunately forBack To The Futurefans, The Telltale entry was delisted after the studio’s closure in 2018, making the only currently accessible video game adaptation ofBack To The Futurethe upcomingreference level of Funko Fusion. With the lack of available options, a newBack To The Futureadaptation could capitalize on the absence by combining its classic storytelling with modern game design. AlthoughThe Great Circlehad the advantage of more recent film outings,it’s hard to imagine that aBack To The Futurevideo game wouldn’t grab fans' attention, thanks to its lasting cultural influence.
Almost 2 Years On, This Back To The Future 4 Concept Trailer Still Genuinely Makes Me Wish The Sequel Was Real
With the idea that Back to the Future 4 is most likely never happening, a concept trailer for the sequel desperately makes me wish it was real.
Much likeThe Great Circlesurpassing its source material with itsimmersive world and incredible villains,a new entry in theBack To The Futuregame could potentially achieve the same level of greatness, benefiting greatly from the original writers having a strong passion for the project. While it’s still too early to tell if aBack To The Futuregame will even last long enough to see the light of day, there’s plenty to look forward to based on the series' track record of offering memorable experiences.
Back to the Future
“Back to the Future” is a science fiction adventure franchise that follows the time-traveling adventures of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown. Created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the series is known for its clever use of time travel, memorable characters, and iconic DeLorean time machine. The franchise explores themes of causality, destiny, and the impact of individual actions on the future. Its blend of humor, heart, and innovative storytelling has made it a beloved classic in film history.
