LogFAQs > #962545596

Backbone (EggNut)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=034f3KSaWb8

Backbone currently sits with a Mixed on Steam, and theres a lot of sentiment that it fell short of expectations. This was not a game that I actively followed through development. There was a prologue that came out in 2019 but I only played it last year (though in the end it was included as part of the full game anyway). Nonetheless I was aware of it, because it would crop up now and then for looking gorgeous, and it really does. You play as Howard Lotor, a scruffy raccoon private eye in a noir dystopia. It has a 2.5D-ish look, with cityscapes of densely detailed pixel art, layers of depth with parallax scrolling, dynamic lighting, and nice water effects. Lighting in particular is essential to capturing any noir aesthetic and they nail it. A big part of why I like adventure games is that I like good pixel art landscapes, and this game is worth a look for that alone. On top of that, it has a suitably atmospheric jazz soundtrack, and occasionally some nice illustrated art in the interstitial between locations its a game with incredible style.

From what I gleaned, a lot of people were disappointed because they expected more detective gameplay. The Prologue has you gathering clues, solving puzzles, has multiple solutions to get into a place, and even some stealth. While there is a bit more sleuthing in later sections, most of the game is very linear, and more visual novel-like, as you spend most of your time going from location to location for new dialogue trees. Fortunately, the dialogue is engaging; characters have complex moralities, and it manages some dense world-building without losing personality and feeling like just an info dump. It also has the confidence to leave the player confused and in the dark, but your mileage may vary on whether thats good.

Given all of the above, most of the ire for this game is for its final act which kicks a lot of it up a notch. Without spoiling too much, Backbone starts as a missing persons case then spirals into a conspiracy that goes higher and darker, entangling issues of race and class. The last act takes an abrupt turn into cryptic fever dream, weird science fiction, and body horror. The plot becomes more confusing and rushed. It has the mark of a game that ran out of resources, as you spend a lot of time scrolling through text on a static screen. Little happens, nothing is explained, dialogue gives way to more of a hazy tone piece, major characters are dropped, and plot threads are left unresolved. I found it fairly bold and stark, but I also didnt see it as a huge departure from the more grounded events prior. A lot of noir is about futile action, and anxieties over the borders of identity. Howards fate is sealed, but was it ever otherwise? Throughout the game there is the constant foreboding sense that what youre dealing with is way above your pay grade, and the final act escalates this. Confused action shoring up confused individualism as prospects grow bleaker. We change but we change nothing.