Blacksad: Under the Skin

In post-World War II New York, hard-boiled private investigator John Blacksad, a black cat P.I., is hired by the feline beauty Sonia to investigate the apparent suicide of her father, boxing gym owner Joe Dunn, which quickly unravels into a complex conspiracy involving drugs, blackmail, money laundering, and hired guns in this cinematic third-person adventure game inspired by the acclaimed Blacksad comic series.

Blacksad: Under the Skin: Review

Introduction

In the shadowy underbelly of 1950s New York, where anthropomorphic animals navigate a world of moral ambiguity, corruption festers like an open wound. Enter Blacksad: Under the Skin, a 2019 adventure game that plunges players into this gritty noir universe from the acclaimed Spanish comic series by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido. As private investigator John Blacksad—a hard-boiled black cat with a trench coat, a cigarette habit, and feline instincts sharpened for sleuthing—you unravel the suspicious suicide of boxing gym owner Joe Dunn and the vanishing of his star boxer, Bobby Yale. This isn’t just a game; it’s an interactive love letter to pulp detective fiction, Telltale-style narratives, and comic artistry. Yet, for all its atmospheric allure, Under the Skin stumbles with technical woes and uneven mechanics. My thesis: Pendulo Studios delivers a compelling, choice-driven noir tale that faithfully expands the Blacksad legacy, earning its place as a cult adventure for genre fans, but its buggy launch and clunky execution prevent it from being a knockout punch.

Development History & Context

Pendulo Studios, Spain’s longest-running game developer since 1995, known for point-and-click classics like the Runaway trilogy and Hollywood Monsters, took a bold leap with Blacksad: Under the Skin. This marked their first licensed property and first fully 3D title, powered by Unity. The project ignited in late 2016, post-Yesterday Origins, when publisher Microïds—part of the same conglomerate as comic publisher Dargaud—pitched adapting the Blacksad series. Pendulo, longtime fans, storyboarded a pitch that won approval from creators Canales and Guarnido, who served as consultants on story, visuals, and voice direction.

Key Creative Team and Vision

• Directors/Writers: Ramón Hernáez (creative director, narrative lead) and Josué Monchán crafted an original, non-canonical interquel between comics Arctic Nation and Red Soul, focusing on untapped themes like 1950s sports corruption and TV’s influence on boxing.
• Art Direction: Alberto Lozano Domínguez led efforts to homage Guarnido’s watercolor style in 3D, balancing fidelity with budget realities (team size: ~17 by 2019).
• Technical Leads: YS Interactive assisted; lead programmer Juan Miguel Martín Muñoz handled Unity integration.
• Composer: Inon Zur delivered a jazz-noir soundtrack evoking Hollywood classics.

Development spanned over two years by early 2019, with challenges in ditching point-and-click for direct control to suit consoles, and implementing feline senses for unique detective work. Announced unexpectedly in 2017 (initial 2018 target), it hyped comic circles but shrugged off by gamers. Trailers debuted at Gamescom 2018, winning “Best Action Adventure” there in 2019.

Technological Constraints and Era Landscape

Released amid a post-Telltale boom in narrative adventures (Life is Strange 2, Detroit: Become Human), Blacksad targeted that crowd but faced 2019’s high bar for polish. Delays—from September 26 to November 5, then 14—stemmed from refinement needs. A disastrous EU early launch (November 5) via store glitches forced a “day-one patch” promise for bugs, frame rates, and audio. Pendulo’s small indie scale amplified issues like animation budgets and QA, contrasting AAA contemporaries. Ports followed: Switch (Dec 2019), Blacknut (2020), PS5/Xbox Series (2024). Funded partly by Creative Europe MEDIA grant, it prioritized cinematic noir over spectacle.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Blacksad: Under the Skin weaves a taut, original tale of deceit in NYC’s boxing scene, where Sonia Dunn hires Blacksad amid her father’s “suicide” and boxer Bobby Yale’s disappearance. What starts as a simple gig spirals into a web of drugs, blackmail, fixed fights, racism, and murder, pitting ideals against corruption.

Plot Breakdown (Spoiler-Light)

• Act 1: Prologue rhino brawl sets tone; Dunn’s gym teeters, Sonia (leopard heiress) seeks Yale. Clues point to foul play (victim’s height mismatch for hanging).
• Act 2: Infiltrate seedy spots—brothels, diners, ad agencies—interrogating 30+ characters (e.g., gorilla Jake Ostiombe, weasel reporter Weekly, police chief Smirnov).
• Act 3: Unmask villains like ad exec Tim Thorpe, gangster Frank Cassidy, and Dr. Grune (rat scientist peddling super-serum PEDs).
• Endings: Six variants via choices; golden path saves key allies, exposes all corruption.

Choices shape “Your Blacksad” via 8 stats (opposites on bars):
– Lonesome vs. Romantic
– Upright vs. Pragmatic
– Swift vs. Clumsy
– Intuitive vs. Blunt
– Etc.

Dialogue branches (timed, with defaults) yield consequences: romantic overtures backfire, pragmatism unlocks bribes, upright paths aid side-quests (e.g., widow’s blackmail).

Themes: Noir Grit Meets Anthropomorphic Allegory

• Corruption’s Seduction: Player decisions mirror society’s decay—accept bribes or fight rigged systems? PEDs symbolize 1950s boxing scandals.
• Racism/Fantastic Racism: Fur-color prejudice (e.g., slurs like “Negrose” on lockers) echoes comics’ mammal-reptile divides.
• Morality Gray Zone: Asshole victims (pedophile pimp Quince), atoners (gangster O’Leary), heroic sacrifices (boxer Spannow).
• Noir Tropes: Voiceover narration, flashbacks, interspecies affairs, vigilante justice. Easter eggs nod comics (e.g., Alma Mayer book).

Script shines with cynical banter, twists (family ties, betrayals), and replay value—~10 hours main, 12+ for extras.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Direct third-person control ditches Pendulo’s point-and-click roots for cinematic camera (fixed angles, slight offset for stickers). Core loop: explore, interact (icons prompt), dialogue, deduce.

Core Systems

• Investigation: Feline senses slow time for clues (smell heartbeats, hear lies). Notebook auto-fills; combine 2+ clues for deductions (e.g., footprint + shoe = suspect cleared). No wrong combos—trial safe.
• Dialogues: Timed wheels (default if expired) build stats/relationships. Multiple endings via branches.
• Action: QTE fights/chases (button prompts, stick directions). Failing reloads checkpoint—lenient but repetitive.
• Progression: No inventory (auto-use lockpicks); “Progress” menu as comic panels. Side-quests (e.g., missing niece) optional.
• Collectibles: 100 Hall of Fame stickers (4 sports: boxing, etc.) for albums—missable, replayable via chapters.

Mechanic	Strengths	Flaws
Camera/UI	Cinematic flair	Fixed angles limit freedom; hotspot hunting tedious
QTEs	Tense brawls	Repetitive, finicky timing
Choices	Meaningful (stats/endings)	Some “illusion” (reviews note)
Puzzles	Clue-linking intuitive	Pixel-hunting, backtracking slow

Notebook contemplation and stats add RPG-lite depth, but clunky movement (slow, unresponsive) frustrates exploration.

World-Building, Art & Sound

1950s NYC pulses with authenticity: jazz clubs, foggy alleys, Madison Square Garden. Anthropomorphic cast (cats gritty, females beastly-lite) enhances immersion—racism via species/fur.

Visuals

• Art Style: Cel-shaded 3D apes Guarnido’s watercolors; detailed environments (gyms, cemeteries). Outsourcing bolstered models.
• Atmosphere: Noir lighting, dynamic camera for drama. Flaws: uncanny animations, blurry textures, performance dips (especially consoles pre-patch).

Audio

• Soundtrack: Inon Zur’s jazz (Spotify/Apple Music) rivals film noir.
• Voice Acting: Stellar—Barry Johnson (Detroit) as gravelly Blacksad; full cast (English/French/etc.) with accents. Cynical narration shines.
• SFX: Punchy fights, ambient city hum—patch-improved.

Elements synergize: senses tie to cat lore, music amplifies tension, world invites sleuthing despite controls.

Reception & Legacy

MobyGames: 6.5/10 (#20k/27k games). Metacritic: Mixed (PC 65, PS4 59, Xbox 69, Switch 60). 36 critics averaged 63%.

Critical Breakdown

Score Range	Praise	Criticism
High (80%+): GameAwards.ru (96%), 4Players (85%)	“Telltale-like gem”; story/atmosphere “highlight”; faithful adaptation.	Minor bugs post-patch.
Mid (60-79%): PC Gamer (68%), GameSpot (50, but praised deduction).	Gripping noir, characters, choices.	Bugs, slow controls, QTEs, “absurdity” of furry realism.
Low (<60%): TheSixthAxis (30%), Waypoint (30%).	Technical “wreck” (PS4 crashes).	“Unplayable” launch; camera/UI tedium.

Players: 4/5 (Moby). Sales exceeded Pendulo norms (narrative style broadened appeal). Noms: Titanium Awards (Spanish dev/performance), Harvey (comic adaptation). Evolved rep: Patches fixed most; 2024 next-gen ports. Influence: Proved licensed comics viable (post-Telltale void); Pendulo’s modern pivot (Syberia: The World Before).

Conclusion

Blacksad: Under the Skin masterfully distills comic noir into interactive form—rich story, thematic depth, feline twists—despite launch stumbles, clunky controls, and QTE filler. Pendulo’s passion shines, rewarding multiple playthroughs (6 endings, stickers). In gaming history, it’s a flawed gem: essential for noir/adventure fans, Blacksad completists, and Telltale heirs, but wait-for-sale for casuals. Verdict: 7.5/10—a stylish underdog that punches above its bugs, cementing Blacksad‘s multimedia legacy. Play it, then grab the comics.