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Backbone Review
4 years ago
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Links to Orc Accounts.
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…WHAT?!
RATING: UM…I DUNNO! 6/10? 7/10? SHIT, JUST READ THE REVIEW. >__<
All right, soooooooooo plot! :D
It takes place in a world full of talking animals who walk upright and wear clothes. Although birds and reptiles aren’t sapient for some reason. You play as a raccoon private investigator named Howard Lotor who’s looking into the disappearance of an otter’s supposedly cheating husband. So you go around investigating shiz and things. And then you find some shiz and things and Howard finds himself involved in a really fucked-up conspiracy involving a criminal gang that he and a fox reporter named Renee gotta solve.
Now we have our game!
So the gameplay’s simple. It’s not a walking simulator per say, but you do spend most of the game walking around cities and towns, talking to civilians and criminals, and forcing your way into buildings to find clues and other information about your investigation. As the game progresses, you talk to various civilians, unlock pertinent details involving your case, and dig deeper into the conspiracy that you’ve gotten yourself involved in. The first Act of the game is the best one, given that it shows you the various ways you can approach a situation to reach your goals. There’s also a couple of nice sleuthing segments and a few puzzles you gotta solve, one of which was actually cleverly presented! Then Act II and Act III happen and the puzzle segments and sleuthing bits are…toned down. Considerably. And then Act IV and Act V happen.
I will get into those Acts later. >__>
I really can’t talk about the story because that will spoil a lot of shit. I can’t even talk about the first Act much because that spoils a really fucked-up revelation by the end. Like I said, imagine a Blacksad plot, but seriously gruesome.
Characters are fine. Howard is your typical old fart who drinks and smokes, but he knows how to do his job. You also have the option to turn him into a very sassy bitch, which was more than delightful. Or if you want, you can turn him into a pessimistic coon who’s tired of life and wants to give up on everything. Or you can turn into a crazy person who believes the conspiracy involves aliens. XD Renee is also a fairly decent character. I do like that Howard and Renee’s relationship was more platonic than usual. You can kinda-sorta flirt with her, but for the most part, they never sleep with each other, never have sex, never even see each other shirtless, etc. And by far one of the best side characters in the game is Howard’s chunky beaver of a driver, Anatoly. He’s super lazy and super nice and talks about his family and kids a lot, but he’s not the annoying kind of side character who’s there for unfunny comic relief. He’s actually quite enjoyable.
And he’s also huggable and fat and wears a tank-top, so points there. :D
I don’t like the villain. I’m not gonna get into it, but for the sake of argument, they pull a Cruella situation with her by the end and it’s stupid.
“Hello audience! I have spent this whole game doing all of this bad shit, but it’s okay! I got all of these people killed, but it’s okay, because they were assholes! You can totally trust me because that’s what I’m telling you and I’m absolutely not lying! Also I have secretly been doing all of these good things for these young women, but all of it happened off-screen! I am totally a justified criminal and the people that I am serving are much worse than I am; therefore what I am doing is justified!”
No. It is not. You chunky furry-ass bitch. Just admit you’re doing all of this crap because you’re hungry for power and willing to screw over anyone and everyone to get it. At least I can respect that kind of villain.
So the game has a few hiccups here and there—the puzzle segments die down the further along you go, but overall, I was intrigued by this game. The universe is quite compelling; the tone is very gritty; the visuals and sheer amount of detailing in the background is absolutely breathtaking, and the developers aren’t afraid to do some seriously messed-up shit with their characters.
AND THEN THE SECOND HALF OF THE GAME HAPPENS!
Okay so Act III actually isn’t bad! The problem is that it’s very short—I passed it in about thirty minutes or so. Lots of things are revealed, Howard finds out more shiz and things—it’s all great.
AND THEN “THE THING” HAPPENED!
Something…happens. And after it happens, the game throws out its plot and it turns into borderline cosmic body horror. Which honestly wouldn’t have bothered me if any of this was seriously set up beforehand. But it’s a situation where the first half of the game is Howard investigating this conspiracy. And then the thing happened. And now the game is completely different. Act IV is just Howard stuck in one area and then stuck in another area for way too long and it becomes very philosophical and existential…for some reason? Act V is just the epilogue that’s three scenes long and can be beaten in ten minutes or less.
And then the game stops. It does not end; it stops.
Nothing is resolved. Many questions are unanswered. Many characters disappear without a trace. Some of the corrupt villains behind everything aren’t exposed. Other bad shit is still happening. Sympathetic characters have died or are presumed dead and get no closure. By the time the game ends, the only good thing to have happened is that Renee knows about the conspiracy going on within the city. That’s about it. But virtually every other character is in a worse position by the end than where they were when the game started.
It’s just…frustrating.
Look, I got no problem with downer endings. I’m not exactly a happy person and I’m not a fan of that whole “happily ever after” crap. But I’m not a fan of downer endings that come out of nowhere either. I wasn’t even expecting this game to have a happy ending in the first place. But how it ends is so damn jarring and depressing that I find myself questioning what the point of it all was. When I reached the end, I was so sure that I fucked up with my choices that I went online just to see if the game had alternate choices or alternate endings. And no, there aren’t any.
Act III ends the same way.
Act IV ends the same way.
Act V ends the same way.
There is nothing you can do to prevent this game’s unbelievably dour ending.
And I’m very…conflicted. Because on one hand, I do admire the developers and writers for having the balls to do something like this. And I can kinda see what they were going for; it’s a clear representation that sometimes nothing you do matters. Sometimes no matter how hard you struggle, you can’t win. Sometimes you can spend your whole time trying to solve a case, but then something terrible happens to you personally, and suddenly, that case you’ve spent so many days, weeks, months investigating, isn’t important. And it doesn’t matter. It’s a very realistic and brutally truthful slap to the face about how it goes sometimes. That’s just how it is. Like I said…I see where they’re coming from.
As a video game I got seriously invested in? This is crap. I spent $25 on this game. I played this game for about five and a half hours. And by the end, I’m asking myself “What was the point? Why did I bother? Why did the developers choose to do this, choose to go this route? They must have known a portion of their fans would respond this way!”
To the developers’ credit, I don’t despise them nor do I despise this game. This isn’t like certain tripe-A games or shit like Space Jam: A New Legacy or those movies and games where you can tell right off the bat that the people who made their product in question do not care and just wanted to make a shitload of money. I do believe the developers care! I think they genuinely thought they were doing the right thing by having the game end this way—especially since it’s implied we’ll be getting DLC or a sequel in the future.
It’s just…you can’t end a game like this and not expect people to be upset. You can’t change the plot to something entirely different halfway in and not expect your fans to bring up the problems they have with doing that. For the sake of comparison, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood did the same thing. The first half of the game you’re going around fighting humans and taking over territory to save the environment. And then the second half of the game turns into a rescue mission and splashes in some really messed-up cosmic horror shit. And just like this game, that game has a very dour ending that feels like nothing you did in the long run mattered all that much. The reason why that game’s plot switch worked was because when the plot shifts focus, it makes sense within the context of both the universe and what the villains are doing as to why it suddenly changes. When the downer ending happens, it makes sense because the game already had a bleak tone to begin with and it was heavily implied that even if you accomplish your goal, it won’t be without consequences.
I feel like that’s the best way to describe this. Backbone is the indie version of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood: a fun, but flawed game that’s overpriced and makes you question why you bothered playing the game once you reach the ending and realize that there’s no other ending.
So would I recommend this game?
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—okay, all right—lemme put it like this. If you don’t mind downer endings, sure! If you wanna support the developers, by all means, do so and buy this game. If you wanna get engrossed with this game’s universe and the plot alone intrigues you, then yush, buy the game.
However, if you want a game that has an ending based on your choices, a game where you receive a downer ending because you, the player, made the wrong choices, and if you want a game with luscious graphics and voice acting and more intuitive gameplay, then I would recommend you buy Blacksad: Under the Skin instead. Because it’s more or less the same game, but the plot doesn’t switch halfway in, it’s a lot longer, and by the end you’ll at least feel like you got your money’s worth.
So yeah, those are my thoughts. Not a bad game, but frustrating. Very, very frustrating—which seems to be a common theme amongst many of the films and movies I’ve been looking forward to this year. Granted I did enjoy Biomutant a lot more than most people did.
There’s this game called F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch coming out in September later this year. I’m putting my hopes in that game into the ground. So that when I play it, I can’t be disappointed or frustrated by anything!
…I shouldn’t have to do that, but this is where we’re at now until I get a PS5 and buy the remake of Demon Souls and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
…
…
…WHAT?!
RATING: UM…I DUNNO! 6/10? 7/10? SHIT, JUST READ THE REVIEW. >__<
All right, soooooooooo plot! :D
It takes place in a world full of talking animals who walk upright and wear clothes. Although birds and reptiles aren’t sapient for some reason. You play as a raccoon private investigator named Howard Lotor who’s looking into the disappearance of an otter’s supposedly cheating husband. So you go around investigating shiz and things. And then you find some shiz and things and Howard finds himself involved in a really fucked-up conspiracy involving a criminal gang that he and a fox reporter named Renee gotta solve.
Now we have our game!
So the gameplay’s simple. It’s not a walking simulator per say, but you do spend most of the game walking around cities and towns, talking to civilians and criminals, and forcing your way into buildings to find clues and other information about your investigation. As the game progresses, you talk to various civilians, unlock pertinent details involving your case, and dig deeper into the conspiracy that you’ve gotten yourself involved in. The first Act of the game is the best one, given that it shows you the various ways you can approach a situation to reach your goals. There’s also a couple of nice sleuthing segments and a few puzzles you gotta solve, one of which was actually cleverly presented! Then Act II and Act III happen and the puzzle segments and sleuthing bits are…toned down. Considerably. And then Act IV and Act V happen.
I will get into those Acts later. >__>
I really can’t talk about the story because that will spoil a lot of shit. I can’t even talk about the first Act much because that spoils a really fucked-up revelation by the end. Like I said, imagine a Blacksad plot, but seriously gruesome.
Characters are fine. Howard is your typical old fart who drinks and smokes, but he knows how to do his job. You also have the option to turn him into a very sassy bitch, which was more than delightful. Or if you want, you can turn him into a pessimistic coon who’s tired of life and wants to give up on everything. Or you can turn into a crazy person who believes the conspiracy involves aliens. XD Renee is also a fairly decent character. I do like that Howard and Renee’s relationship was more platonic than usual. You can kinda-sorta flirt with her, but for the most part, they never sleep with each other, never have sex, never even see each other shirtless, etc. And by far one of the best side characters in the game is Howard’s chunky beaver of a driver, Anatoly. He’s super lazy and super nice and talks about his family and kids a lot, but he’s not the annoying kind of side character who’s there for unfunny comic relief. He’s actually quite enjoyable.
And he’s also huggable and fat and wears a tank-top, so points there. :D
I don’t like the villain. I’m not gonna get into it, but for the sake of argument, they pull a Cruella situation with her by the end and it’s stupid.
“Hello audience! I have spent this whole game doing all of this bad shit, but it’s okay! I got all of these people killed, but it’s okay, because they were assholes! You can totally trust me because that’s what I’m telling you and I’m absolutely not lying! Also I have secretly been doing all of these good things for these young women, but all of it happened off-screen! I am totally a justified criminal and the people that I am serving are much worse than I am; therefore what I am doing is justified!”
No. It is not. You chunky furry-ass bitch. Just admit you’re doing all of this crap because you’re hungry for power and willing to screw over anyone and everyone to get it. At least I can respect that kind of villain.
So the game has a few hiccups here and there—the puzzle segments die down the further along you go, but overall, I was intrigued by this game. The universe is quite compelling; the tone is very gritty; the visuals and sheer amount of detailing in the background is absolutely breathtaking, and the developers aren’t afraid to do some seriously messed-up shit with their characters.
AND THEN THE SECOND HALF OF THE GAME HAPPENS!
Okay so Act III actually isn’t bad! The problem is that it’s very short—I passed it in about thirty minutes or so. Lots of things are revealed, Howard finds out more shiz and things—it’s all great.
AND THEN “THE THING” HAPPENED!
Something…happens. And after it happens, the game throws out its plot and it turns into borderline cosmic body horror. Which honestly wouldn’t have bothered me if any of this was seriously set up beforehand. But it’s a situation where the first half of the game is Howard investigating this conspiracy. And then the thing happened. And now the game is completely different. Act IV is just Howard stuck in one area and then stuck in another area for way too long and it becomes very philosophical and existential…for some reason? Act V is just the epilogue that’s three scenes long and can be beaten in ten minutes or less.
And then the game stops. It does not end; it stops.
Nothing is resolved. Many questions are unanswered. Many characters disappear without a trace. Some of the corrupt villains behind everything aren’t exposed. Other bad shit is still happening. Sympathetic characters have died or are presumed dead and get no closure. By the time the game ends, the only good thing to have happened is that Renee knows about the conspiracy going on within the city. That’s about it. But virtually every other character is in a worse position by the end than where they were when the game started.
It’s just…frustrating.
Look, I got no problem with downer endings. I’m not exactly a happy person and I’m not a fan of that whole “happily ever after” crap. But I’m not a fan of downer endings that come out of nowhere either. I wasn’t even expecting this game to have a happy ending in the first place. But how it ends is so damn jarring and depressing that I find myself questioning what the point of it all was. When I reached the end, I was so sure that I fucked up with my choices that I went online just to see if the game had alternate choices or alternate endings. And no, there aren’t any.
Act III ends the same way.
Act IV ends the same way.
Act V ends the same way.
There is nothing you can do to prevent this game’s unbelievably dour ending.
And I’m very…conflicted. Because on one hand, I do admire the developers and writers for having the balls to do something like this. And I can kinda see what they were going for; it’s a clear representation that sometimes nothing you do matters. Sometimes no matter how hard you struggle, you can’t win. Sometimes you can spend your whole time trying to solve a case, but then something terrible happens to you personally, and suddenly, that case you’ve spent so many days, weeks, months investigating, isn’t important. And it doesn’t matter. It’s a very realistic and brutally truthful slap to the face about how it goes sometimes. That’s just how it is. Like I said…I see where they’re coming from.
As a video game I got seriously invested in? This is crap. I spent $25 on this game. I played this game for about five and a half hours. And by the end, I’m asking myself “What was the point? Why did I bother? Why did the developers choose to do this, choose to go this route? They must have known a portion of their fans would respond this way!”
To the developers’ credit, I don’t despise them nor do I despise this game. This isn’t like certain tripe-A games or shit like Space Jam: A New Legacy or those movies and games where you can tell right off the bat that the people who made their product in question do not care and just wanted to make a shitload of money. I do believe the developers care! I think they genuinely thought they were doing the right thing by having the game end this way—especially since it’s implied we’ll be getting DLC or a sequel in the future.
It’s just…you can’t end a game like this and not expect people to be upset. You can’t change the plot to something entirely different halfway in and not expect your fans to bring up the problems they have with doing that. For the sake of comparison, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood did the same thing. The first half of the game you’re going around fighting humans and taking over territory to save the environment. And then the second half of the game turns into a rescue mission and splashes in some really messed-up cosmic horror shit. And just like this game, that game has a very dour ending that feels like nothing you did in the long run mattered all that much. The reason why that game’s plot switch worked was because when the plot shifts focus, it makes sense within the context of both the universe and what the villains are doing as to why it suddenly changes. When the downer ending happens, it makes sense because the game already had a bleak tone to begin with and it was heavily implied that even if you accomplish your goal, it won’t be without consequences.
I feel like that’s the best way to describe this. Backbone is the indie version of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood: a fun, but flawed game that’s overpriced and makes you question why you bothered playing the game once you reach the ending and realize that there’s no other ending.
So would I recommend this game?
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—okay, all right—lemme put it like this. If you don’t mind downer endings, sure! If you wanna support the developers, by all means, do so and buy this game. If you wanna get engrossed with this game’s universe and the plot alone intrigues you, then yush, buy the game.
However, if you want a game that has an ending based on your choices, a game where you receive a downer ending because you, the player, made the wrong choices, and if you want a game with luscious graphics and voice acting and more intuitive gameplay, then I would recommend you buy Blacksad: Under the Skin instead. Because it’s more or less the same game, but the plot doesn’t switch halfway in, it’s a lot longer, and by the end you’ll at least feel like you got your money’s worth.
So yeah, those are my thoughts. Not a bad game, but frustrating. Very, very frustrating—which seems to be a common theme amongst many of the films and movies I’ve been looking forward to this year. Granted I did enjoy Biomutant a lot more than most people did.
There’s this game called F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch coming out in September later this year. I’m putting my hopes in that game into the ground. So that when I play it, I can’t be disappointed or frustrated by anything!
…I shouldn’t have to do that, but this is where we’re at now until I get a PS5 and buy the remake of Demon Souls and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
