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. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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?"
  8. 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
  9. 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

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]
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