If you remember and loved a show called Prison Break, this may just be the video game you’ve been waiting for.

Except, it’s all about surviving in a prison full of animals – literally – and making enough money to do, well, just about anything.

Back to the Dawn is one of the grittiest, most interesting takes of the genre I can remember. And that’s not just because it’s all vocalised in Japanese with subtitling.

At the start, you can choose between two different souls with their own unique stories. There’s Thomas, a Foxy reporter who gets caught up in a compelling story and is inevitably framed for getting too close to the truth. There’s also Bob, an undercover Panther who infiltrates the prison and tries to extort the truth about what’s going on inside.

For the purposes of gameplay, it’s recomended to start with Thomas. You’re a new fish in the prison system, learning the lay of the land. Befriending people, taking on jobs, trying not to lose all your money and basically learning where everything is and what everyone wants. All in an effort to eventually escape.

Then as Bob it’s about getting deeper into the truth, but the trouble is there are three rival gangs inside, and you have a reputation with each of them. Poke your nose in too far, and you may not have a face to go back to your cell with.

It’s brilliant! Genuinely, I was so impressed by how nuanced, detailed but equally how compelling it all is. Your days are split up into break time, food time, work time and eventually lockdown and so you’ll only be able to do certain things are certain times of day. This could be accessing a certain room or even talking to a specific person.

But as mentioned, money is everything inside. Between getting shaken down for what’s in your pockets, having to spend to access certain areas and even getting involved in an investment racket with high interest rates, you’ll need to really be careful how you to proceed at every turn. And who you trust.

You can try to befriend everyone inside. Of course, the trouble with that is befriending certain people will make you enemies with others, or you might eventually have to go back to a friend and demand they pay a gang back if you’re on the clock.

Each character has their own motivations, many of them just trying to get by and within the 21 days you’re in prison, you have to try and find a way out as Thomas and uncover the truth as Bob, so it shifts an interesting dynamic in however you play and puts a different priority toward the front of your mind, making each playthrough quite unique.

I really appreciate how far this game goes in trying to get you to think about your situation. Every action genuinely matters as you have a mind and body meter that is affected by the situation you find yourself in. You might be too nervous to approach some characters, or you took a beating in the boxing ring trying to make money and so you’re no longer feeling able to do your job the next day.

Equally, there’s a diceroll mechanic, so depending on how well you’re doing and where you’re up to, this can really be the difference in you surviving in certain situations. Or failing terribly in others. There definitely does feel like there’s some RNG weight against you at times, though. Especially in the higher difficulties. And with the time limited nature of the game, that can make the experience a little uncomfortable at times.

Back at your cell at night, you can even craft things from items you pick up throughout the day, like medicinal pouches from Mint plants found in the yard and even a Molotov Cocktail if you find the right ingredients!

Best of all, it’s a perfect handheld game. This is absolutely made for Switch / Switch 2 and just feels right to play undocked as you traipse around the grounds and try to progress the story.

All the side and odd jobs you do are entirely your prerogative but there are set main quests for you to follow and you do have to mindful of the time you have to accomplish them in. Basically, don’t love your prison life too much and remember the main reason you’re in there.

Of course, it’s a game with a lot of back-tracking and too-ing and fro-ing, which might frustrate some people. The pressure of a constant time limit may also be a bit unnerving, but for the most part, I found it quite generous with so much content. And both stories do feel very different, which I think really helps freshen up a mostly familiar environment and sandbox to walk around in.

On the whole, the game has a really intriguing story, the characters are well written, there’s enough variety to maintain your interest as you walk around and you genuinely will find yourself having healthy, long term sessions playing this one as you go. A real unexpected treat and another great addition to the Switch 2 library.

Verdict

Back to the Dawn is a real treat in every sense of the word. It tells a gripping tale, with hard-hitting situations, interesting characters, a fulfilling sandbox with great variety and the opportunity for multiple playthroughs between different characters and endings. The game’s time mechanic may feel a bit offputting for some and there can be a deep reliance on RNG at times, but it doesn’t take away from what is truly an excellent game that completely took me by surprise, even if it’s not one for everyone. 

Pros

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Back to the Dawn is out now on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch 1/ 2 

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2

Code Kindly Provided by Metal Head Games for review purposes