Tails Noir: Prologue

97%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,986 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Tails Noir: Prologue Game Cover
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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…

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

97%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,986 reviews
story603 positive mentions
stability19 negative mentions
  • Absolutely gorgeous pixel art and stunning visuals that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with intriguing characters and meaningful dialogue choices that affect interactions.
  • Great soundtrack that complements the noir aesthetic and enhances the overall experience.
  • Some gameplay mechanics, particularly stealth sections, can feel clunky and frustrating.
  • A few bugs and performance issues, such as lag and unresponsive controls, detract from the experience.
  • The dialogue can sometimes feel predictable or lack depth, making it less impactful.
  • story1,106 mentions

    The story of "Backbone" is widely praised for its intriguing and immersive narrative set in a dystopian world populated by anthropomorphic animals. Players appreciate the well-crafted characters, engaging dialogue, and the noir atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience. While some critiques mention a lack of impactful choices and a somewhat predictable plot, the overall consensus is that the story captivates players, leaving them eager for the full game release.

    • “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.”
    • “Tails Noir is a captivating adventure game that excels in creating a memorable atmosphere and telling an intriguing story.”
    • “The story is engaging and the characters are colorful and interesting.”
    • “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 a story for a different game.”
    • “The intriguing art style can't fully compensate for a disjointed story, leaving players more confused than captivated.”
  • graphics788 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art style, which effectively captures the noir aesthetic and immerses players in a richly detailed world. Reviewers praised the combination of 2D pixel graphics with modern lighting effects, creating a visually striking atmosphere that enhances the storytelling. Overall, the visuals are described as beautiful, atmospheric, and a significant draw for players, making the game a standout in the indie genre.

    • “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.”
  • music548 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers praising the jazz soundtrack for perfectly complementing the noir aesthetic. Players have noted that the soundtrack is immersive and beautifully composed, contributing significantly to the game's emotional depth and setting. While some expressed a desire for more variety and presence of music in certain scenes, the overall consensus is that the music is a standout feature that elevates the gaming experience.

    • “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 each area well and the singing in the club is wonderful.”
    • “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.”
    • “The only thing I will take against the game is that I hope there is some sort of voice acting or sound when characters are talking because at the moment there is just background sounds and sometimes music when there is dialogue and it feels a little lacking.”
  • atmosphere385 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Tails Noir" (formerly known as Backbone) is widely praised for its captivating noir aesthetic, combining stunning pixel art, immersive 3D environments, and a haunting jazz soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a gritty, dystopian world filled with intrigue and rich storytelling, making it a standout feature that draws them into its narrative. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay engagement, the atmospheric elements consistently receive high marks, contributing to a memorable and immersive gaming experience.

    • “The detailed 2D characters and rich, atmospheric 3D environments create a visually striking world that perfectly captures the noir aesthetic.”
    • “The atmosphere is fantastic and the story is intriguing so far.”
    • “The atmosphere, graphics, and music are engrossing.”
    • “The atmosphere and visuals of the dystopian world are stunning.”
    • “The atmosphere created by the artwork and the music was immersive.”
    • “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!”
  • gameplay246 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging story, beautiful art, and intriguing mechanics, particularly in the prologue. However, some have criticized it for being overly simplistic, linear, and occasionally hindered by technical issues, with a lack of depth in puzzles and stealth mechanics. Overall, while the gameplay shows promise and potential for improvement, it currently feels limited and may not satisfy those seeking more complex interactions.

    • “The gameplay opens up naturally and the puzzles never felt frustrating, and instead felt satisfying to solve.”
    • “The gameplay is great and intuitive.”
    • “The gameplay, overall aesthetic, art, sound, story, everything.”
    • “However, some gameplay limitations and technical issues prevent it from reaching its full potential.”
    • “Amazing prologue but be warned, the full game takes a drastic genre turn, leaving many storylines unexplored and has comparatively flat gameplay.”
    • “Unfortunately this prologue (the first act) is the only part of the game that has actual gameplay, the other acts having no puzzles (other than some extremely trivial point and click puzzles, nothing like those in the prologue).”
  • humor39 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty and darkly comedic dialogue that enhances the gritty narrative, while others find some of the humor forced or poorly executed. The writing features clever puns and references, contributing to an engaging atmosphere, though it occasionally disrupts the overall tone. Overall, the humor adds character and depth, making for a unique and entertaining experience, especially for those who enjoy a blend of dark themes and comedy.

    • “A genuinely unique experience - smart, funny, and dark in all the right places.”
    • “Great story, humor, gritty stuff for all to enjoy.”
    • “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 feel forced rather than genuinely funny.”
    • “While the game attempts to be humorous, many jokes miss the mark, leaving players feeling more uncomfortable than entertained.”
  • optimization26 mentions

    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 and the need to lower settings to achieve playable frame rates. The consensus suggests that while the game shows promise, it requires further optimization to meet the expectations of a polished experience, especially for a demo.

    • “Experienced zero issues with the game, and had a smooth experience performance-wise <3”
    • “I did have performance issues here and there, but it never hurt the gameplay.”
    • “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!”
    • “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).”
  • character development22 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting the depth and uniqueness of each character, complemented by stunning visuals and engaging storytelling. The character designs are described as beautiful and compelling, contributing to a rich narrative experience that captivates players. Overall, the combination of intricate character backstories and appealing art style creates an immersive and enjoyable gameplay experience.

    • “The character development is awesome and I can't wait to see more of the story.”
    • “Sharp, engrossing writing and a thrilling, immersive soundtrack accompany captivating environments and character designs whose rich histories are written all over them.”
    • “The character designs are amazing and each character that you talk to feels unique in either art, dialogue, or backstory.”
    • “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.”
    • “This ohhhhh, now this is what I call a wake-up call for me, from environment, lighting, story, character development, music, and gameplay.”
  • stability20 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as freezing, disappearing interaction prompts, and audio issues. While some players noted that these problems were minor and did not significantly detract from their overall experience, others found the instability frustrating, particularly during key moments in the game. Overall, the game appears to have potential, but it requires further polishing to enhance its stability.

    • “Runs great on Linux, providing a stable experience overall.”
    • “Game is buggy and crashes a lot.”
    • “Very buggy prologue.”
    • “There are sound glitches I come across like the rain overlap when entering a building, but other than that it looks promising.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the opportunity 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.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    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 improvements could enhance the overall emotional impact. Despite these issues, the choices made in the game resonate with players, making them feel that their decisions carry weight.

    • “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 get through.”
    • “The emotional moments lacked depth and failed to resonate with me.”
    • “I found the character development lacking, which made it hard to connect with their struggles.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often feeling that it detracts from the overall experience and excitement, particularly in stealth scenarios.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit tedious.”
    • “Bit anti-climactic and makes the stealth very tedious.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly discussed in the review, but the positive reception of its art style and story suggests that players may be willing to invest in it. Overall, the game appears to have generated interest and excitement, potentially indicating a favorable view of its monetization strategy.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Play time

3hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
2-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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