Tails Noir: Prologue

About

Tails Noir: Prologue is a single player role playing game. It was developed by EggNut and was released on April 24, 2019. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

You’re not special. You’re not a hero. Thrust into unfortunate circumstances, you find yourself with no other option than to unravel what might be your biggest case yet. There is no choice. We change, but we change nothing. Get to work, detective. Tails Noir is a post-noir narrative adventure. Become raccoon private eye Howard Lotor and explore dystopian Vancouver inhabited by animals as you un…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,961 reviews

story598 positive mentions

stability19 negative mentions

Stunning pixel art and atmospheric visuals that create an immersive experience.
Engaging story with intriguing characters and meaningful dialogue choices.
Great soundtrack that complements the noir aesthetic and enhances the overall atmosphere.

Gameplay can feel linear and lacks depth in some areas, with limited interaction options.
Some technical issues, such as lag and unresponsive controls, detract from the experience.
The demo ends abruptly, leaving players wanting more without a clear resolution.

story
1,097 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The story of "Backbone" is a dark and atmospheric detective narrative set in a dystopian world populated by anthropomorphic animals, featuring a compelling plot that unfolds through engaging dialogue and character interactions. While the prologue captivates players with its intriguing premise and beautiful pixel art, some reviewers noted a lack of puzzles and a more linear progression, leading to mixed feelings about the depth of player choice. Overall, the narrative is praised for its potential, with many eager to see how the story develops in the full game.
- “Set in a dystopian version of Vancouver populated by anthropomorphic animals, the game puts players in the role of Howard Lotor, a raccoon private detective embroiled in a mystery that grows darker and more complex as the story unfolds.”
- “The story is engaging and creepy, and I just love it.”
- “The story is very intriguing and kept getting even better the further you advance.”
- “It teases a bigger story but doesn't make a strong enough case to keep you invested.”
- “However, it's more of an interactive visual novel rather than a story-driven 'game.' None of the choices you make actually change anything in the game.”
- “The story, not so surprisingly, goes downhill as well, but what's worse is that all the story after chapter 2 basically feels like story for a different game.”
graphics
779 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
37%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art style, which effectively captures the noir aesthetic and enhances the immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the detailed 2D characters and atmospheric 3D environments, with many noting the beautiful lighting effects and the overall artistic direction as standout features. While some users experienced performance issues on lower-end systems, the majority found the visuals to be a captivating blend of retro and modern design, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The detailed 2D characters and rich, atmospheric 3D environments create a visually striking world that perfectly captures the noir aesthetic.”
- “The graphics are stunning, and along with the down to earth, funky music, it really set the vibe.”
- “The art style is a gorgeous blend of pixel art and subtle 3D effects (the lighting is fantastic, and I spent a while admiring the rain puddle reflections on the road).”
- “Man, this was boring. The only thing going for it are the visuals, but even those aren't much to write home about...”
- “I personally was disappointed by the pixelated graphics - the market is just oversaturated with it. Before launching the game, I really hoped to see those beautiful hand-drawn styles, but alas, I was unpleasantly surprised to see pixel art instead.”
- “The graphics in this game are a real hit and miss affair.”
music
546 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the noir atmosphere, with many reviewers praising the jazz soundtrack as a perfect complement to the stunning pixel art and engaging narrative. Players noted that the soundtrack effectively immerses them in the gritty urban setting, creating a captivating ambiance that elevates the overall experience. While some expressed a desire for more variety and presence of music in certain scenes, the consensus is that the music is a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's charm and emotional depth.
- “The jazz soundtrack complements the visuals beautifully, immersing players in the gritty urban setting.”
- “The pixel art was beautiful, the narrative was engaging and interesting, and the jazz-inspired soundtrack was simply sublime.”
- “The music fits right in with the darkly shaded backgrounds for a dark and shady game!”
- “I miss the original prologue soundtrack so bad.”
- “If there's one nitpick I could make, it's that the soundtrack is disappointingly sparse, offering nothing besides a few faint ambient tones in the background.”
- “It's pretty silent at the moment apart from ambient noises, so some music or even distinct voices to accompany the dialogue will definitely create a more immersive experience.”
atmosphere
383 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
28%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating noir aesthetic, enhanced by stunning pixel art, immersive sound design, and a compelling soundtrack. Players appreciate the rich, detailed environments and the way the atmosphere draws them into the story, creating a memorable experience that feels both engaging and atmospheric. While some critiques mention a lack of meaningful interaction, the overall consensus highlights the game's ability to evoke a strong sense of place and mood, making it a standout in the genre.
- “A dark and atmospheric detective story with stunning pixel art, a cool noir setting, a great soundtrack, and a really engaging plot.”
- “The detailed 2D characters and rich, atmospheric 3D environments create a visually striking world that perfectly captures the noir aesthetic.”
- “The atmosphere is absolutely breathtaking with its mixture of pixel art and 3D renders as well as the beautifully composed soundtrack that makes you feel like a real detective on the case!”
- “This is a game that desperately wants to set a noir tone, but it leans too hard on atmosphere and not enough on meaningful interaction.”
- “The concept and atmosphere of this game is exactly what I was craving, but basic elements of playability that are missing make it a slog, so I can't recommend.”
- “Although there are some aspects that need improvements, such as languages/word choices in dialogue and rather abrupt scene transitions, the story itself is quite intriguing, and I absolutely love the noir-themed atmosphere the game's graphic and soundtrack deliver.”
gameplay
245 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and linearity, often describing it as a basic point-and-click experience with minimal depth. While some appreciate the engaging story, beautiful art, and intriguing mechanics, others criticize the lack of meaningful choices, challenging puzzles, and technical issues that hinder the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as solid but could benefit from more complexity and variety to enhance player engagement.
- “The gameplay opens up naturally and the puzzles never felt frustrating, and instead felt satisfying to solve.”
- “The gameplay is great and intuitive.”
- “The world is surprisingly rich and heavy with intrigue, the story unfolds like the rich noir novels it takes inspiration from, the gameplay is smooth and aside from one small hiccup waiting for patrol timing, only lent strength to the atmosphere.”
- “There are no real choices, no puzzles to solve, and very little gameplay depth.”
- “However, some gameplay limitations and technical issues prevent it from reaching its full potential.”
- “Art and soundtrack are still good, but the main game has no gameplay, no puzzles, no actual investigation, and the most ridiculous plot and characterization I've seen in ages.”
humor
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
8%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty dialogue and dark humor that complements the gritty narrative, while others find some of the jokes forced or poorly executed. The writing features clever puns and references that resonate well with certain audiences, but can detract from the overall tone for those seeking a more serious experience. Overall, the humor adds a unique flavor to the game, enhancing character interactions and engagement, though its effectiveness varies among players.
- “A genuinely unique experience - smart, funny, and dark in all the right places.”
- “Great noir feel, with humor, and creative problem-solving situations to keep you hooked.”
- “Gorgeous visuals, funny writing, interesting characters and the plot seems really intriguing, oh and you play as a detective raccoon!”
- “A neat little adventure, filled with dialogue-focused puzzles that sometimes railroad you into roleplaying as a socially awkward private investigator who can't even properly react to a run-of-the-mill anecdote from your friendly foreign cab driver about his big, pregnant wife, without either openly taking it as dismissively misogynistic at face value or laughing at a completely unfunny story or interrupting the storyteller with a question.”
- “The humor often falls flat, relying on awkward situations that don't land well and leave you feeling more uncomfortable than amused.”
- “While the game attempts to inject humor through quirky characters, the jokes often miss the mark, resulting in a lack of genuine laughter.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
66%
15%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing performance issues, particularly on older or mid-level systems. While some users reported smooth gameplay, others noted significant lag, stuttering, and high GPU usage, suggesting that the game is not fully optimized for all hardware configurations. Many reviewers expressed hope for improvements in future updates, especially given that the game is still in demo form.
- “Experienced zero issues with the game, and had a smooth experience performance-wise <3”
- “The only problem I have met with it is that the game's optimization leaves a lot to be desired; nevertheless, I would like to congratulate the team and wish them godspeed!”
- “I did have performance issues here and there, but it never hurt the gameplay.”
- “The only problem I have encountered is that the game's optimization leaves a lot to be desired; nevertheless, I would like to congratulate the team and wish them godspeed!”
- “My only complaint is the optimization - it ran very poorly on my mid-level laptop.”
- “The system requirements are surprisingly high - on a new laptop with discrete graphics, I had stuttering video and some audio glitches, as well as a laggy UI (I suspect I would have been okay on my desktop with a beefier graphics card).”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and various glitches that can disrupt gameplay. While some players noted that certain issues were minor and did not significantly detract from their overall experience, others found the bugs to be frustrating and annoying. Overall, the game appears to have stability issues that need addressing, particularly in its early stages.
- “Cool demo, but it freezes once you finish the first part and click continue.”
- “Game is buggy and crashes a lot.”
- “Very buggy prologue.”
character development
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
27%
5%
The character development in the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting the depth and uniqueness of each character, complemented by stunning pixelated graphics and engaging backstories. The combination of compelling writing, immersive environments, and diverse character designs creates a rich narrative experience that captivates players. Overall, the game's character development is seen as a standout feature, enhancing the overall enjoyment and intrigue of the storyline.
- “Sharp, engrossing writing and a thrilling, immersive soundtrack accompany captivating environments and character designs whose rich histories are written all over them - all of which comes together with immaculate pixel graphics to populate a detail-rich noir world akin to what Zootopia might have looked like during the Great Depression.”
- “The character designs are amazing and each character that you talk to feels unique in either art, dialogue, or backstory.”
- “Backbone: Prologue is one of my favorite games I've ever played hands down, from the stunning pixelated graphics, perfectly toned mood, the dialogue being almost spotless, and f*** me if I didn't mention the story and great character development with diverse situational options.”
- “This level of detail and this focus on perspective also applies to the character designs along with the writing that does not conform to traditional anthropomorphic sensibilities.”
monetization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for being misleading, as it primarily serves as an advertisement for the "tails noir" visual novel rather than a full game. Users express frustration over the practice of publishing ads and demos as separate titles, which detracts from genuine game developers and misleads consumers. While some appreciate the art and story, the overall sentiment is that this approach to monetization is harmful and not worth gamers' time.
- “We must instead review this for what it is... an advertisement.”
- “The objective of this advertisement is to get you to spend an eye-watering twenty United States dollars on buying the 'Tails Noir' visual novel product that it's advertising.”
- “While it might seem like an innocuous mistake, publishing demos and advertisements as if they are full games is misleading and in some ways harmful.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the ability to explore different dialogue options and complete objectives in various ways, others find the lack of significant changes in outcomes and limited content after the first playthrough disappointing. The presence of randomized puzzles and multiple failure states offers some incentive for replay, but many feel that once the game is completed, there isn't much motivation to return.
- “The pixel art is stunning, the dialogues have choices that allow enough space for roleplay, there are several ways to complete your objectives, the puzzles aren't too hard but feel satisfying to solve, and there are a lot of details and options that you can miss, which allows for replayability.”
- “It runs well, looks stunning, and there's so much replayability in a so-called 'prologue'.”
- “So bummed that it ended on such an unsatisfying note and I came to find out the ending is the same no matter your choices, so the replay value is just nonexistent :/”
- “- not a ton of replayability once you played it once.”
- “Little gameplay improvements such as slightly randomized puzzles for every playthrough or various failure states are enough incentives to enhance the game’s replay value along with its narrative rewards.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
Players express a mix of emotions regarding the game's narrative and character interactions, highlighting a sense of immersion in the detective role and genuine suspense during tense moments. However, some critiques point to a lackluster story and forced dialogue, suggesting that while the emotional engagement is present, there is room for improvement in storytelling and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the demo stage shows potential for deeper emotional impact as the game develops.
- “But this game made me feel like I was in the shoes of a real detective, or at least what I imagine it would be like.”
- “On top of this, this is only the demo stage of the game, so obviously there are going to be more bugs worked out. The more tense moments of the story, even just in the demo, made me feel real suspense.”
- “The character lines made me feel like each of my choices mattered. At first, I thought I was doing pretty badly since it seemed like I failed at most of it; I don't know if the game was built as such, but I ended up getting through it.”
- “The story was boring, and the dialogue felt forced, making it a drag to engage with.”
- “The emotional moments lacked depth, leaving me feeling disconnected from the characters.”
- “I found the attempts at emotional impact to be superficial and unconvincing.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and somewhat anti-climactic, often feeling that it detracts from the overall experience, particularly in stealth gameplay. Many suggest that it requires an excessive time investment, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit tedious.”
- “Bit anti-climactic and makes the stealth very tedious.”

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3h Median play time

4h Average play time

2-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tails Noir: Prologue is a role playing game.

Tails Noir: Prologue is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Tails Noir: Prologue.

Tails Noir: Prologue was released on April 24, 2019.

Tails Noir: Prologue was developed by EggNut.

Tails Noir: Prologue has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Tails Noir: Prologue is a single player game.

Similar games include Tails Noir Preludes, Tails Noir, Backbone, The Last Night, NORCO and others.

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