Back to the Dawn is a story-rich prison escape RPG developed by Metal Head Games and published by Spiral Up Games. With a full release that’s just as, if not more, compelling as I remember, this game has improved in a number of ways.
In a game where your choices matter, our first important decision is picking who to play as. There’s Thomas the Fox, a journalist thrown into the slammer after refusing to submit to dirty political tactics, and Bob the Panther, who finds himself playing prisoner as an undercover detective when all he wants is to retire. Each character has different starting stats and unique pasts to choose from, and each path comes with a positive ability, a negative effect, and two “initial specialties” which shape your playthrough.
There are also three different Modes to choose from: White Mode is a story mode where you’re given special items to help make the run less difficult, Black Mode is the recommended ‘normal’ difficulty, and Gray Mode gets rid of the added memory recall feature (our saving system with ten save slots), so you’re unable to load an old save if you dislike a choice you made. The lack of difficulty choices and save slots were two of my biggest complaints during Early Access, so it was great to see them implemented so well.
As I played (and lost) Thomas’s route in Early Access, this time around, I followed Bob. His story starts with a beautiful semi-animated comic book cutscene. Bob’s peeking in at a funeral, and we aren’t quite sure who passed until a week later, when a fellow detective talks to us at a movie shop. The man who passed is Wesley, Bob’s best friend, and he wants to know how he died. It’s hinted that our next assignment will be in prison, and then we head over to the prologue, where life in Boulderton Prison begins.
Posing as part of a motorcycle gang, Bob gets arrested, and after a month passes off-screen, you learn in quick succession your mission: you’re searching for someone, and you only have 21 days to find them. Other than his name, you don’t know who, you don’t know why, but you do know he’s not in any of the inmate-accessible areas. It’ll be dangerous, but you must find ways to access forbidden parts of the prison and find your man. How you do that is up to you.
From there, you’re free to continue with the story however you see fit. There are stats to keep up with, money to earn, and relationships to form. You have to keep in mind the time limit, however, as neglecting to focus on the main story will ultimately result in a game over. There are also a few interesting mechanics, such as focus points that let you befriend inmates or do certain activities, and dice rolls that decide certain outcomes and, oftentimes, your fate.
Back to the Dawn’s settings are simple, but there are some specific features that stand out. For example, there’s a color-blind mode that can be activated whenever needed. There are also bountiful selections of tips in the tutorials section if you don’t feel like figuring things out for yourself. You can even discover game aspects you have yet to come across, and even learn how to unlock certain skills.
Despite Thomas and Bob having two separate storylines, one of my biggest worries was that the execution would be the same. Thankfully, in Back to the Dawn, while Thomas the Fox is starting from zero, as Bob, you’ve already established a spot in the prison. You’re part of a gang, have a bit of reputation, and know a few of the inmates. Because of your different circumstances, there are certain areas you’ll find yourself in more or less often than Thomas, including some areas he might not be allowed in at all. It’s a completely different experience, and that’s something I really appreciated.
Apart from the gorgeous pixelated art style, its fluid movement, and the subtle, immersive music and constant background noise, Back to the Dawn’s characters are what truly stand out. With 46 inmates by your side, there are endless conversations to be had, personalities to be met, and friendships to be made. Each conversation, whether it’s between you and another inmate or a group of inmates you’re eavesdropping on, is one to remember. There are also rewards for bonding with inmates. You can unlock some helpful skills by taking the time to get to know them.
There is so much to do in Back to the Dawn. While it’s important to focus on the main mission, there are jobs to work, minigames to play, stats to upkeep, and secrets to uncover. You can join one of the three rivaling gangs or focus on making and maintaining close relationships. You can figure out how one side quest might be connected to another, or ignore them completely. Become king of the prison or stick to yourself–it’s truly up to you, and that’s what makes this game so great.
Inanna reviewed Back to the Dawn on PC with a provided review copy.
