Tails Noir

 PC
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Eurogamer
    Jun 17, 2021
    Backbone's sumptuous pixel art and promising narrative threads are undermined by flat gameplay and a non sequitur of a final act.
  2. Kotaku
    Jun 9, 2021
    The game also made a hard tonal and genre shift after the big climax. It was a bold choice, but some players might find the drastic change too jarring. I was ultimately unsatisfied with Backbone’s lack of resolution. I enjoy cliffhangers, but the story concluded with so many questions that I felt like I had only played through half of a game. Though the epilogue resolved one big plot point and fleshed out a major character, everything else, from the conspiracy to the true history of the Kind and Vancouver, was left lingering in the air.
  3. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Jun 8, 2021
    And then there are the dreamy, pulpy illustrations that open new chapters. Oh, be still my beating heart. Backbone is quite possibly the most beautiful game you'll play this year. Sometimes style over substance is a valid approach. Not that Backbone is devoid of substance either, of course. But be prepared for that substance to have a very different texture than what you were expecting.

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

User Reviews

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User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 48 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 48
  3. Negative: 9 out of 48
  1. Calbeck
    Jun 10, 2021
    3
    If you played and enjoyed the original free Prologue that's been out for over a year, then you've played and enjoyed the only actual gameplayIf you played and enjoyed the original free Prologue that's been out for over a year, then you've played and enjoyed the only actual gameplay and most of the good storytelling. From there, no further puzzle-solving and no deductive gameplay exists - the game shifts directly into an on-the-rails visual novel and stays there through completion.

    This is not a bad thing if the novel has good writing - but Backbone's full game appears to have been written by committee consensus. It's all over the place. The original plot twist from the Prologue is quickly discarded, new plots are launched, and none of it is ever resolved. Character motivations seem sandwiched in, reliant on real-world sociopolitical viewpoints which either aren't shown in the game or are directly contradicted by it.

    One major character, for example, is angry about the rich abusing the poor in a very specific way that I won't spoiler, but in the actual game the poor are never targeted in this way - bankers and the like are. You know, the middle-class and rich types. Another major character, late in the game, attempts to morally justify mass murder against these same "class-warfare" victims by saying they're all violent towards women (despite the protagonist having first-hand knowledge that this isn't always the case). This same person claims that the post-apoc society in which she lives treated women as second-class citizens and therefore what she's doing is trying to launch a revolution - great idea, except nowhere in the game do we see women as a class being treated worse than men as a class. These and other instances of misplaced real-world commentary come off sounding like Alex Jones ranting about gay frogs.

    It seems like the writing staff was more of a committee and everyone just agreed to throw everyone else's ideas into the mix. The result is a jumbled mess of incomplete and occasionally incoherent plotlines that stumble along before dying in a literary wasteland.

    All of that being said, the art, atmosphere, music, animation and ambience are all top notch. There's tons of details in the scenery, and also quite a few "sidequests" which add occasional tender moments. If you can imagine getting some pasta in a lovely bowl with a fine silver fork, and then you discover that the sauce is decent but the noodles were botched - well, that's this game.

    The Prologue is still worth your time, and still free on Steam. The remainder of the game, aside from the scenery and such, is at best a letdown... and if you pay full price at $25 for all seven hours or less of it (my experience was 7, other people report finishing in as little as 3), it might actually make you feel ripped off. If you still want the full game, wait for a 50% off sale and it's probably worth your time.    … Full Review »
  2. Fenrizoth
    Jun 20, 2021
    5
    TL;DR
    If the Backbone demo was Game of Thrones season 1, then the full game faithfully captures the confusion and letdown of GoT season 8.    TL;DR
    If the Backbone demo was Game of Thrones season 1, then the full game faithfully captures the confusion and letdown of GoT season 8.

    It genuinely pains me to write a bad review of this game. Second only to Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3, Backbone was my most anticipated game for 2021. When the demo was released in 2019, it oozed with potential: a gripping plot; high-stakes, nonlinear gameplay; a unique, noir setting; consequential choices. For my money, Backbone had the makings of a GotY candidate. Unfortunately, the full game fails to maintain the inspiration that made the demo so promising. To its credit, the things that Backbone does well, it does really, really well. The art direction and the character designers should be commended. But sadly, this only intensifies the disappointment over finished product: a linear progression through an increasingly chaotic and absurd narrative. Sometimes, the whole is less than the sum of its parts.

    Pros
    - The pixelated world is consistently charming. The characters are well-designed and each district of the city has a unique, authentic feel.
    - The choice of an anthropomorphic universe creates a fantastical distance from reality that allows the game to tackle heavier themes without becoming depressingly grim while, at the same, evoking more empathy than a human cast might.
    - The characters are engaging and well-developed. Each has a unique and (mostly) consistent personality, masterfully conveyed through their dialogue and their animation.
    - The protagonist, Howard, is refreshingly flawed and vulnerable. His foil, Renee, is immediately likable, and their relationship provides some of the most engaging interactions in the game.

    Neutral
    - Sound design fluctuates between being appreciably emotional or intense, to awkwardly silent.
    - Puzzle and stealth elements are introduced and then immediately abandoned.

    Cons
    - Choices do not matter; a fact the game seems to realize and lampshade by Act 3. Backbone is 50% walking simulator, 50% visual novel.
    - What begins as a gritty, grounded narrative gradually spirals into Kafkaesque absurdity. The tone dissolves from harsh reality to depressing nihilism, in an effort to make some philosophical point about ontology that clearly went over my head.
    - In what seems like an effort to discourage criticism, attempts at social commentary are shoehorned late into the game. The potential for a thoughtful examination of morality is discarded in favor of quick attacks on popular strawmen (eg. men, the upper-class, wealthy individuals). Plot holes are similarly stitched together with such attacks.
    - The ending is rushed. While I imagine it was intended as a cliffhanger, it feels more like a non sequitur. The intent was probably to leave the game open-ended for DLC or a sequel, pending its reception. Sadly, it will be an uphill battle to recover a plot mired by philosophical incoherence and political soapboxing.

    Overall, the game took me about 5 hours to complete, and I interacted with almost everything I found. I’ve read some were able to complete it in as few as 3 hours and others spent as long as 7. Since all the choices will inevitably lead to the same results, there is little replay value apart from the extreme achievement completionists. Criticisms aside, I sincerely hope we see a sophomore project from EggNut. They clearly have talent on their team and I would gladly give them a second chance. If you are as charmed by the setting as I am, you can do worse than Backbone, but given the diminishing returns of the time spent on the game, I recommend catching it on Xbox Game Pass or at least 50% discount.    … Full Review »
  3. Volodyagold31
    Jul 24, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Overall, graphics, character personalities and designs are very good BUT!

    The story... It feels like some parts were written by completely different people. On one side we have a good character development, on the other - BOOM, you character now infested with lethal parasite and dies and one of the villains that our characters were against all game is now offering one of the main characters a collaboration and SHE AGREES.

    I give it a really weak 8 just because the game looks quite impressive for what was made by 2 people and really hope that this whole story not gonna end this suddenly.    … Full Review »
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