Blacksad: Under the Skin for Nintendo Switch

After five successful comics created by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, it was time for Blacksad to have his own adaptation to the world of videogames , fitting perfectly into the genre of graphic adventure in which the equally Pendulo had been developing with ease Studios .

With delays in the launch and patches to correct the countless problems … will the game do justice to the comics?

Open case

The start menu, most suggestive, uncut with the first scene of the game in an exquisite way, giving you on one level all the information necessary to stay in focus focusing the focus of the action: a man whose identity is still dead we don”t know and his body is found by a woman we can”t identify either. From here begins our investigation so that we clear all the unknowns that we have just been raised.

From the gloomy gymnasium in which the body hangs we go to a presentation of the protagonist”s office while the narrative resource of the voiceover is introduced that will guide us throughout the adventure in a similar way to what was done in the comics. We soon see Blacksad”s fierce face and his first encounter with a client. This sequence is vital since it draws us the character of the character to later force us to make our first decision that will model his personality based on the role we decide to play under his skin.

Resolving the case

The detective story that we are told on this occasion is unique, but it rescues characters from the graphic novels on which it is based and maintains the noire tone that characterizes them. It continues to make good use of iconography in the metaphorized representation of the inhabitants of this alternative New York, influencing the color of the fur to divide the whites of the blacks or choosing the animal species depending on the way of being of each which one. The fundamental differences are that here the ethical dilemmas are faced by the person at the controls and that for the first time we will listen to the music and voices of the anthropomorphic animals

In the graphic style the original material, its universe and the charismatic design of its inhabitants are respected, but instead of opting for cel-shading it has been decided to eliminate the line to try to confer greater realism to this interactive film. In addition, it is possible to assume that using that technique so used by Telltale, which seems to suck this title in multiple aspects, would have subtracted personality. Although if you were left wanting “a real comic”, do not hesitate to consult your progress in which a summary of your adventures in this format is made.

That name Telltale Games as an obvious source of inspiration is no coincidence, since we will constantly face quick time events and elections under a time limit. There will also be exploration of the scenarios with a fixed camera, with collectibles included, and more leisurely interrogations. And, of course, all our actions will lead to a character development that could vary for each player. Of course, the bulk of the plot will be the same for everyone.

The distinctive touch is put by Blacksad”s feline abilities, which allow you to stop the time to collect evidence by analyzing our interlocutors with sight, smell or hearing, making successful use of HD vibration that tells you where to focus your attention. Too bad that in touch mode you did not want to implement touch control. One of lime and another of sand.

Likewise, the clues acquired during the exploration of scenarios and interaction with characters allow to create mental connections and thanks to them to carry out deductions in a fairly guided experience that tells you when it is possible to move forward because enough information has been gathered. In this organic way you unravel the case while Blacksad does it.

Case closed

I generally position myself defending the importance of the story above the graphic section in a game of this genre, but in the case of Blacksad: Under the Skin I find it difficult to ignore its technical shortcomings when its setting is so important to immerse yourself in the plot or when it is barely possible to make a deduction because duplicate texts splash without order or concert the screen or when something as simple as pressing a button becomes an impossible task to perform that forces you to restart the game with its consequent and infinite loading times and making you repeat all the research that would not have been automatically saved up to that point. Charging times that are always present as a lurking shadow, either when changing locations, between scenes or to access the different menus. Menus and subtitles with tiny fonts and with a poorly selected font in the phases of dialogue choice.

But in the end the most painful are no longer those absurdly “enlightened” levels, it is not that low and unstable frame rate, it is those textures that take too long to load and, once rendered abruptly, leave you wanting a greater level of detail in them; that provided you are lucky enough to load, of course, because half of the time you will be seeing blank photographs in which “that is a dog” because you hear how it is commented.

With so many atrocities it is easy to look tenderly at the animals with their robotic movements that vocalize at the wrong time, like a spoiled child who has not done his homework but at least he is not suspending the exam this time.

Is it impossible to finish the game? No. It becomes difficult? Yes, thanks to the insufferable bugs that will prevent you from distinguishing what is happening, the blockages of the program that will force you to close it or because he alone wants to stop entertaining you. The positive part is that solving a QTE when an image from another menu that should not be there gets in your way of vision becomes infinitely more challenging. I suggest you wait for a succulent offer even if you feel like it? Strongly.

Recommended for…

Patient and selfless people who do not mind investing their money in a poorly executed product that has, of course, bright intentions and a solid plot.

Other titles to which you refer me

• LA Noirecan be played on Switch and hardly requires a presentation since it is the greatest exponent when we talk about video games that take their inspiration from black cinema.
• Syberia 3is another graphic adventure for Switch that also offered me a great and playable graphic experience that seems to have come out a tough competitor.

Blacksad: Under the Skin is now available in the eShop of Nintendo Switch at a price of $39.99 and a download size of 21.3 GB. It is also possible to acquire it in its physical edition

This analysis has been done with the most recent version of the game to date, 1.0.2, whose main functionality is, I presume, to occupy more storage space.