Backbone test: a devilishly sexy thriller that does not forget to surprise

Backbone is in the image of the " femme fatale " of the films he seeks to impersonate. You know, the confident kind; who knows she will attract all eyes as soon as she enters this seedy bar. Captivating and elusive. Characteristics which the first game from the Eggnut studio has been decked out for three years now. Since the launch of his crowdfunding campaign, in fact.

Having exploded the counters (95 Canadian dollars collected out of the 280 requested), Backbone is one of those rare indie games to have managed to draw the light on itself. A bit like Chicory: A Colorful Tale, which we tested a few days ago.

Conceived as a modern reinterpretation of two of the most rusty genres in the video game landscape (C-RPG and point n'click), Backbone is best known for its atmosphere. Rainy, of course, and fatalistic like any thriller worthy of the name. However, where we thought we were embarking on an adventure sewn with white thread, although nicely dressed, we found a game as surprising as half-cooked. A missed date? Let's investigate to find out.

The Marquess of Blacksad

Might as well immediately evacuate the elephant from the room: yes, Backbone necessarily recalls the comic book series Blacksad. Eggnut has never hidden having been inspired by the work of Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido to make his game. Nikita Danshin, game director, however, never misses an opportunity to specify how much his studio's approach is "more dark” than that of the famous Spanish comics.

But can we only stage something other than a depressive spleen when we offer the star to an alcoholic private detective? Howard Lotor, in any case, is not there to put glitter in your lives. The raccoon has seen others. And the case that Odette came to present to him this morning doesn't seem much more complicated than the previous ones. Another adultery, he thinks naively, accepting without conviction to find the otter's husband.

It's raining cats and dogs that night in Vancouver. Dressed as usual in a raincoat which serves as his costume, Howard questions passers-by and visits old acquaintances. Exchanges a few services, too, to get juicy information on his target. Perhaps the case is not so obvious after all.

Bite attack

You won't come across many friendly faces in this dystopian Vancouver. Populated by anthropomorphic animals, the city is ruled by a caste of great apes which we quickly understand that they maintain a cult of personality and, above all, a violent repression against anyone wishing to escape. A more detailed narrative framework than one would have imagined at first glance, in which therefore fits what seems to be, at the start, only a banal affair of sleeping around.

But something is wrong at The Bite. This bar/club/brothel/restaurant (cross out where applicable) looks like a front for the Bloodworth mafia clan. Strange: we just lose track of our client's husband at the entrance to the establishment. And as much to say that the bouncer will be rather reluctant to let us in to ask our questions to the regulars.

Never mind ; We still have a few onlookers to interview. And this is also the essential brick of the gameplay of Backbone: the talk.

Like the computer-rpgs of the last millennium, we engage in verbal battles in order to obtain information and advance in our investigation. But be careful not to overestimate the game design of the title: if you actually have the choice between several lines and the dialogues adapt accordingly, the course of the story will not take a different turn. Eggnut knows exactly what it wants to take the player to, and nips any emergent gameplay in the bud. There are a few anecdotal phases of hide-and-seek, but nothing more.

JVFR

The gameplay is rather childish.

We get used to it and for good reason: quickly, and despite all the commonplaces explored by its prologue (available for free on Steam), Backbone manages not only to surprise us, but also to embark us on its story like few games of its quench manage to do so.

We do not hide, however, that we were left unsatisfied once the end credits began to run. Really strange, the last quarter of the game tries to fit the "little story" into the big one (the one with a capital "h"), dispossessing the player of his investigation in the process. To the point that if the universe of Backbone was not so well worked, one could imagine that its developers did not know how to put an end to their story. Disappointing, but also sufficiently open to project oneself and continue, mentally, to unravel the affair.

JVFR

Backbone has more than one trick up its sleeve to surprise.

True detective

But if you've ever cast a sidelong glance at Backbone, it's probably less for its playful promises than for its aesthetic refinements.

Built on Unreal Engine 4, Eggnut's game is mesmerizing to watch. With its pixel art to die for, its volumetric lighting, its ambient occlusion and more generally the choice of its colors, the thriller from the Canadian studio is destined to become a reference in the jungle of the independent world. What make you wait, in any case, until the release of the Arlesian The Last Night.

JVFR

The environments are rather varied and always impressive.

We also have to talk about the music. Composed by a decidedly very versatile Nikita Danshin, and accompanied by Arooj Aftab, it contributes enormously to the immersion in the universe of Backbone. Like the game, it also navigates between an expected jazz and more surprising tracks (ambient, industrial metal) which give relief to the changes in tone of the scenario.

Too bad some dialogues – including some of the longest – are not set to music. This sometimes sets in a funny silence that takes us out of the framework that Backbone strives to create elsewhere.

JVFR

Backbone is a total artistic achievement.

In any case, we must remember the existence of a significant barrier to entry to enjoy the game: it is currently only available in English. "Reasonable" English speakers can nevertheless be reassured. We are not on a language level as demanding as a certain Disco Elysium. Much more accessible, Backbone will not present any major difficulty to anyone able to watch a film or series in English. For the most hesitant on the other hand, no worries. Eggnut is currently working on the localization of the game in Spanish, and also on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions.

Backbone, l'avis de JVFR

Eggnut's first game deserves the exposure it enjoys. A feast for the eyes and the ears, Backbone also manages to get out of the somewhat narrow box of "black thriller" thanks to a scenario with unexpected twists.

Of course, Backbone deserves to loosen the player's rein more; to offer dialogue choices more impact on the (very linear) unfolding of its story. One will also find fault with his conclusion. Unexpected, and which left us with frowns for various reasons that we invite you to discover for yourselves.

A game that puts us in a funny position. On the one hand we wished him a little something extra, but on the other hand we already know that we won't soon forget him. What to deduce? That Backbone is a great game?

Like what all investigations do not need a convoluted outcome.

Backbone

Beautiful to cry, Backbone is thankfully more than eye candy. Marrying the C-RPG to point and click, Eggnut signs a short noir thriller, but surprising in many aspects. A curiosity to discover urgently.