

Back in 1995
Throw the warped code out · 2016 · Exploration, Puzzle, Action-Adventure, 3D, Third Person
PC
Mixed66% · 12852Metacritic
Compare prices in Official Stores
Screenshots
About Back in 1995

Step back in time with "Back in 1995," a homage to the survival horror and mystery games that defined the original PlayStation era. This game meticulously recreates the nuances of a period in gaming history that's close to being forgotten.
Immerse yourself in a surreal yet tangible world, where you are compelled to solve the enigma of your daughter's disappearance, the calamity that befell the city, and the reason for your long-overdue return.
Conceived as a passion project by indie developer Takaaki Ichijo, "Back in 1995" aims to capture the distinct emotional resonance he experienced with his early gaming adventures on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

Features:
- Lose yourself in the world of retro 3D visuals, complete with low-res models, texture warping, CRT emulation, and fixed CCTV-style camera angles.
- Experience the mystery genre anew, navigated through an old school retro user interface and tank controls.
- Investigate a barren urban landscape set in the year 1995, abundant with hints about its bygone days.
- Engage with a roster of complex characters, each with mysterious intentions that you may never fully understand.
- Unravel the hidden secrets about you, your daughter, and the city's past.

* D-pad recommended
* A 720p or greater screen resolution is required
* Approximate playtime is 2-3 hours
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
psx style horror, It's no big deal; it's pretty minimalist. The story gets pretty weird the end. 7/10 More psx style horror and weird games: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45665580 And part 2: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/462196022 found this helpful
This is one of the weirdest cases when the game is released too early. Believe it or not, it would be far more successful if it was released in ~2020-2022 era, when the PS1-styled horrors were far more prominent. This game does seem to emulate something very similar, so it would end up far better if released later.
This level of animations, graphical fidelity, gameplay and enemy AI; would not have been aceptable in 1995, let alone the current year. Lazy and with nothing to offer.
I really wanted to like his. Please believe me when I say that i've played through a number of Survival Horrors from the mainstream Silent Hill's, Resident Evil's and Dino Crisis' to less obvious ones like Koudelka, Overblood or Vampires. I consider myself a veteran of the genre and I liked the Art-Style and Direction this as taking, the Faux Playstation Mid 90's Vibe and Aesthetic really stuck a chord with me to the point that I was All-In for this game. I was absolute ready to go and got myself some chips, some cans of fizzy drink and settled in for an afternoon of whatever this had to offer - and I was bitterly disappointed. I can forgive following the same clichés of using notes to flesh out your world like Silent Hill/Resident Evil but... when the substance in them is so dull and lackluster that you're praying for some excitement after an hour it doesn't exactly come across great, does it? The sound quality was also pretty poor even when trying to emulate Silent Hill/Resident Evil. It didn't come across as an homage rather than a limitation of the Developer. What really struck a chord with me is that when I was faked out with the fake ending? I groaned when the …
This game reminds me of the original DOS version of Alone in The Dark instead of the famous Playstation's Resident Evil series. It's slow, it's clunky, it's cryptic, and it's nostalgically good. The writings is not as good as those well scripted or novel based AAA oldies, but If you ever lived the early DOS 3D gaming era, or simply want to taste what PC gamers felt back in the day, just give this game a try.
Back in 1995 is more of an experience than a game, but it’s a sincere one. This is a deliberate throwback to early PS1 era survival horror, complete with tank controls, fixed cameras, grainy visuals, and awkward pacing. For better or worse, it commits fully to that vision. You’ll feel the clunkiness, the slow movement, and the sometimes confusing progression, but that’s clearly the point. It’s less about modern playability and more about recreating a very specific time and feeling in gaming history. As a game, it can be rough. Puzzles are hit or miss, navigation can be frustrating, and the overall experience is pretty short. But there’s an undeniable sincerity here. You can tell the developer genuinely loves that era and wanted to preserve it, not polish it into something modern. I’m a bit on the fence overall, but I’m giving it a positive recommendation because of that passion. If you’re nostalgic for early survival horror or just curious about what that era felt like, this is an interesting little time capsule.
Community reviews
—
0 reviews
Sign in to write a review.
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.











