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. sa674
    Nov 20, 2021
    4
    Can’t wait to play Act 6, graphic and art is spot on, story feels bit unfinished
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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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]
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