Replay: VHS is Not Dead (Hands-On) (PC) Preview

Replay: VHS is Not Dead is a clever puzzle-platformer in which the hero must visit several movie universes and play the important role of director. The aim is to guide all characters to their specific goals, something that is done by using a magical remote that rewinds time to allow for another character to be chosen in order to play through again, except with them instead. After playing through with one character, that character's "track" is recorded, with the overall objective being to eventually lead them all to the ultimate goal at the same time.

The gameplay is simple, yet extremely clever, teaching the controls to start with and quickly revealing its difficulty and the many clever ways of using the intriguing core mechanic. Very often there is a need to take "turns" with the characters as they will need to interact with each other to reach their goal, making for a game with deep gameplay and creative stage design.

While the gameplay is fun, due to its nature it can also be extremely frustrating at times. One major issue is that the same sequences must be played through several times and if something gets messed up it might be so bad that restart the entire stage is required, starting from scratch, something that happens more than a few times. However, it is seldom so annoying as to feel the desire to give up completely - thankfully, the gameplay, while repetitive at times, is still very enjoyable.

The cleverest and most fun aspect of Replay: VHS is Not Dead is how it lets the movie universes in which the stages take place affect the way gameplay turns out. In the Pirates of the Caribbean, stages very much focus on placing barrels strategically, while in the Star Trek-based levels more emphasis is put on controlling lasers and advanced technology to progress. This makes each world feel unique and prevents the action from starting to feel repetitive.

The movie universes are also very well made. Of course, the names are shuffled up to prevent copyright issues, but it is still recognisable for anyone who has seen the films in question. The characters are also very charming in how they just remind of the ones they are clearly based upon.

Replay: VHS is Not Dead is a great game based on great movies and a great mechanic, and it is a title that is well worth waiting for. At this point in time it looks like it will be fun but frustrating at times. The worlds and themes really help maintain a fresh feeling all the way through and is shaping up to be well worth a go when released.