Back to the Dawn

Genre: Turn-Based RPG / Simulation

Players: 1

The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

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Review:

Back to the Dawn is a narrative-driven Turn-Based RPG with Simulation elements released in 2023 on PC, ported to Xbox One in 2025, and then ported in 2026 to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, this game has players taking the role of a new inmate entering a prison, trying to survive while learning how to navigate prison life with an ultimate goal set up against a ticking clock, with one of the two player characters being a fox wrongfully-imprisoned for investigating a corrupt mayor, and the other being a panther undercover intelligence agent searching for a suspect within the prison.

Back to the Dawn’s gameplay requires some degree of both resource management, inventory management, and time management. Players can combine items with a crafting system as you find them within the prison, but you only have so much storage space on your person, and while you can store items in your cell, contraband items may get discovered by guards. You’ll also need to manage money, with most significant exchanges within the prison costing you cash. And then there’s the daily schedule to keep track of, with players limited in what they can do based on the in-game time of day and how long certain activities take, with an overarching ticking clock as you race against an impending event.

The narrative here is good, even if it builds on well-worn prison tropes, and even makes some tongue-in-cheek nods to prison movies. The characters here are well-crafted, with each inmate having their own personal story you can choose to lean into or not, and with new days bringing new events and potential challenges.

If you’re a player who prefers something a bit more lighthearted or who likes RPGs that don’t requite too much thought… this isn’t either of those things. There are a lot of intricate game mechanics and systems to keep track of here, with players needing to manage not just health but “mind”, hunger, “focus points” needed to perform certain actions, gang affiliations, individual rapport with every character within the prison, time as a resource and the prison schedule… there’s a lot here, and the wide variety means there’s some good replay value here for players who want to try different choices. On that note, you’ll often find yourself presented with important choices to make that can determine how the story branches.

The presentation in Back to the Dawn is quite good too. The game uses detailed pixel art visuals with some use of 3D in areas, but there are a lot of nice little subtle touches throughout, like little character animations, the reflection of the lights in the floor tiles, and other small things that overall lend the game a lot of atmosphere. This is all backed by a moody soundtrack with a mix of acoustic, synth, and even some vocal elements at times, with a hint of 80s flair that fits the game’s dark, gritty themes, with some examples including Purple Dawn, Old Dawn, Night in the Mirror, Recall Rhythm, Dub, Fenrir’s Theme, and the titular Back to the Dawn.

Overall, I think Back to the Dawn is an excellent game, but one that won’t appeal to everyone. Its themes are dark and depressing, its gameplay is complex, and there’s some trial and error in figuring it all out. However, if a prison drama with complex rules and interconnected character drama played out with anthropomorphic animals sounds interesting to you, then this is definitely worth a try.

tl;dr – Back to the Dawn is a story-driven RPG with Simulation elements set in a world of anthropomorphic animals where your character must navigate prison life while pursuing a greater goal. This game is dark, depressing, and features complex game mechanics and character interactions, and as a result it’s not going to be for everyone. But for players craving something deep and complex, this is well worth a look.

Grade: B

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The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

Back to the Dawn (Nintendo Switch 2)

Genre: Turn-Based RPG / Simulation

Players: 1

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Review:

Back to the Dawn received a Nintendo Switch 2 release, but with no upgrade path. This is a game that features mostly 2D pixel art visuals, so just how different are the two versions? Let’s have a look.

The main difference you’ll notice here is improved framerates, which make for smoother scrolling when you’re moving around. It certainly looks nicer, but doesn’t really change the fundamental gameplay here.

Oddly, there is one other improvement in the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game that you might not expect – a smaller file size. The Nintendo Switch version of the game is 2.5 GB, while the Nintendo Switch 2 version is 2.1GB. Funny, I would have expected the reverse, but it seems that’s not the case.

And here’s where I usually talk about how the loading times are improved, but actually the difference here is negligible. On Nintendo Switch, it took me 55 seconds to load to the title screen, another 26 seconds to load a game save, and 3 seconds to transition from one location to another. On Nintendo Switch 2, those times are 53 seconds, 27 seconds, and 2 seconds. Barely different, and in one case actually slightly worse.

If you only have a Nintendo Switch 2, you might as well get the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, even if it only has improvements to framerates and file size. On the other hand, if you got the Nintendo Switch version of the game and are wondering if it’s worth paying full price for the Nintendo Switch 2 version? Absolutely not. And if you’re upgrading your collection to be improved on Nintendo Switch 2, trust me when I say that you’re not missing much here.

tl;dr – Back to the Dawn is a story-driven RPG with Simulation elements set in a world of anthropomorphic animals where your character must navigate prison life while pursuing a greater goal. This game is dark, depressing, and features complex game mechanics and character interactions, and as a result it’s not going to be for everyone. But for players craving something deep and complex, this is well worth a look.

Grade: B

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