Tails Noir

 PC
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

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  1. dredgman
    Jun 25, 2021
    7
    Delightful, even if the subject matter isn't, Backbone builds an intriguing, rich world in its brief runtime. A missing person case leads to a grander conspiracy, exploring themes of corruption, castes, and class struggle with truly unexpected turns. The dialogue is generally intriguing, though the gameplay elements are uneven at times, with investigation largely giving way to more of anDelightful, even if the subject matter isn't, Backbone builds an intriguing, rich world in its brief runtime. A missing person case leads to a grander conspiracy, exploring themes of corruption, castes, and class struggle with truly unexpected turns. The dialogue is generally intriguing, though the gameplay elements are uneven at times, with investigation largely giving way to more of an interactive novel in the later acts. Nevertheless, Backbone's world is one I'd love to get back to and continue to explore.… Expand
  2. gruia
    Feb 19, 2022
    7
    enjoable writing, atmosphere and visuals.. the pacing is not pleasant nor the gameplay .. but the ending was a bit refreshing
  3. sa674
    Nov 20, 2021
    4
    Can’t wait to play Act 6, graphic and art is spot on, story feels bit unfinished
  4. Dimasborzn
    Nov 1, 2021
    9
    My personal rating of this game is 9.5 out of 10. For many reasons I was satisfied, namely the dialogues, the story, the characters, unexpected plot twists, and of course the amazing soundtrack, which has now stuck in my playlist for a long time. The gameplay does not cause any special sensations, but the emphasis was far from it. Well, after completing the game, the game leaves you withMy personal rating of this game is 9.5 out of 10. For many reasons I was satisfied, namely the dialogues, the story, the characters, unexpected plot twists, and of course the amazing soundtrack, which has now stuck in my playlist for a long time. The gameplay does not cause any special sensations, but the emphasis was far from it. Well, after completing the game, the game leaves you with certain thoughts that will sit in your head for a long time.… Expand
  5. 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.
    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,    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.    … Expand
  6. Volodyagold31
    Jul 24, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand 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.    … Expand
  7. 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 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    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 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.    … Expand
  8. whack-bat
    Jun 9, 2021
    10
    Backbone won't be for everyone, but it's a genuinely incredible ride that I'm glad I went on. The art is beautiful, and it's the kind of story that sticks with you after you finish playing it. I really loved this game.
  9. PopKulturowy
    Jun 26, 2021
    9
    Backbone przenosi nas do świata wypełnionego antropomorficznymi zwierzętami, którym funkcjonuje główny bohater gry Howard Lotor (szop pracz). Od pewnego już czasu para się on pracą prywatnego detektywa. Nie może on jednak narzekać na nadmiar zleceń. Wręcz przeciwnie ledwie wiąże on koniec z końcem, podejmując się głównie słabo płatnych spraw niewiernych mężów. Nie inaczej miało być wBackbone przenosi nas do świata wypełnionego antropomorficznymi zwierzętami, którym funkcjonuje główny bohater gry Howard Lotor (szop pracz). Od pewnego już czasu para się on pracą prywatnego detektywa. Nie może on jednak narzekać na nadmiar zleceń. Wręcz przeciwnie ledwie wiąże on koniec z końcem, podejmując się głównie słabo płatnych spraw niewiernych mężów. Nie inaczej miało być w przypadku jego nowej klientki Odette, która podejrzewała męża o posiadanie kochanki. Pozornie proste śledztwo mające na celu zdobycie dowodów pomocnych podczas rozwodu, ewoluuje jednak w dość zaskakującym i bardzo niebezpiecznym kierunku. Więcej na temat fabuły nie można zdradzać, aby nie psuć graczom kilku naprawdę mocnych i zaskakujących zwrotów akcji. Można jedynie dodać, że historia staje się tutaj z czasem naprawdę mroczna.

    Tytuł jest przedstawicielem dość klasycznych gier przygodowych. Główny bohater porusza się tutaj po wybranych lokacjach (w prawo lub lewo), wchodząc w interakcję z postaciami i różnymi przedmiotami. Od czasu do czasu zabawa urozmaicana jest elementami skradania czy zagadkami, które należy rozwiązać, aby ruszyć z historią dalej.

    Do elementów mających wymusić na graczu rozruszanie szarych komórek, można mieć pewne zastrzeżenia. Zagadek jest tutaj trochę za mało (przynajmniej jak na mój gust), a jeśli już się pojawiają, to są one zbyt proste (jakieś wyzwanie intelektualne, stanowi tylko jedna z nich). Na temat elementów skradania nie ma sensu się mocniej rozpisywać, są one poprawnie przygotowane i nie ma ich również zbyt wielu.

    Czym więc wyróżnia się ten tytuł? Zdecydowanie największa siła i potęga gry skupia się na interakcjach z innymi postaciami. Jako Howard prowadzimy tutaj dziesiątki różnych rozmów, które należy poprowadzić tak, aby uzyskać od rozmówcy, jak najwięcej szczegółów (zarówno dotyczących prowadzonej sprawy, jak i takich odkrywających złożoności otaczającego nas świata).
    Śledztwo dotyczące niewiernego męża naprawdę mocno tutaj ewoluuje, stając się z każdym kolejnym odkrytym śladem czymś znacznie poważniejszym i mrocznym. W pewnym momencie gra zaczyna epatować również sporą dawką „psychodelicznych” treści, które nadają jej jeszcze większej nietuzinkowości.

    Odbyte rozmowy czy odkryte materiały pisane, zaczynają przed nami również budować złożony obraz świata gry. Miasto wypełnione jest bowiem wieloma kontrastami, które przekładają się na system kastowy i nierówności społeczne. Na szczycie piramidy władzy znajdują się mięsożercy, którzy na każdym możliwym kroku wykorzystują roślinożerców, traktując ich przy tym jako „podludzi”. Każdy kolejny odkryty skrawek tajemnicy, pokazuje obraz zepsucia, śmierci i bezkarności. Nadaje to tytułowi niesamowicie sugestywnego i głębokiego klimatu. Całość pod kilkoma względami przypomina takie filmowe produkcje jak: Tajemnice Los Angeles, Sin City czy dzieła Lyncha.

    Oprawa graficzna to element, który bardzo mocno wyróżnia Backbone spośród całej masy innych gier niezależnych. Owszem twórcy postawili na pikselowe 2D, jednak pixelart jest tutaj dopracowany w najdrobniejszych detalach, w pełni wykorzystując zalety silnika Unreal Engine. Niesamowite cieniowanie, zabawa światłem, tła pokazujące różnorodność miasta i zamieszkujących tam klas społecznych. Wszystko to zachwyca i sprawia, że przedstawiony świat tętni życiem.
    Zachwycać można się również nad ścieżką dźwiękową gry, która została idealnie dopasowana do konkretnych scen i klimatu noir. Jazzowe kawałki tak mocno wpadają w ucho, że rozbrzmiewają one w głowie gracza jeszcze długo po zakończeniu zabawy.

    https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/ecenzja-gry-backbone/    … Expand
  10. voceanic
    Jun 19, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've never reviewed anything on Metacritic, but had to say my piece here. My husband purchased this game on his Steam account and refunded it after we did a full playthrough of it.

    Look: I've followed this game's development for 2 years. I've    … Expand
  11. zelki
    Jul 3, 2021
    5
    If you played and liked the prologue, do not buy the full game. There is no point. The game only gets worse, the ending makes no sense, and it does not change no matter what dialogue options you went with. Everything seems rushed. The only good things in this game are the prologue, the graphics and music. I was so hopeful and hyped after the prologue. This game had so much potential. ThisIf you played and liked the prologue, do not buy the full game. There is no point. The game only gets worse, the ending makes no sense, and it does not change no matter what dialogue options you went with. Everything seems rushed. The only good things in this game are the prologue, the graphics and music. I was so hopeful and hyped after the prologue. This game had so much potential. This is just sad.… Expand
  12. lirag95310
    Jul 13, 2021
    4
    A lovely collection of pixel art pieces doing a very poor job of pretending to be a game. Dialogue is strung out and adds nothing to the experience. The decision to always give the player a choice of 3 different things to say was bafflingly stupid. This is the most on-the-rails narrative experience I've ever played - why did anyone think dialogue choices would help? Really, every gameA lovely collection of pixel art pieces doing a very poor job of pretending to be a game. Dialogue is strung out and adds nothing to the experience. The decision to always give the player a choice of 3 different things to say was bafflingly stupid. This is the most on-the-rails narrative experience I've ever played - why did anyone think dialogue choices would help? Really, every game decision made here is pretty self-defeating. The only part of this game that holds up is the art and as magnificent as the art truly is, it's not nearly as good as the overall game is bad.… Expand
  13. depade4895
    Sep 13, 2021
    3
    Looks pretty good but plays worse than the worst point-and-click you've ever played, and the writing is so mediocre that it would have been better if it were outright bad.
  14. p1menta
    May 5, 2022
    6
    another game full of potential that fell a little short. It's worth an afternoon on gamepass, yeah, but it's ending is a bit frustrating for me
  15. Prezident
    Aug 23, 2021
    8
    It's a 1010 game untill the 4 act. Music, visual, dialogs are masterpises. Literaly after each talk with npc you thinking "Man, i want to see him again", they done a great work to immerse you in this world. But scenarists wanted to make global uniqe story and cant made it with one game, and without the sequel story is not independent

    Even though ending and plot-twist are controversal,    It's a 1010 game untill the 4 act. Music, visual, dialogs are masterpises. Literaly after each talk with npc you thinking "Man, i want to see him again", they done a great work to immerse you in this world. But scenarists wanted to make global uniqe story and cant made it with one game, and without the sequel story is not independent

    Even though ending and plot-twist are controversal, the path to them is one of the best i have from the time of disco elysium. If you have a game pass game is definetly woth your time    … Expand
  16. CynicalAbe
    Mar 1, 2023
    10
    I love this game's world and characters. Really hit me right after 2020. Never seen a better game with better politics, obviously biased. Don't go into thinking it'll be like the demo or a traditional point and click adventure. Think more of a walking simulator but structured like a point and click.
  17. vinceagashi
    Jun 6, 2022
    6
    First half of the game was excellent. 2nd half of the game is a complete mess and leaves you feeling like half the game is missing. Plotlines come together, peoples motivations are revealed, and then credits roll and you just think "wait, what?"
  18. VityaSchel
    Jul 3, 2021
    10
    Уважаю разработчиков как минимум за то что работали так долго и не бросили разработку! Я с видео хепи вульфа
  19. Mostach88
    Jun 24, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Echo en falta algo más de jugabilidad y puzzles, y ciertas partes de la historia y escenas hay que cogerlas con pinza para entenderla y pasarlas por alto, pero por lo general, en diálogos, personajes, historia, BSO y apartado artístico es excelente. Si es verdad que el final me dejó un poco frío al principio, y el concepto del Artefacto, o lo que hay detrás del muro me dejó un poco con la miel en los labios, ya que se explica y revela muy en superficie. En general, ha merecido la pena los meses de espera, estoy esperando a que pase unos meses y pueda rejugarlo, explorando más los diálogos y el lore.… Expand
  20. cooljuice30
    Sep 14, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think that in all honesty that the BackBone game was a unique detective noir game which was immensely captivating (for the half of the game).. The first act the prologue ..the Vancouver infused atmosphere with traces of USSR. Although the UI in terms of conversations was clunky here and there, I enjoyed every single bit of the game .However act 2 was simply out of the blue and made no sense at all .. However what I would like to inform is that BackBone is a sequel and they are working on the next act and also giving spoilers here and there like a new character Wisconsin which is displayed on their twitter handle.… Expand
  21. Dwoki
    Mar 10, 2022
    9
    Starts off as a regular detective story with an engaging plot and characters before going completely insane in a way that I never could have imagined and did enjoy. The game ended where the specific story being told ended, but it felt like a prequel to a long running tv show that doesn't exist because the world building is so good. I'm glad there is a sequel on the way since certain plotStarts off as a regular detective story with an engaging plot and characters before going completely insane in a way that I never could have imagined and did enjoy. The game ended where the specific story being told ended, but it felt like a prequel to a long running tv show that doesn't exist because the world building is so good. I'm glad there is a sequel on the way since certain plot threads get no resolution, though there are hints as to what those resolutions could be.… Expand
  22. lucvsds
    Nov 22, 2022
    9
    Primeiro de tudo, a arte desse jogo é maravilhosa. A história te prende cada vez mais e mais. Porém, digo que não gostei tanto do final...
  23. scuffedLeafy
    Oct 20, 2022
    5
    Its great art direction will get you hooked in for acts I and II using an engaging environment and great introduction for the story, but after that you will see less of this engaging environment and becomes a talking simulator with choices that does not change anything for the playthrough. Talking to random NPCs in the area does not give you clues or anything to help you complete theIts great art direction will get you hooked in for acts I and II using an engaging environment and great introduction for the story, but after that you will see less of this engaging environment and becomes a talking simulator with choices that does not change anything for the playthrough. Talking to random NPCs in the area does not give you clues or anything to help you complete the objective except for extra dialogue. You could literally spam the artifact dialogues and be on with your day. OVERALL, a whole lot of wasted potential, after act II its magnificent the art direction and world building become overshadowed by a rushed game.… Expand
  24. Three3
    Jan 28, 2023
    9
    i found the game very compelling. the ending was unsatisfying, but i don't think it was at all bad; i felt it worked with overall tone and feeling of the game

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. GameCritics
    Sep 14, 2021
    85
    Backbone’s narrative and character work are thrilling, complex, and thought-provoking, and the writing deserves all the praise it can get. That said, there is some feeling of the pacing being slightly off, since the final acts feel like they follow too quickly after the introductory ones. Whether it’s due to a lack of time or inspiration, the story could’ve done with at least two more chapters of narrative substance during the middle stretch. Any other issues I might raise with Backbone are mostly trivial. With its inspired script that accentuates themes of dystopia and desperation, this detective story delivers one of the most inspiring narrative-driven titles I’ve played in some time.
    Read full review
  2. Guardian
    Sep 2, 2021
    60
    Uncover a grim conspiracy and sweet-talk snooty bears in this genre-hopping indie game.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Sep 1, 2021
    75
    Backbone has far fewer puzzles and stealth sections than you might expect after finishing the brilliant first act, but it will still keep you engaged thanks to the quality of its storytelling. [09/2021, p.40]
See all critic reviews »