Beloved prison escape RPG Back to the Dawn finally hits 1.0 with a new character

Boasting a 92% rating on Steam from nearly 5,000 user reviews, choice-driven RPG Back to the Dawn 1.0 is out now. With shades of A Way Out and Prison Architect, the early-access version of the game has grown exponentially, with myriad decisions for you to make and paths to take. So if this is the first you're hearing of it, or you've been waiting for the full launch, now's your chance to give it a try.

In Back to the Dawn you've got one goal: escape prison. Trapped inside a maximum-security facility, you've got to fight, investigate, and keep your head down as you try to find a way out. With over 100 quests, 500,000 words of dialogue, and multiple escape routes, there are plenty of ways to reach your goal. If you want to plot in secret and slip out before anyone notices, or leave a trail of blood in your wake, you can.

There's more to it than that, though. Everyone in Back to the Dawn is an anthropomorphized animal, and that means this isn't your typical prison escape story. You'll brawl with a gigantic hippo, avoid geese security guards, and go to therapy with a dog. Your fellow inmates also have their own personalities and goals, which you can either exploit or help them with to get what you need. With a setting like that, I have a feeling Back to the Dawn can make it onto our best RPGs list in no time.

Now that 1.0 is here, you've got two ways to play through the game. The original route has you playing as Thomas the Fox, a journalist thrown behind bars after getting caught up in a conspiracy and refusing to roll over. In the second, new route you play as Bob the Panther, who comes with an entirely different narrative. An undercover agent dragged in for one last job, he's got a completely seperate background and starting point to Thomas.

Bob also comes with a full five-act storyline, new scenes to play through, more side quests, and three unique endings. So you've basically got two completely different narratives, with each focusing on different protagonists and struggles to overcome. That said, both Thomas and Bob still need to escape, so you don't want to wait around.

If you're a Game Pass subscriber, you can also play Back to the Dawn at no extra cost. The 1.0 version is available on the service, giving you the entire game. Otherwise, you can grab it over on Steam right now.

Metal Head Games has launched Back to the Dawn 1.0 on Steam. You can grab the game at 15% off until Thursday July 31, so expect to pay $16.99 / £14.23 until then. Just head here.

If you want more, we've also got all the best story games and single-player games you can try on PC today.

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