When Neotro released NeverAwake in 2022, the horrors of navigating a child’s subconscious were explored in a unique twin-stick shooter. Blending Tim Burton’s inspired monsters, traversing unique boss encounters, and featuring an engaging overarching narrative. It took bold risks within the subject matter and alternating routes that provide a distinct perspective.

Three years later, NeverAwake FLASHBACK was finally released as a direct sequel, although originally it was announced as DLC. Expanding on its core gameplay through an arcade-inspired rougelike. While it was an admirable attempt, some flaws make the overall experience more confusing than enjoyable.

Delving Deep Into Slumber

Rem once again delves deep into sleep, now accompanied by a former boss, Gabe-Chan, functioning as a turret and shield. Each weapon behaves differently, and some are more beneficial than others, as Gabe provides an additional layer of damage. However, upgrades only appear deeper in a run, and while they seem random, they are actually dependent on the route. There’s also an auto-fire option, but do note that shooting keeps Gabe in place; there’s no easy way to position him. The addition of Gabe adds a layer of customization to Rem’s overall build, even though it resets before a new run.

Routes can be both a sprint and a marathon, as filling the spirit meter instantly clears the level. While no longer serving as a currency, Rem instead collects badges through the starter kits at the standby screen. Selecting a level features a different badge, which can be either offensive, defensive, or serve a special purpose. Trigger badges also appear, replacing the selection of Gabe’s weapons with each route, starting with the parry trigger. There are a few trigger badges that are dependent on Gabe’s position, but others aren’t, as they provide different effects.

FLASHBACK features a unique twist in the difficulty selection of its overall routes via three sets of alphabetical characters. Each possible combination yields different results, not just in terms of difficulty, but also in overall aesthetic. In addition to the overall enemy behavior and total life count for Rem, changes depend on the selected routes. However, the structure of each route repeats; while being the core means of progression, it only adds to the repetition. Another complaint is that some levels repeat, and there’s no indication of how many levels are yet to be unlocked.

My major gripe is that the returning levels from the previous game fill the bulk of the game. Outside of three new encounters, the majority of the levels and mini bosses return and feature a high tendency to repeat. Some encounters feel contrived, as it’s completely claustrophobic, making it easier to lose a shield. Out of the new encounters, FLASHBACK! will always replay at the start of every route, regardless of the difficulty as well. Even with the final boss being a complete challenge, the base boss battle is a fun encounter in itself.

Waking Up in a Cold Sweat

The story of FLASHBACK picks up directly after its predecessor, serving as an epilogue that shows how Rem is doing. Each ending tells a straightforward tale about wanting to beat a hard game on weekdays and being grounded. This is something kids in the 2000s have experienced before, and the consequences of a failing grade. While each level is a representation of Rem’s fears returning, these endings are far from nightmarish. This doesn’t feel like a tonal shift, and is the major motivation to replay different routes to obtain all seven endings. 

From the main menu and between levels, Rem can be seen soundly sleeping alongside Gabe-Chan. While selecting the next level, the animations also update accordingly, showcasing Rem’s state as she falls deeper into each different nightmare. Each one is distinct, showcasing different animations such as being comforted by her family. This also adds some welcomed environmental storytelling, as Rem is sometimes shown pulling Gabe when the route’s difficulty increases over time. These are available in the standby screen when selecting the next level and always default to Rem sleeping soundly.

The requirement to unlock the final boss is easily obtained by completing the clear objectives. Some kits allow for the reduction of one requirement, but the rest can be obtained through regular gameplay. Besting either mini-boss unlocks the key to the final boss’s availability for the ninth encounter. Moreover, beating the final boss is the means to unlock the other endings, as the first two are guaranteed. This can be done regardless of difficulty, as the routes are recorded in its built-in history to revisit easier routes. There is also a possibility that some ending requirements can be easily skipped, leading to some appearing at random.

There is also no available means to revisit the endings outside of replaying the game to capture a specific ending. There’s no extra menu that allows revisiting each ending cutscene, see its illustration, or even have a recap of the previous entry. This design choice definitely confuses me, as it had more time to flesh out the core gameplay, yet this was an entire afterthought. Outside of the tutorial and the three other levels, FLASHBACK feels held back from its attempt to expand outside the main game and feels like glorified DLC.

When Dreams Become Nightmares

NeverAwake FLASHBACK is an enticing arcade challenge in this horror-inspired twin-stick shooter, featuring a unique difficulty method that expands the difficulty and overall aesthetic. However, the repetitive nature of the game will make longer play sessions more irritating as a result. Even when Gabe is capable of defense, it can get easily undermined, especially if auto-aim is activated.

Above all else, it struggles to justify itself as a standalone release. While its arcade-inspired structure and route-based difficulty system introduce interesting ideas, they are ultimately undermined by heavy repetition, recycled encounters, and a lack of meaningful new content. This, combined with the lack of narrative payoff, leaves FLASHBACK as a game that almost feels like it should stuck around as DLC.

Disclaimer: Neotro and Phoenixx Games provided a PC (Steam) copy of NeverAwake FLASHBACK for review purposes.