NOT TONIGHT: Take Back Control Edition Review for Nintendo Switch

Recently I received a Nintendo Switch copy of the game, Not Tonight: Tack Back Control Edition, developed by PanicBarn and published by No More Robots, and serving as another contender in the genre of what I like to call, “interactive gatekeeper games,” akin to the likes of Papers, Please. The question is, does it hold up? Or will it make you want to drink the pain away at the bar? Let’s see.

The game employs a rather simplistic presentation overall, with pixel-art graphics and a minimal soundtrack. However, that’s not to say it’s bad, at all. The graphics, while simple, do look quite nice and colorful, and surprisingly have rather decent animations in terms of walking, which is good considering how often it’s done in the game. The music doesn’t play very often, and when it does play it tends to be muffled by closed doors, but when you can hear it, it sounds nice to listen to, in the sense that it’s very much your standard club music that you can rave to with friends. The voice acting bears many similarities to Banjo-Kazooie, being a series of repeated grunts and occasional single words ad-nauseum, although unlike Banjo-Kazooie, the grunts are only repeated after the start of a new text box instead of during every single word, so it never becomes too repetitive. The voice is an element of the customization at the start of the game, which is surprisingly detailed. You can customize your appearance, gender, voice, how the dates are written, and even your nationality and backstory for a totally different experience each time you start, which I approve of.

But, as for the gameplay, again, Not Tonight: Tack Back Control Edition plays very similarly to the game Papers, Please. You’re a guy who’s taking on the job of standing at a gateway and examining documents to see if they are eligible to enter, and refuse them if said documents are not up to snuff, with a penalty of game over if you fail too many times. Of course, there’s never anything like terrorists or bombs exploding (at least, not past the intro), but it is very reminiscent. However, the nature of being a bouncer at local bars also gives some flashbacks to the game VA-11 HALL-A.

The game is really simple. You move with the left analog stick, interact with blue highlighted circles by pushing the left stick forward, scroll through menus with the d-pad, scan documents with ZL, admit users with the A button, and deny them with the B button. Every day you have a quota to fill in order to pass onto the next day, and if you don’t meet it, you get a game-over. If you pass the goal, you have a chance to get bonus Euros by reaching certain extra goals. This is important to fill the monetary objectives, such as acquiring 2,500 Euros by the end of the month to appease the somewhat rude inspector, or paying rent every week, or buying items from the Shopr app. Personally, I really enjoy this setup, as it feels like I’m going through a real Dystopian world with how many things the game expects me to do with little resources to do it, and how much I as a player character am talked down to as a means of establishing the world. At the same time, the main character also has a fair bit of a backbone to him, as he likes to talk back to others constantly and doesn’t take shit from anyone, which helps me like him more.

There’s really not much more to say, admittedly. Not Tonight: Tack Back Control Edition does add more stipulations as you progress to different levels in each job, like checking expiration dates, guest lists, and more, but the core gameplay stays the same. Overall, it’s simple, but it works rather effectively, and I enjoyed my time with it. If you enjoy games in the style of Papers, Please, you’ll definitely get the most out of this, but I still believe the game is enjoyable by anyone who likes story-driven experiences. I found very little wrong with the game in my playtime. As such, I give Not Tonight: Tack Back Control Edition a very solid:

8.5/10

A solid, charming game worth anyone’s time.

Check Out the Not Tonight: Tack Back Control Edition Nintendo Switch Video:

Not Tonight: Take Back Control Edition is a special version of the game for Nintendo Switch for $24.99, that brings together the original Not Tonight, with the new One Love DLC, continuing the story through one extra chapter and featuring new gameplay elements and locations.