Part 5: Wondrously Weird & Borderline Bonkers
Now we arrive at the final section in the series. As I mentioned at the outset, these last two in my opinion best represent the spirit and style of games in the exploratory sphere I’m hoping to shine a light on. They are the most exemplary and arguably ambitious of the bunch, serving as my final pieces of evidence that encompass the essence of the entire endeavor.
For the penultimate title, throw on a trench coat and fedora, as we head to the seedy bars and back alleys of Backbone. A debut by developer EggNut, published by Raw Fury (who I’ve come think of as a lower key Annapurna, picking up very solid titles in the last few years.) Released June 2021, it was self-described as “a post-noir roleplaying detective adventure in which you step into the shoes of a raccoon private investigator in dystopian Vancouver.” Backbone is actually more of a laidback side-scroller/adventure game heavier on dialogue exchanges and atmospheric themes. It’s largely linear, with only the barest illusion that choices/options might alter the storyline. So just a note, it’s not strictly a traditional RPG in the above advertised sense.
Backbone is instead a story set in an alternate near-future world filled with anthropomorphic animals channeling various noir chestnuts played off against your role as downtrodden detective Harold Lotar. Harold is a haggard raccoon P.I. living in the dumps and struggling to make ends meet. So par for the course in his line of work and this genre, he is tasked with investigating mysterious happenings and disappearances in the city. Backbone introduces all this in a straightforward manner, initially hitting the expected notes of the source material. And then in a daring display, it veers jarringly into grindhouse/horror territory. I would venture that when that turn comes (and trust me you’ll know it immediately) it is the litmus test/breaking point test for most.
The scene in question hits roughly 1/3rd into the plot, and from there fully embraces it, sprinting through and reveling in its pure left-turn oddness. I completely understand the view that it might be too much of a stretch, and could turn many off. But my view is that’s exactly the point. It’s a ballsy artistic choice both in terms of the internal themes/narrative, as well as big ask for the player’s suspension of disbelief. Yet I maintain it’s worth it in the end precisely because of its boldness and insistence on seeing it through. What Backbone ends up feeling like is a Raymond Chandler novel that, when time came to apply his signature trope, the man with the gun who came through the door was David Cronenburg. It’s certainly not a pitch you hear every day, but Backbone is determined to committing to it.
Backbone incorporates broad questions regarding applicable contemporary concerns such as: the morality/ethics of possibly beneficial (but highly experimental) technology, biological modifications and the side effects of their use on both society and the environment in the long-term. In addition it layers in more personal existentialist anxieties that are treated equally importantly, as imparted by the scale of viewpoints from the range of characters who occupy various echelons in this version of Vancouver. The quality of the interactions/musings on these topics isn’t profoundly engaging in every single instance. Many discussions are realistic, resonant and emotional. But at times they can turn into an immersion breaking ‘trying too hard/pretentious’ bent of arthouse pseudo-philosophical/mystical metaphysical ruminations. More often than not though there’s enough substance and insight to keep it all mostly compelling. In this way, Backbone is reminiscent of Kentucky Route 0, and that is a positive comparison in my book.
While certain plot elements and conversations may be polarizing, there’s one aspect of Backbone I don’t think can be derided in any way: its top-notch pixel art. It is some of the very best, noticeable even among the many titles doing the same. Strolling across refuse-strewn motel parking lots and deteriorating theatres and later through corporate residences situated next to high-rise labs, the world never ceases to impress and one-up itself visually at every turn. Backbone’s world building is a big part of its strength and appeal, as locations practically bleed the style through the screen in their fantastic renditions. This is only elevated by brief moments of switching to pulpy comic cut scenes during key moments and connecting chapters. And of the jazz-y noir-ish leaning soundtracks in the discussion, Backbone features easily the superior score, solidifying its place in the field.
The graphic landscape is limited in scope but densely packed with minute details, clever background inclusions, and the right amount of believability to the point where despite the nature of its furry populace, everything in Backbone seems perfectly natural. As you spend time in this world and mull with its characters, you end up wanting to know more about these creatures and their reality. How did they come to inherit this version of Earth? What really is going on both within and outside the bounds of the narrative? Will there actually be any answers forthcoming?
Backbone reaches perhaps just a little too far to totally achieve its intents. It presents a blatant challenge to the audience fairly early on, accepting that it might lose members of that audience for it. I won’t argue that bits are clumsily integrated and reactions will vary extensively. You may well find it various shades of frustrating, boring, and/or disappointing. But that’s also why I highly recommend Backbone, and placed it at this spot on the list. It’s a stimulating work on the forefront of experimentation. It supplies an array of topics which take center stage over mechanics/gameplay, before throwing an entirely genre-changing curveball into the mix. It then hopes you’ll give it enough credence to take the leap and see the rest of it through as a whole, including its own cracks in the pavement. I whole-heartedly second that you do exactly that. If nothing else Backbone is a piece of conversation starting art. Where exactly that conversation goes depends highly on personal subjectivity, but it is assured to be interesting ground no matter the case.
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Finally we come to the last title, of which I have the most to say about– UnDungeon. Kickstarted in 2017 by Laughing Machines (great studio name too) it’s been out in various early access builds since, being fine-tuned and updated along the way. Research shows it was originally supposed to be pure rogue-like with some RPG mechanics thrown in. Over the course of development it pivoted into a more narrative focused title, yet still retaining some vestigial elements of the former. It was eventually published by tinyBuild and released November 2021, barely promoted and buried like so many others. Until I got my hands on it. Let me state before we go any further that my review/impression of UnDungeon will be all over the place, much like this game itself. I know it’ll seem disjointed at parts, and while I’m attempting to keep it all coherently manageable, there’s a lot to break down and delve into, much of it crossing over at various points on the Venn diagram of topics. So just fair warning for what lies ahead.
First thing’s first: I hate the title. That is, the actual name “UnDungeon.” Within an hour of playing I came up with numerous, better, and more appropriate ones. I know that’s pretty subjective, but I’m just saying there are definitely better choices and if you end up playing it, I bet you’ll agree. But let’s focus on the actual game itself. The funny thing is, even though I saved this one for last and it’s ostensibly the most ‘out-there’ title, in fact I would actually posit it’s exceedingly familiar at a cursory glance.
UnDungeon channels the golden era of SNES action J/RPGs, and admittedly that hits near and dear to me. Nostalgia is certainly a factor in this choice, but to give an idea, the fairest and most recent-ish comparison I’ll make is to Hyper Light Drifter, at least in terms of presentation and broad aspects. A more obscure reference might be that it reminds me quite a bit of the Numenera games, both Torment: Tides and the parent tabletop incarnation. UnDungeon plays out like an Arthur C. Clarke/Philip K. Dick/Frank Herbert acid trip cocktail composed of ambitious byzantine sci-fi. Your grand journey begins as you are reborn an animated construct from the subspace-time stratum of proto-matter that permeates the membrane of the Void. Brought into existence by a recent reality-shattering cataclysm to herald and thus prevent the further collapsing of the seven capital dimensions after The Shift, by finding the decaying world piers and activating their energy cores because…!
Immediately all this high stakes cosmic setup and lore is thrown at you from the intro onwards and never really lets up. If anything, it accelerates into increasing complexity as it builds and veers towards plaid levels of fucking absurd. Every single word of it though is clearly lovingly chosen by artists/writers who are, if nothing else, extremely enthusiastic about sharing this Frankenstein’s monster world they’ve painstakingly crafted. Stripped down to its bare components, it is unlikely to be anything not seen before (up to and including a literal bazar of the bizarre.) However UnDungeon filters everything through its own twist on a multiverse spanning psychedelic sci-fi yarn, populated with a diverse cast of characters. The developers have it all firmly laid out in their minds and are attempting to beam it directly to you via a hypnotically absorbing fever dream, in video game form.
There are certainly criticisms to be made. Sure, it doesn’t all make sense, all the time. Yet after a few sessions with it I had to ask myself: were Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Illusion Gaia and all those other beloved worlds in the same vein from my youth any less obtuse? Maybe. Maybe I’ve absorbed so much since those, and become so irrevocably cynical and jaded in the wake that I’m unable to see with fresh eyes. The point is even given all that, UnDungeon contains so much of the kind of setup I’ve always enjoyed, it could be a modern spiritual successor to them and the possible entry point for younger audiences to experience for the first time. A conduit in the medium to immerse themselves in the way I did with the above mentioned titles when I was but a kindling. And crucially, like them, UnDungeon is so impressively sure of itself; backed by an unwavering sense of confidence that you’ll find something cool in the swirling tapestry of the setting, one with an esoteric history and epic destiny that you are now a part of.
That might be as good as place as any to segue into the presentation, because fucking hell, visually it’s incredible. Boasting some of the most stunningly detailed 16 bit pixel art I’ve ever encountered, and the absolute best of the bunch on this list, I was constantly awed by its direction. Matched to a subdued and melancholic Western-tinged synth soundscape, it is truly masterful at establishing the look and feel of its decaying world/s. Together they do a seamless of job of selling this rich universe with superb atmosphere and striking style. I don’t have much else to say on this front because it really is that amazing and that simple. Just take a look and see for yourself. If that doesn’t impress you, then you are as emotionless as one of the soulless semi-immortals trapped in the static abyss between the matrixes of reality.
Let’s talk now about the mechanics and gameplay. As mentioned, UnDungeon’s design is generally composed of easily recognizable templates. I can literally list off the elements it contains one by one and I guarantee every single one you’ve seen before. Quests are fare like: find this techno-magic McGuffin, rescue some NPCs, discover a monster’s cave and slay it, etc. There’s a karma system, companions, upgrades, inventory management and equipment upkeep. Weapons/effects/stats/items possibilities are all extensive, with a myriad array of choices and an equally robust crafting/trading system. Perhaps even too extensive and robust, owing to its rogue-like roots.
Combat is deceptively simple/familiar but soon enough becomes Souls-like in dickishness. It’s easy enough to grasp to start, the core is real-time hack-n-slash with spells/abilities. But everything soon ramps up, introducing some weird and sometimes outright unnecessary, not to mention player-unfriendly wrinkles. The enemy placement/encounters along with their ranking system can swiftly become overwhelming bordering on insurmountable. Yet fittingly, that is perfectly in keeping with the nature of UnDungeon as a whole: cramming all these systems, none of particularly unfamiliar design, and piling them on top of each other until it all threatens to collapse completely, just like the multiverses in its plot. It can be daunting in its pacing of narrative and mechanics, but if you’re willing to invest and give it a chance, everything becomes somewhat more manageable, up to a point.
I say that because in full disclosure, I poured about 15 hours into UnDungeon, reaching what I thought was the end, and would have been satisfied if it were so. Instead, that was seemingly just the conclusion of one world as it were, as afterwards the story continued, and a whole other map beyond the first opened up. The problem was by that point I discovered I was hopelessly underpowered and understocked, while because of the way the enemies work, the difficulty ramped up into nigh-impossibility.
And lest you think me not of the ‘get-gud’ mentality, I ended up restarting a new game and attempting to use the foreknowledge and training to do exactly that. Except the game got more grueling, just as difficult if not more the second time around. On this playthrough I only made it to about the first third of the initial area until I hit a wall I just couldn’t power through, even though I had overcome it before and knew what was ahead. So while I did put it aside, I still could not stop thinking about it, and earnestly wanting to see it all through to the end eventually. While I may never do so, the simple fact that it was able to provoke that sensation so intently is a huge credit in my book and something that honestly hasn’t occurred much with any recent games to that degree, making it one of the most impactful to me.
Backbone and UnDungeon are exotic and strange beasts for sure. Perhaps one more than the other. Nevertheless they both clearly have a specific well-thought-out vision/intent/ambition behind them, even if the execution can be uneven, whether intentional or not. They’re at once gorgeous, bizarre, flawed, and awesome pieces of gaming artistry. Messy but not in a janky way. Pretentious yet un-ironically exuberant in sharing their depictions and presentations. They channel well-worn mechanics and story threads in an identifiable retro aesthetic filtered through a kaleidoscopic post-modern lens, imbuing themselves with a sense of newfound wonder.
These are inspiring fringe works from aspiring avant-garde creators. Those who are tinkering with intriguing takes and off-kilter risks, away from the tired dullness of AAA main stream (and even arguably the established indie scene.) If, like me, that sounds appealing to you, then you absolutely owe it to yourself to experience them firsthand. As in my view they embody the hopeful possibility that gaming art like this can continue to exist and thrive in the face of everything that seems set against it, and that is the true cause for celebration.
So with that, I hope you enjoyed my breakdown of these titles, and again I urge you to check any/all out based on my thoughts and descriptions. Let’s support this type of creativity and boundary-pushing, reward the artists’ efforts, and ensure that more like them will be both viable and encouraged. Here’s to that happening in 2022 and beyond. Cheers my friends!
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