Back to the Dawn
- November 2, 2023
- Metal Head Games
- 14h median play time
Get on Steam"Back to the Dawn" is a prison escape game where you play as a framed journalist. Explore the maximum-security prison, gather evidence, and form alliances with inmates to plan your escape. With various challenges and a vast environment, survive and collect evidence to save yourself and the city from danger.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Incredibly fleshed out even in early access, with a captivating story and engaging characters.
- Every choice matters, leading to multiple endings and high replayability.
- The art style is beautiful, and the music is catchy, enhancing the overall experience.
- The 21-day time limit can feel restrictive, making it difficult to explore all options.
- Some mini-games can be tedious and may disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- There are occasional bugs and performance issues, particularly during certain cutscenes.
- story312 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is highly praised for its depth, engaging characters, and multiple endings, providing a rich narrative experience that encourages replayability. Players appreciate the intertwining of character backstories and the impact of choices on the storyline, although some express frustration with the time limit that can hinder exploration. Overall, the storytelling is considered a standout feature, with many looking forward to future updates and additional character arcs.
“The game's narrative is rich and engaging, pulling you into a beautifully crafted world filled with memorable characters and intriguing plot twists.”
“This game made me realize I'll never be able to survive prison... The story and characters are so good I was playing for 4 hours straight and didn't even notice because I was enjoying the game so much.”
“The story is interesting and has some comedic moments as well, with lots of character backgrounds that enhance replayability.”
“The main one is not being able to progress the story until you have maxed out your character over several playthroughs just to have a chance at the end.”
“Once you've completed the main storyline, there's little incentive to revisit the game due to the lack of alternative paths or endings.”
“I found myself less and less interested in talking to any of the other prisoners or taking on any of the side tasks since they have no relevance to the story.”
- gameplay106 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its rich mechanics, strategic depth, and engaging resource management, offering a variety of paths and interactions that enhance replayability. Players appreciate the addictive gameplay loop, which combines time management with exploration and character development, although some find the learning curve steep due to insufficient explanations of core mechanics. Overall, the game is seen as a compelling blend of narrative and gameplay, reminiscent of titles like "The Escapists," but with its own unique twists and challenges.
“Chock full of content, gorgeous visuals, a diverse cast of characters, and gameplay that encourages planning ahead and out-of-the-box thinking.”
“The gameplay mechanics are smooth and intuitive, offering a perfect balance of challenge and enjoyment.”
“The gameplay loop is immensely addictive and you will find yourself saying 'just one more day' over and over.”
“While there are lots of tutorials, some features and core mechanics seem to have been left out or insufficiently explained, so you will feel like you're getting thrown immediately into the deep end of the pool.”
“The gameplay progresses slowly, with minor mistakes leading to substantial setbacks, and the scarcity of resources restricting players from exploring alternative routes.”
“The randomization of certain elements in the game feels a bit disjointed and could have been implemented more seamlessly to enhance the gameplay experience.”
- graphics65 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art style, vibrant visuals, and attention to detail, which enhance the immersive experience of the narrative. Players appreciate the charming character designs and the unique aesthetic that effectively conveys the game's themes, although some have noted that certain medium-level visuals can feel lackluster in comparison. Overall, the art direction is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and storytelling.
“The graphics are stunning, with attention to detail that makes every scene feel alive and vibrant.”
“Absolutely amazing visuals for being in a pixel style; nice to sit back and play.”
“A highly addictive gameplay loop, with surprising complexity, a myriad of escape routes, and gorgeous pixel-art graphics.”
“Additionally, while the pixel graphics are well-done, the medium-level visuals in between can sometimes feel lackluster, and the overall graphics quality could have been better optimized.”
“While the replayability and graphics quality could have been better, the overall concept and execution are strong enough to make it a memorable gaming experience.”
“My only issue in the game is that it's a lot more graphically demanding than most pixel art games.”
- replayability34 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, offering multiple escape routes, diverse character interactions, and various narrative outcomes that encourage players to explore different strategies and endings. However, some users note limitations in replay value due to repetitive dialogue and predictable encounters, suggesting that while the potential for replayability is strong, it could be enhanced with more dynamic content. The ongoing development and introduction of new features are anticipated to further increase replayability in the future.
“The various avenues you can take to escape lead to a lot of replay value.”
“It has a cool original storyline, interesting characters, and a lot of replayability.”
“The game offers multiple pathways to explore, ample choices that encourage diversity and replayability.”
“One of the major drawbacks of the game is its limited replayability.”
“The second playthrough I discovered there basically is no true replayability; dialogue encounters are exactly the same and occur at the same times, with no mix-ups in choices, so you just sort of meta-game your way to victory rather than roleplaying.”
“While the replayability and graphics quality could have been better, the overall concept and execution are strong enough to make it a memorable gaming experience.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever dialogue, charming characters, and dark comedic elements that enhance the immersive prison setting. Players appreciate the unique twist of animal characters and the abundance of hilarious situations, references, and easter eggs that contribute to a genuinely funny experience. Overall, the game's blend of humor and engaging storytelling makes it a standout in its genre.
“The humor really stands out - it is a truly funny game.”
“There are so many hilarious situations and lines of dialogue that had me laughing, as well as countless easter eggs and references.”
“The dialogues and overarching story are well-written, exciting, and infused with humor.”
- music19 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many users praising its catchiness and ability to enhance the overall experience. Reviewers highlighted the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as "fantastic," "amazing," and even "a banger," with specific mentions of memorable tracks like the final boss music. Overall, the music complements the game's art and storytelling, contributing to a polished and immersive atmosphere.
“The final boss music was goated, loved it.”
“The soundtrack is a banger too.”
“No major bugs, only the bug I had was the music not playing at some point and one of the prisoners' animations was bugged in a loop.”
“Please publish the soundtrack to Steam or Spotify... please.”
“I was enchanted from the moment I heard the music on the main menu!”
- grinding17 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the early hours of gameplay, with some mechanics feeling slow and frustrating. While there are features like NG+ that alleviate some of the grind in subsequent playthroughs, many still feel that the time limits and long cutscenes contribute to a frustrating experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the game's charm and find it enjoyable, albeit with significant grind-related drawbacks.
“Not too grindy.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“This becomes tedious after the first 4 hours of gameplay and is very frustrating while you are in the main building.”
“I understand the game is supposed to be challenging, but it feels more tedious than challenging.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its deeply relatable and heartfelt narratives, which evoke a range of feelings from heartbreak to humor. Players often find themselves emotionally drained yet fulfilled, with character-driven stories that resonate and create a strong connection to the game's world. The inclusion of multiple endings and choices enhances the emotional stakes, making victories feel triumphant and losses profoundly impactful.
“I had to walk away from the laptop and take a nap; I was so emotionally drained from that flurry of nuclear fission-induced emotional explosions.”
“Some of their stories are heartbreaking, some are horrible, some are just plain bad luck - but they are all completely understandable and relatable.”
“The best term I'd use for it is 'heartfelt' or 'earnest', as many of the character storylines have a degree of grounded truth to them that make you care about and feel something for the people present and their wellbeing.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Back to the Dawn" is characterized by its intriguing prison setting, enhanced by charming pixel art graphics that evoke a nostalgic yet dark mood. Reviewers appreciate the gritty yet cartoonish contrast, which contributes to a fun and immersive experience, making the game's atmosphere a standout feature that complements its compelling storyline. Overall, the attention to detail in the game's style and atmosphere has garnered positive feedback from players.
“Back to the Dawn is a hidden gem that caught me off guard with its intriguing concept and atmospheric prison setting.”
“The mood is gritty but cartoonish and light, and that contrast makes for a fun and interesting atmosphere.”
“My advice: watch Prison Break while playing to improve the atmosphere, lol.”
“The pixel art graphics are a standout feature, adding a nostalgic charm to the game and effectively conveying the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the prison setting.”
“A wonderful game with an outstanding storyline, which pleases with attention to details, style, and atmosphere.”
- stability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is generally stable with only a few minor glitches reported, making it recommendable despite occasional bugs.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a stable experience.”
“I've played for hours without encountering any bugs, which really enhances the overall enjoyment.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; I can always rely on it to perform consistently.”
“It could be a little buggy at times, but overall I'd recommend this game for anyone!”
“Only a few minor glitches.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while the pixel graphics are praised, the medium-level visuals are often seen as underwhelming. Players have reported significant performance issues, including stuttering and lag, particularly during specific tasks, which detracts from the overall experience and can render the game unplayable for some.
“Additionally, while the pixel graphics are well-done, the medium-level visuals in between can sometimes feel lackluster, and the overall graphics quality could have been better optimized.”
“Really enjoyed the game, but the optimization on the rooftop job makes it unplayable. There is massive stuttering and significant input lag, especially when trying the bucket job, making the game unplayable for me.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features impressive character development, with well-crafted dialogue and distinct personalities for each inmate, enhancing the overall narrative experience. Players appreciate the polished RPG mechanics and engaging story, which contribute to a compelling and immersive environment.
“Great pixel art, great music, dialogue, and character development for literally every inmate - this game just oozes polish.”
“The RPG mechanics, the character design, the world in this pixel art style, the story of the game, and its characters, along with the activities in the prison, make me even more eager to start the next day.”
