
Detective Nior Game Backbone Headed to Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC in Early 2021 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 13 February 2020 / 2,669 ViewsPublisher Raw Fury announced it will publish the EggNut developed detective noir adventure game, Backbone, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC via Steam in early 2021. A free demo called Backbone: Prologue is available now via Steam.
View the reveal trailer of the game below:
Here is an overview of the game:
Backbone is a noir-inspired detective adventure. Step into the shoes of anthropomorphic raccoon and private eye, Howard Lotor, and explore the beautifully rendered 2.5D pixel art environments of dystopian Vancouver.
Howard Lotor is smart, self-assured and set in his ways. Caught in the tedium of day-to-day life, he’s resigned to the abuses of the authoritative regime in power and compliant with the systemic inequality that permeates society. But a string of cases that grow progressively more outlandish will put his worldview to the test.
Backbone‘s gameplay is a new take on point-and-click adventure, featuring stealth, exploration, and extensive branching dialogues inspired by classic CRPGs. As Howard, you must traverse the diverse districts of a now walled-off Vancouver, sniff out clues, collect evidence, interrogate witnesses, and choose which leads to follow.
Inspired by film noir, Backbone will submerge you into its dark dystopian atmosphere. Every animation in the game is handcrafted frame by frame, and environments are modeled after real streets of Vancouver, BC. The breathtaking combination of high resolution pixel art and 3D effects like dynamic lighting, pouring rain, volumetric fog and neon lights bring the sprawling city to life. Original doom jazz soundtrack will keep you on the edge with the enveloping veil of bebop and cinematic soundscapes, where every sound tells a story.
Key Features:
- Backbone is a dark story set in dystopian anthropomorphic animal society, where social class is dictated by species.
- As a detective, sniff out clues and evidence, interrogate witnesses, solve stealth puzzles, and choose which leads to follow.
- Stunning combination of high resolution pixel art and Unreal Engine tools like volumetric lighting, particle effects and custom materials.
- Non-linear conversations with a diverse cast of characters inspired by old school CRPGs.
Other Details:
- Technologies: Unreal Engine 4, Not Yet Dialogue Plugin
- Game Size: Six-to-eight hours
- Languages: English, Russian, Chinese
- Gameplay: Cinematic detective adventure with stealth, puzzles and branching dialogues
- Inspiration: Vancouver, film noir, modern dystopian political regimes
- Main themes: power, systemic discrimination, mortality
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.