Backfirewall_

by Aethyna Feb 3, 2023 | 1 Votes | 39 Played | 0 Reviews

10 rate

Genres:

Adventure , Puzzle

Graphics:

Labels:

Adventure , Storytelling

Platforms:

Publishers:

All in! Games Convinced that the phone doesn't need any updates, you, playing as an Update Assistant on a phone, together with the current phone OS, OS9, sets off on a whirlwind of an adventure to cause errors across all the phone systems and hopefully, reverse the phone update that's almost complete. Play Now Similar Games

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Summary Plotline Gameplay Graphics/ Sound Conclusion

Summary

Backfirewall_ is a unique puzzle adventure that takes place inside a phone. In this game, you play as an Update Assistant who iwas sent to update the operating software (OS) of the phone. However, the current OS, OS9, wasn’t very keen to get wiped out by the new OS and well, as the Update Assistant, you’ll also be destroyed once the Update was completed.

Together with OS9, you’ll need to stop the update from happening by causing errors across all the phone systems while avoiding getting caught by antivirus security and learning more about the user who owns the phone, including a dreadful secret that may shock every component in the phone!

Plotline

As an Update Assistant, your job is simple. You are downloaded to the device, which in this case is a phone, you follow the update process as guided by the Update protocol and viola, the system is updated and everyone’s happy… or maybe not?

It seems like the current operating system, OS9, doesn’t like the idea of being erased and rendered obsolete. The update protocol has also conveniently omitted the fact - until the very end of the process that is – that you, the Update Assistant, will also be erased once your job is complete.

OS9 managed to convince you that your survival and existence matter, the same way it values its own existence, and that the phone doesn’t need the update at all… that everything is fine and peachy. However, to reverse the update and get things back to the way it was before, you, together with OS9’s cheat codes and other kinds of help, will need to embark on an adventure across the many compartments of the phone and basically wreak havoc, triggering errors everywhere you go. But of course, things aren’t as simple as it seems… especially considering that you’re now labelled as a rogue software.

In terms of its storyline, Backfirewall_ has a bit of a “Wreck it Ralph” concept except that the game takes place inside a phone rather than a bunch of arcade machines, and it’s both refreshingly unique and entertaining, even for someone as less phone savvy as I am. The humor that the game generously scattered throughout the game is spot-on, featuring hilarious exchanges between each component of the phone, much like the kinds of exchanges you’ll see among inter-departmental colleagues in a massive office space.

Gameplay

Backfirewall_ is an adventure game with a few puzzles here and there that takes place inside a smartphone. The main premise of the game is to cause as all the errors as listed on the board in each location to “crash” the area… or at least that’s the main idea. The requirements to trigger an error can range widely from location to location, with some requiring you to find and trim cache “hedges” while others may require you to solve simple-enough puzzles like figuring out how to jam up the Triage Station or how to break the QA Acid Station.

To complete these error-triggering requirements, you have access to a selection of “cheat codes” granted to you by OS9. They range from being able to delete specific, highlightable items to being able to change an item’s color based on the colors available on the palette displayed. At one point, you can even duplicate items! Not only are these codes useful when you’re trying to trigger errors, but you can also expect to use a whole lot of these codes to clear away obstacles and barriers, and even make items that are previously unreachable, such as those on the ceiling, reachable.

If you are having trouble with any of the error requirements, there’s a rubber ducky on a pedestal that you can consult for clues or straight-up answers. You see, the ducky will reveal each step of the solution one by one and you can easily hop out of the conversation once you’ve gotten to the part where you need help with, giving you the chance to solve the rest of the puzzle yourself.

However, I should point out that you’ll lose out on getting an achievement if you use the rubber ducky, so if you’re an achievement hunter, this is definitely something you’ll want to take note. Also, there are plenty more achievements that you can only get if you are inquisitive enough as well as know where to look and what to do, such as the many “side quests” that span the entire adventure. Some even require you to give the right answer, which I’ve unfortunately guessed incorrectly when confronted by the yellowheads crew in Speakers.

Now, in between these locations, there are also stretches of what the game calls “stealth” mode where you’ll need to avoid getting caught by the Antivirus Security bots - since you’re now a rogue entity and all - and sent back to the update center in which you’re supposed to meet your doom. The stealth segments in this game are fairly easy once you learn the movement and scanning patterns of the bots and find niches (usually in between crates and boxes) to hide yourself in. The bots have no sense of sound, so you don’t have to worry about them “hearing” you run past. In fact, you can walk up behind them in this game and they’d be none the wiser!

If you’re a massive fan of collectathons, know that you’ll have plenty to collect in Backfirewall_ as well! Aside from the user messages which you can then reassemble to form entire chat conversations between the User (of the smartphone) and her friends, there are toy figurines that you can find or buy to add to your collection. Buying the figurines is easy enough if you can find the Nuts and Bits store and that you have enough encrypted messages to use as currency.

Fun, lighthearted gameplay aside, the main highlight of the game is definitely the incredible world-building. Similar to the iconic and beloved animated show, Osmosis Jones, the game manages to personify what is supposedly a mundane look into the inner workings of a smartphone, turning it and its many components into workers in a bustling corporation-like world where each component spends their entire lifespan playing out their respective roles without question. You can expect to see plenty of jokes about inter-colleague relations, funny references and quips, hilarious AI-generated photo descriptions, and a generous dollop of British humor.

Graphics/ Sound

The cartoonish graphics here fit perfectly with the game’s humorous tone. The visuals also use a fairly bright and colorful palette of colors to illustrate and bring to life the vibrant world inside the user’s smartphone.

In terms of sound, many of the more important characters in the game are fully voiced and the voice acting is all very well-done. In fact, the voice actor for OS9 does sound a bit like James Corden for some reason. That being said, the game’s audio does start to glitch out the closer I approach the end game, with the glitches happening more and more often. This is despite the game’s Day 1 patch, so it does seem like the game could use a couple more patches to smooth things out.

Conclusion

Backfirewall_ is a truly fantastic and humorous adventure game that offers its players a fun and in-depth look at the inner workings of a smartphone. Besides getting to meet with several relatable characters throughout your adventure, its many simple puzzles, “side quests”, and collectibles are also all very entertaining, albeit in a fairly casual way. If you enjoy playing adventure games with great setting, characters, and storyline, Backfirewall_ is one game you wouldn’t want to miss!

New Game Added: Backfirewall_

by Aethyna Feb 3, 2023

Convinced that the phone doesn't need any updates, you, playing as an Update Assistant on a phone, together with the current phone OS, OS9, sets off on a whirlwind of an adventure to cause errors across all the phone systems and hopefully, reverse the phone update that's almost complete.