Overview: 3.0/5.0
Backbone is a noir adventure game where you play as Howard, a raccoon PI in a world with the gritty atmosphere of Disco Elysium and the anthropomorphic cast of Night in the Woods.
Developer: EggNut
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series S/X, PC
Price: $24.99
Narrative
The game description states that Backbone “is a linear, cinematic narrative experience […]. The end of all things is inevitable, but defining which version of Howard Lotor reaches the conclusion is up to you.” If you’re looking for branching narratives or multiple endings, this isn’t the game for you. This expectation of a linear narrative is very clearly set from the beginning, which is preferable to alternatives that promise meaningful choices and can’t deliver them. While the dialogue may not represent an extensive decision tree, it is hilarious.
The game starts with your standard PI-tailing-a-cheating-husband quest and very quickly hooks the player with a dramatic escalation in the plot. This pacing works well in engaging the player early, but that momentum is difficult to maintain, even in such a short game. The narrative really struggles to keep up with this pacing and fails to present a satisfying conclusion to the initial mystery, The setup to this game was so promising, but it just devolved further and further into absurdity, without allowing sufficient time for the player to absorb what should be the most impactful moments.
Mechanics
The main mechanic in this game is scrolling left and right as Howard explores various locations, occasionally stopping to interact with someone or something. Within a conversation, you can choose dialogue options that shape Howard’s personality and relationships with those around him, though the choices won’t change the narrative itself or the ending. There are also a few moments where the player must wait in the shadows until the coast is clear before continuing to move through the environment. Ultimately, Backbone is not heavy in traditional gameplay. The most advanced mechanic occurs when the player interacts with a set of clues on a cork board, etc. Unfortunately, the means of switching between these objects and manipulating them on the screen is nearly impossible to execute. A point-and-click cursor would be useful here, but instead the player must toggle between the clues and it’s not intuitive how to get the appropriate item selected.
Summary
This game could have been close to perfect. It sets firm expectations for what the player will and will not be able to influence. The mechanics are responsibly limited without severely hindering the gameplay experience. The environments, the animation, and the character design are all carefully crafted and complemented by a lovely soundtrack. Unfortunately, the second half of the narrative just feels rushed, and the ending leaves too many questions unaddressed - not unanswered, just entirely unaddressed.
