Premise
Limbo puts you in the shoes of a faceless little boy who wakes up in a forest with no idea how he got there or what he’s doing there, all you know is that you need to get the hell out and find your sister along the way. The game is completely black and white in a very film noire setting that gives the player a real sense of concern as the world is more eerie than a lot of titles that try to be deliberately creepy.
The player is tasked with the duty of escaping this forest and finding your sister, but it is easier said than done, as death traps of many shapes and sizes are standing between you and this objective.
Graphics
Despite being black and white, the movement and animation makes this game look terrific. With a simple black and white colour palette, the environments are very spooky and the use of lighting becomes exceedingly important in later stages.
The deaths are also very gruesome and leave the gamer grimacing a bit, only able to wonder how awful it would look if colour and full lighting were available in this game.
Sound
Like the graphics, the audio experience of this game is very stripped down. Haunting atmospheric sounds and the patter of your footsteps make up most of this game’s soundtrack. elemental sounds also play a large factor into this game, as a heavy rain can suddenly dampen all the other sounds of the environment, leaving the gamer feeling truly isolated.
Gameplay
The developers brand this game as “an action platform puzzler”, and the title fits. The premise of the entire game is to solve problems with traps that await you at every turn, or else face the consequences of instant death. You will die a lot in this game, but the game isn’t vicious with its players, and will start you off right before the last trap that got you so that you can take another stab at outwitting it.
The game has mostly basic controls requirements, running, jumping, climbing and moving objects around will be the majority of your control requirements, leaving this as a game that is easy to pick up and play, from a simple playing standpoint. It reminds me a lot of the original Prince of Persia game on the Apple 2; a game with platforming elements but that also forced the gamer to use their mind in this trial and error (where “error” usually means “death”) puzzler.
Final Thoughts
A game this basic would not be expected to be this good, but this title has taken “less is more” and run with it very well. The game does feel short, as a player should be able to overcome the multitude of puzzles and traps in about four to six hours, but at $15, it feels permissible. For the achievement whores out there, there are a good amount available to you, including speed run achievements that will make you come back to this game again and again.
Downloadable content would be interesting to see in the future, but I don’t think they could integrate t into the current game, and instead would have to make it episodic; this would also help with the game as the ending felt very abrupt.
Limbo is an oddly emotional game, as the player will feel urgency, loneliness and many other sensations while completing this title. It’s an unexpected piece of beauty, and one hell of a great debut for Play Dead Studios, the independent developers who brought us this gem.
Pick it up and partake in one of the most memorable gaming experiences you will have this year.
