Backbone Reviews
Backbone had the potential to fill a bit of a void for a noir style game, but it comes up short. It opens with a strong prologue, but the story that follows tries to hit too many different themes meaning there's a lack of focus by the time it comes to a conclusion.
Once again, I'll reinforce the praise I made to the game's art direction, one of its most powerful aspects. Other than that, the nonsensical script and the abandonment of gameplay elements that could be put to much better use make the Backbone experience, overall, disappointing and worth keeping as a bad memory.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While the game isn’t as grand as I initially thought from the first act, the story is one that’s well worth seeing through. The characters you meet are interesting, the world is gorgeous, and the ideas are certainly relevant to the world we live in.
Backbone is an interactive narrative-based adventure with some underused classic point-and-click gameplay elements mixed with choice possibilities that don't always represent real cause-and-effect options, but bring in its artistic style and well-written text its best qualities.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Weird, unique and brilliantly designed, Backbone is a game like no other in 2021. The narrative is both mysterious and absorbing, the characters and dialogue are fun and it never overstays its welcome. I wish I was given a little more information in the second half of the game and the ending a bit more fleshed out but I was left wanting more. Backbone surprised me massively and I enjoyed it a lot.
We were enjoying the lowlife-detective-gets-in-way-over-his-head storyline, but it takes another turn later on into something decidedly more obscure. The final hour or two throw the whole story for a loop, and to make things worse, it feels as though none of the plot threads are resolved — you're just left hanging, probably with a furrowed brow, while the credits roll. It's a shame, as the music and visuals are excellent throughout, but the presentation just isn't enough on its own, and that's about all it has.
Backbone sells itself as a new kind of point-and-click adventure that includes dialogue choices and some light stealth mechanics. It does technically have these, but whether they help Backbone stand out over traditional games in the genre is a matter of debate. The main attraction here is definitely the masterful pixel art design that is head and shoulders above the crowd.
Uncover a grim conspiracy and sweet-talk snooty bears in this genre-hopping indie game
Backbone is a stylish game, which promising story with some interesting characters takes a disappointing turn by the third chapter. The plot was cut short, which only adds to the general disappointment.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Backbone gets off to a great start and it definitely has a lot to say. Great visuals and a stunning soundtrack made me want to give it the benefit of the doubt, to ignore its issues. As it goes on though, Backbone loses everything that made it interesting in its early hours. What replaces it is so different that its hardly even the same game. Different doesn’t have to mean bad, but the changes and ideas thrown around in the second half are too underdeveloped to overlook. Perhaps a sequel can allow the development team to further delve into its many themes. I liked enough of Backbone that for most of its running time I was enjoying myself. In its current state though, it’s hard to enthusiastically recommend.
I am disappointed by the mixed feelings I get from Backbone. It is absolutely worth a look solely on the merits of its audiovisual presentation, but its attempt to offer commentary or insight into the topics its narrative broaches repeatedly fall flat, particularly in the latter half. EggNut clearly has the goods in the art and music departments, so I would love to see what they can do with a stronger narrative in the future. If you do choose to give Backbone a shot, make sure to get the Artifact Edition, as it includes the wonderful soundtrack.
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.
With amazing art and music, Backbone has a killer introduction and a great vibe. Unfortunately, due to a dreadful turn in the narrative and underdeveloped gameplay, this is a classic case of style over substance.
Can you solve the cities darkest secret? Backbone is a tense post-noir adventure game that takes place in a dystopian Vancouver, BC. Follow local raccoon and private investigator Howard Lotor as he stumbles into a world full of deceit, murder, and desperation.
In Conclusion, while the game is stylistically great with a setting that is a joy to immerse yourself in, it is let down by a story that builds to a point then goes off the rails at the end. If a deeper message is in there somewhere the finale makes it difficult to grasp but Backbone is a haunting experience all the same.
While its simplistic gameplay and lack of closure hold it back from greatness, Backbone still delivers a compelling experience thanks to its deep worldbuilding, well-realized characters, and gorgeous pixel art.
With its gorgeous aesthetic and intriguing plot, Backbone has a lot going for it but suffers from pacing and execution issues.
The main reason it’s hard to recommend Backbone is that so much is left unanswered. I truly hope there will be more games in the franchise, because the world building and character development are outstanding. If they could bring back the puzzles and stealth elements from the prologue into future titles, then I have no doubt EggNut could have a classic on their hands.
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's sumptuous pixel art and promising narrative threads are undermined by flat gameplay and a non sequitur of a final act.