Official Review Computer

Review cover Tails: The Backbone Preludes (Computer)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

  • Release Date (NA): February 2, 2023
  • Release Date (EU): February 2, 2023
  • Publisher: Raw Fury
  • Developer: EggNut
  • Genres: Adventure, point-and-click

Game Features:

Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Indie developer EggNut is back with a new addition to its anthropomorphic noir video game franchise with Tails: The Backbone Preludes. How does this fresh entry shape up the Backbone series?

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An origin story

Launched in 2021, Backbone is a detective noir game that takes place in an anthropomorphic universe that follows private investigator Howard Lotor’s latest mundane case which spirals into his biggest investigation. But there’s a story to be told well before Lotor set up shop as a PI and Tails: The Backbone Preludes recounts that story. 

In Tails, we are reunited with a young, university fresher Howard and get to learn about his origins as well as his budding friendship with Backbone NPC Larry. This prequel also features the backstory of other major NPCs from the first game but this time as playable characters. We’ll get to play as Renee working on a story about a house fire that gets her to uncover sinister details while also dealing with her struggling marriage. Clarissa Bloodworth’s ascension in the world of crime and the events that shaped her world view are experienced first-hand. As a fourth playable character is series newcomer Eli Abbas, one of the scientists who discovered the Artifact. Eli’s arc serves to provide more background on the cryptic Artifact which was featured in Backbone, while portraying the scientists’ moral conundrums regarding the Artifact.

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Branching narratives in a detailed, pixelated world

When I reviewed Backbone, I found the title intriguing for its plot while still feeling let down by its pacing and how the story wrapped up. In my review, I even mentioned my hopes that some of the looser ends be tied in a sequel. While not totally fulfilling on those hopes, Tails: The Backbone Preludes does somewhat tie up some of those loose ends. The origins of the Artifact in particular provides better context into some of the first entry’s twists; but the backstory of Tails’ protagonists help make the characters more relatable.

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As with the former entry, Tails is very much narrative driven; probably more so than Backbone. Not only does the plot feel better executed, your in-game choices matter as some dialogue options that you choose lead to diverging paths. It is not unlike a Quantic Dream game in this sense, albeit on a much smaller scale, but it was refreshing to experience. While the four separate playable characters’ stories don’t intertwine, the branching narrative of each plot feels cohesive.

This branching aspect also adds to the replayability of the title. While a single run of Tails: The Backbone Preludes can last less than Backbone at around 4-5 hours, there are more details to uncover in each of the four character stories based on your choices. There’s even a handy chart at the end of each act that shows you the path that you took and helps you identify where the story diverges. It’s a neat feature that will be welcomed by completionists or those who want to learn more about the world of Backbone and its characters.

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But unlike Backbone, Tails is less of a detective story and more about the backstory of its cast. That doesn’t mean it’s bad but you shouldn’t go in expecting to solve a mystery. That said, the noir-esque presentation is still there. Tails brings back the presentation that made Backbone stand out. The environments are detailed in glorious pixel art; the animated sprites bring the universe to life; while the jazz-y soundtrack sets the mood for the noir genre.

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Attempting to diversify the gameplay

Unlike the first entry to the Backbone series which was comparable to a visual novel, Tails brings in more gameplay mechanics. While you still control the characters in a side-scrolling fashion and click on highlighted prompts to talk or learn more about your environment, some of those prompts will lead up to a mini game. The latter can range from arranging shelves with Renee to performing some scientific experiments as Eli to taking pictures for Howard’s assignment. Save for the latter, the mini-games are mostly a drag-and-drop affair.

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While the mini-games are not too challenging per se - some are even borderline boring -, their unintentional challenge lies in the controls. It is occasionally not clear where to drag and drop items. In one mandatory mini game, I spent too much time clicking on items before figuring out which element is interactive; and it was not my first mini game experience in Tails to begin with. While I appreciate that developer EggNut tried to diversify the gameplay in this title, the execution could still have been polished.

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Not handheld-friendly

Another gripe I’ve had has to do with the experience playing the game on a handheld gaming PC. The version of the game I played wasn’t totally optimised for gamepad controls and I had to resort to remapping my hardware keys via Steam. Hopefully controller support is better implemented in the launch version. 

Then there’s the fact that the in-game texts are small. Playing Tails on a desktop PC or laptop should be fine but on a handheld, I’ve had to squint more than I would want to. There’s also no option to resize the text which could have addressed the issue. Given the rising popularity of handheld gaming PCs, the game (which feels right at home on such systems) could have supported these better with proper controller input and adequate text sizes.

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A welcome addition to the franchise

Overall, Tails: The Backbone Preludes is a welcome addition to the Backbone franchise. I personally think that it feels better executed than the predecessor, even if there are some gripes to be had with its attempt to diversify the gameplay with its drag-and-drop mini-games. It brings an interesting narrative design that differs from the first title yet is familiar to returning players without alienating newcomers. For the former group of players, this title will make its cast more relatable while also adding to the replay value. I am quite sure the series will feature another instalment and if Tails is any indication, the franchise is shaping up to be a promising one.

Tails: The Backbone Preludes | Release Date Announcement

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Better overall execution than Backbone
  • Branching narrative aspect
  • Detailed pixel art
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Mini games can be unclear when not close to boring
  • Not optimised for controller input
  • Tiny, non-adjustable font size
7
Gameplay
While Tails attempts to diversify its gameplay with drag-and-drop mini-games, they are often either borderline boring or unintuitive.
8
Presentation
Like the first entry to the Backbone saga, Tails strikes on the presentation front with its detailed pixel art and mood-setting soundtrack.
8
Lasting Appeal
Even if individual runs are relatively short, the game’s cohesive and branching narrative entices re-runs.
7.8
out of 10

Overall

Tails: The Backbone Preludes improves on the Backbone formula with an engaging, replayable experience.
  • Like
Reactions: Mama Looigi, markmoody, jeffyTheHomebrewer and 2 others
eyeliner
Right up my alley, but I don't really 'get' into the anthropomorphic imagery for some reason. It's something that almost repulses me.

If the setting was animals in a forest, I'd get behind it, but if they are human except their head, why not make them human?

After Gemini Rue, the point and click genre has a serious lack of quality offerings.

Yes, I don't really like Animal Crossing, but that is obviously different, as it's a more cartoony thing. To hell with Tom Nook!
 
ConraDargo
Cool cool, thanks for the review and I'm really happy that you took the time to write about this one too! Been intrigued by this ever since it was clear that EggNut would go with a prequel rather than a sequel, and I totally agreed with everything you had to say about the original - as it left me with a mixed feeling of :blink: and :mellow:. This was not only due to the weird and abrupt ending, but also how the gameplay in general kinda degenerated - both of which felt like the result of a rushed development once they were starting to get low on funds from the crowdfunding campaign (or simply running out of ideas, whichever came first).

Although the team acted kinda uncool and snarky about the criticism received on Twitter at the time, I'm definitely still interested in playing this one since it does seem like they came up with an even better narrative and improved gameplay!
 
Review cover
Product Information:
  • Release Date (NA): February 2, 2023
  • Release Date (EU): February 2, 2023
  • Publisher: Raw Fury
  • Developer: EggNut
  • Genres: Adventure, point-and-click
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative

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