Tails Noir Critic Reviews

Howard's journey ends far, far away from where it began and each step continuously develops the emotional investment for everyone in this world. While there are minor mechanical issues such as the "interact" input not always being immediately responsive, each element of Backbone is polished and expertly crafted. Backbone is a must-play GOTY contender that deserves every bit of mainstream recognition it receives, and exceeds the usual reach of its genre, making for a compelling experience that even those with little interest in point-and-click adventures will find difficult to put down.

Backbone tells an enormous story within a tiny runtime, and it never feels like too much. New wonders, new horrors, and fresh plot twists are chucked your way with reckless abandon. Yet, you never feel too lost. A little lost, surely! All the better to capture that sense of dark waters closing overhead. Between the clever mechanics, the compelling narrative, and the gorgeous pixel art, there's a real fire lit beneath you from the very start. If you're looking for a detective story with glistening fangs, glittering eyes, and sharpened hooks, Backbone will be perfect for you.

Backbone features a compelling story and a well-realised post-noir dystopia, with engaging characters and some smart gameplay.

Backbone is a good game that will disappoint some of its players. The world is engaging and the detective mechanics are limited but cool. A sequence at the end of Act III is one of the most stunning I have experienced in a video game, both from a narrative and presentation standpoint. The game also delivers on its tonal shift and twist and does things that a simple noir detective story could not. Backbone understands the value of good writing and works hard to make words matter. The development team has already said that it has more stories to tell in this universe and I very much want to see how they expand on the best elements of Backbone and how they can make the world even more intriguing.

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.

Even if it’s brief and falters during the third act, there’s no denying that Backbone is a truly gorgeous and captivating adventure, with an engrossing world that you’ll want to see even more of. It’s a unique mystery with a cast of amazing anthropomorphic animals that ends up going places players won’t expect, and it’s also one that’s likely worth revisiting after you’ve finished. There’s just a lot in here that truly excels in creating a unique twist on noir classics, and EggNut should pat themselves on the back for giving us another detective game that proves why many of them prefer to take the offbeat routes these days.

The ending left me with lots of questions, and I don’t invoke the names of Beckett and Kafka and Ballard lightly. I guess Lynch can go here too, as well as more modern writers like Atword, Ligotti, Butler, and Vandermeer: Backbone touches on the sort of existential uncertainty that these writers famously imbued their work with. It also made me think about the forces that push back against people’s herculean efforts to better their circumstances: be they inculcated beliefs from society, or perhaps even things that are more primordial than that. That’s perhaps the best praise I can give this game: that it’s going to sit festering in the back of my mind for a good long while.

Backbone does both, striking a balance between nostalgic and new, breathing another breath of life into the genre with its gritty, sad grin. This 2D, sidescrolling, pixel-art noir is a short but solid adventure mystery with stunning visuals and meaningful characters.

Backbone is a simple game to play, meaning that the dialogue and theme development had to carry the experience. While the narrative rushes to an uneasy finish, the story gives you a lot of meat to sink your teeth into.

Part noir thriller, part rumination on the human condition, and part ... something else, Backbone is stylish through and through, presenting more questions than answers but brimming with vibrantly realised characters.

I walked away from Backbone puzzled about the ending, and in truth, I was a little disappointed. The game kind of squandered the excellent setup it spent hours developing, but because the setup is so good, I don’t feel totally let down. I still enjoyed my time in this dystopian Vancouver populated by animals, and I would almost certainly play a sequel if one were ever developed. But there’s the rub. Backbone feels like it needs a sequel. The story just doesn’t feel complete right now, and given that the game is pretty short (you can probably beat it in about 5-7 hours), it’s hard for me to enthusiastically recommend it. If you’re still interested despite the issues I’ve outlined, make sure you’re prepared for an abrupt conclusion. If you’re on the fence, well… maybe wait for a sale.

Promising and lovely, Backbone can't live up to its stellar early chapters, but there's still a worthwhile experience contained within.

Backbone dwells into the dark reality of a dystopian world full of corruption and injustice. Though the game has some gameplay issues and the story isn’t as long and well-paced as I had hoped, it brought a gorgeous cityscape with a comprehensive narrative. The dialogue is well-written, and the plot is greatly engaging, as it keeps you desiring to know what could happen next in the life of Howard Lotor.

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.

Backbone seduces you into its world with its incredible style and characters. I was shocked by the game's first major twist and didn't want to stop playing. The writing is a highlight, and the music is dazzling. I was a bit let down to discover that my choices had little impact on the game's narrative, and the conclusion left me with more questions than answers. I don't know if a sequel is on the horizon, but Backbone is an overall interesting game worth checking out.

Backbone is stylish but not exceptional. It’s a good time with an enjoyable story, but otherwise it’s just kind of routine. The visual style is great, but it’s offset by uneven audio design. There’s definitely a lot to love about Backbone, I just don’t feel it sticks the landing quite well. It will be worthwhile playing for most, but I’m more interested in what comes next from EggNut.

Backbone is a grim, unhappy tale that didn't sate any of my hunger for a good murder mystery. However, if you are looking for a deeply interesting world with complex and unsettling themes which will stick with you, I'd still recommend you give it a go.

Backbone is full of potential for greatness and makes a terrific first impression. With its compelling lead and supporting cast, and a fascinating setting full of tantalising lore and mysteries to solve, I spent most of my experience excited to find out where it was all leading. Unfortunately, much of the detective gameplay and plot start to come apart by the end, leading to an oddly inconclusive and unsatisfying conclusion.

Backbone presents the player with an intriguinging world, populated by interesting characters that drive it’s often depressing and strange story home to what feels like an eventually inevitable conclusion. It’s just a pity that the minute-to-minute gameplay is not only uninspired, but it’s also rather boring.

Backbone is an interesting 2.5D side-scrolling, noir, pixel-art adventure set in a dystopic Vancouver. You are a raccoon detective in a world where everyone is an animal.