- 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - 21/Aug 03:15

Back to the Dawn – Review

Remember Zootopia? This beloved Disney classic from 2016 followed Judy Hopps, an anthropomorphic rabbit with the dream of becoming a police officer. Of course, that movie followed the law-abiding perspective, but have you ever wondered what life would be like for those on the other side of the coin? Back to the Dawn takes that question and dials things up to eleven. There are no sugar-coated Disney stories here. Instead, we’re getting a raw and gritty look into a prison for anthropomorphic animals. Is playing Back to the Dawn a punishment in itself or should you just do the time? Story Prisons are fascinating microcosms. Every inmate has a story about how they ended up in the slammer, and that’s without even getting into the social hierarchy and pecking order that forms itself in these places. Such a setting lends itself particularly well to a gritty narrative, and Back to the Dawn delivers not just one but two distinct stories about Boulderton Prison. The first is that of Thomas the fox, an investigative journalist who is framed by the corrupt mayor while investigating a pollution scandal. Drugs are planted in Thomas’ car, and he ends up in Boulderton under false charges. With only three weeks before the mayor’s re-election, the clock is ticking for Thomas if he wants to stop the political corruption before it’s too late. Can he uncover the information he needs from behind bars? Our second story is that of Bob the black panther. He’s an undercover police agent sent into prison to investigate a nationwide conspiracy. In order to stay spoiler-free, that’s all we’ll tell you about that plot. Bob’s story is more structured and action-oriented compared to Thomas’s freeform investigative path. However, it also feels less fleshed out in comparison, with Thomas even having access to romance plots and a wide variety of quirky side stories. The narratives fully stand on their own, rather than showing the same story from two different perspectives. They’re tonally different as well, despite sharing the same location and having overlap when it comes to NPCs. What Thomas and Bob’s stories do share is that they are choice-driven affairs, with branching endings. Graphics We have to address the -literal- elephant in the room here: Back to the Dawn is a game about anthropomorphic animals in orange jumpsuits. In this day and age, that’s inevitably going to draw attention, not in the least from the furry community, but Back to the Dawn’s aesthetics are a far cry from those of something like Winds of Change. In this case, the animal designs emphasize and enlarge human qualities, whether it’s Evan the Rhino’s hulking bulk or Whitney the Rabbit’s twitchiness. The way these traits are exaggerated makes the NPCs feel more human, as their personalities become instantly recognizable. The contrast between “cute” animal characters and the brutal prison setting makes the violence and corruption hit harder. Back to the Dawn makes great use of highly detailed isometric pixel art to create an immersive and oppressive atmosphere. The choice of pixel art graphics ensured a smooth performance, as the game isn’t too demanding. Sound The atmospheric 8-bit style soundtrack that accompanies Thomas and Bob works well to set Back to the Dawn’s tone and tension, but it isn’t particularly memorable. It’s further supplemented by background effects like prison noise, guards, and environmental sounds that further add to immersion. The ambiance sticks to the same philosophy as the music, resulting in a soundscape that feels somewhat uninspired and repetitive. It’s not bad per se, as it does exactly what it needs to do, but it doesn’t stand out either. The game doesn’t feature any voice acting either. While some scenes could’ve benefited from that, it’s not a dealbreaker either. Gameplay In terms of gameplay, Back to the Dawn feels very similar to games like Disco Elysium or Sovereign Syndicate. The game is a top-down choice-driven RPG that relies on dice checks. Where Back to the Dawn sets itself apart from those aforementioned other titles is through the implementation of survival mechanics and a very strict time limit. Regardless of which story you’re playing through, you have 21 in-game days to achieve your goal. Given the game’s prison setting, those 21 days are structured around a strict routine too. You can try to bend or break the daily schedule, but that carries risk, as you may end up getting punished by guards or wasting time. Time management is a key mechanic here, as every action you take costs precious minutes. Specific events also happen at set time points, regardless of whether or not you are present. This ties into Back to the Dawn’s replayability. It’s highly unlikely that you succeed on your first try, but having knowledge of those events makes subsequent playthroughs easier. Add in those branching, choice-driven endings, and you’ve got a game that was clearly designed for multiple playthroughs. Apart from having knowledge of specific events, another factor that contributes to your chances of success is stat management. There are four core stats in the game: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, and Charisma. Most major actions require dice rolls, and the outcome of these is modified by those stats, although items and skills can further increase your chances of success. Of course, anything you do that improves those stats requires investing time. Another layer of complexity comes from simply having to survive in the hostile prison environment. You must constantly balance hunger, hygiene, health, mental state, reputation, and money. Money is especially scarce. You can earn it through low-pay prison jobs like a laundry shift or riskier gang-related tasks that pay better but increase danger. Almost everything costs money or requires relationships. Nothing is free. Speaking of relationships, building alliances with other inmates and guards is crucial. Befriending the right people unlocks new skills, escape routes, side quests, and additional story content. There are over 40 NPCs to interact with, further reinforcing Back to the Dawn’s replay factor. Not all NPCs are friendly, and it’s only a matter of time before you end up in a prison brawl. Fights with other inmates are resolved through deliberately punishing turn-based fights. Losing a fight will result in injuries or the loss of some of your scarce resources. Even winning doesn’t guarantee a good outcome, as some characters may seek retaliation down the line. Fights are best avoided until you’ve trained or are allied with strong inmates. With so many gameplay elements to consider, Back to the Dawn can feel brutally punishing at times, but this ties into the game’s quasi-realistic approach to prison life. The game gets significantly easier on subsequent playthroughs, especially once you unlock the New Game+ mode, which lets you carry over skills, stats, and relationships. The game was designed with those subsequent playthroughs in mind, and it’ll take several dozen hours before you’ve seen every possible ending and sidestory. From what we understand, that is only the beginning too, as more playable characters are supposedly coming to the game in the form of future content updates. For an RRP of a mere €19.99, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with Back to the Dawn. Conclusion ‘Zootopia meets Disco Elysium’ may not seem like a winning formula on paper, but Back to the Dawn successfully pulls it off. The game’s steep difficulty curve and requirement to constantly balance several mechanics may turn off some players. If you persist through those early game struggles, you’ll end up with a game that you’ll want to revisit over and over again, as you discover new details and side stories. Back to the Dawn’s soundscape may fall short, but that’s the only real gripe we had with what is otherwise an excellent game that is well worth adding to your library.