Tails: The Backbone Preludes Review

Tails: The Backbone Preludes is the backstory of the 2021 detective title, Backbone. It's meant to provide context for the first title and so it is highly recommended players check out the first game before jumping into this one.

Players guide the stories of four different characters over the course of a few chapters. Clarissa is trying to find her place in the family mob business. Howard is studying photography at university, building a relationship with his roommate, and trying to find himself. Renee is a journalist who thinks she may have uncovered a dark truth to seemingly unconnected tragedies in the city. Her dedication to this idea bleeds into her marriage. And finally, Eli is a scientist based outside the city who is working with colleague Jorge to study a mysterious artifact. The endings of these stories don't have many twists and turns, but for those on the search for a simple story just to pass the time, this does the trick.

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Three of the characters (Howard, Clarissa, and Eli) are later seen in Backbone and each is going through a transformational point in their life. Because Tails is a story-heavy game, how each person handles their situation and what they choose to do are determined by the dialogue decisions made. Using the "A" and "D" keys to walk through the world and "E" to interact with nearby objects is most of the action players will see in this game. As well, players will have conversations that require them to make decisions on the kind of person they will be and what to do. At the end of each scene, there is a tree that shows the options chosen and how many other paths there are available. This does offer some room for replayability in this six-hour game, as players can get different dialogue options.

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The chapters all have one scene per character slowly developing each of them side by side. While there are many great games with multiple playable characters, the way it was laid out for Tails: The Backbone Preludes may have made more sense if done differently. Although there are in-game options that show when a chosen skill is an option in dialogue, it can still be difficult to make the mental shift. Having the stories one at a time instead of intertwined may have made more sense. Since each character's story doesn't connect in the prelude and they go so quickly, it can be confusing trying to keep in mind how a player has chosen for them to interact.

In Backbone, these characters' stories merge into a post-noir mystery, but in Tails: The Backbone Preludes they have not yet connected. This can be confusing for those who haven't played the initial title and although the end does explain what happens after the events in Tails, Backbone feels like a must-play for getting the most out of Tails.

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The game is primarily guided by conversations, but there are some activities throughout the scenes. Outside an activity where Eli tries to get an artifact into different states using a few different machines, the activities don't really add much to the story. The organizing tasks with Rene have limited space to put things and seemingly just take up time, but she does have a pet iguana that adds a charming distraction.

The unique art of the game has a soothing style, almost like a beautiful book. There are several places where characters can relax and players can just enjoy the ambiance of the game for as long as they'd like. While this may not be considered a cozy game for the PC, these nice little spots gave the same feel.

Tails: The Backbone Prelude is quick, calm, and simple, but the story of all these characters together won't make sense without playing Backbone. Its gameplay is minimalist but there is an engaging tale to be found by those who give it a chance.