No press any button to start, no main menu, just a screen with what seems to be a boy sleeping on the ground. That's how Playdead's critically indie game, Limbo begins. It doesn't put gamey conventions like a menu screen or even scrolling text of a back story in your face. Instead, Limbo implores you to explore and take in the haunting and eerie world they've created.
First released by Playdead in 2010 for XBOX Live Arcade, it has finally come to the PC(it's also on PSN) on Steam for USD$9.99. Limbo is at its heart, a puzzle platformer that is wrapped around gorgeous looking environments and a macabre theme. Yes... expect lots of deaths. Decapitations, crates falling on your head, drowning, killed by spikes, poison darts and the list goes on. The black and white aesthetic with the gruesome death scenes(sometimes you see the innards of the boy fling out) add to the depressing eeriness of the game. Dont worry...I didn't get too depressed playing Limbo.
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| You die a lot. And in many different ways |
The game is basically about solving puzzles and moving to the right side of the screen(common 2D platformer convention). Sometimes, you'll have to move back to solve some puzzles though so the key is to observe everything in the environment and figure how all the pieces fit to allow you to move ahead.
There's quite a bit of puzzle that require the use of physics. Swing on that vine to get to hard to reach places, or fill up an area with water so that you can platform across on buoyant tree stumps. Some of the physics puzzles can be a tad touchy... basically what I mean is that you'll need to have an object at the right spot to get through the devious traps(if you've played Limbo, you'll know which puzzle I'm talking about. Rolling cart with electric floor of death).
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| While there are bits where you encounter other people, Limbo is a very solitary experience |
Some puzzles(actually quite a few of them later on in the game) require precise timing. Dodge an oncoming saw blade or time your run to avoid collapsing crushers. These can take a bit of trial and error on your part but it's never as tough as some other more demanding platformers.
The narrative in the game is often the most talked about part of the game. Using imagery and art to tell its story rather than text or some elaborate story. You can pretty much sum up the story however you look at it, very open to interpretation. And the ending...boy the ending...It's one of the Lost(TV series) style endings. The type that ends with you in complete befuddlement over just what the hell happened. Except in Limbo, there isn't a next episode(well there might be a sequel... who knows).
Opinion is completely divided when people talk about the story in Limbo. Which is what I think makes it great. Is it a masterpiece, or is it an over exagerrated unfulfiling end to what in most people's mind is a game that has a haunting story to tell. It's even communicated through its art style and imagery(which I suppose is the way the developers have intended to be). Expectation... I tell ya... can ruin your experience of what is a very good indie puzzle game. Not going to spoil it for you... you're going to have to just play the game and find that out yourself.
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| Not getting your timing correct often leads to gruesome deaths |
Limbo is a remarkably well made puzzle platformer. It may not live up to the expectation of some as the story falters or is the very definition of brilliance depending on who you ask. If you ask me, I think the story isn't bad nor great. I enjoyed the game and what I interpreted of the twisted forests to the industrial machinations of the city. This is part Lost, part Stephen King(without the horror bits) without any actual story.The characters in Limbo were purposefully not given much narrative contruct. Why was the boy there in the first place? How did his sister get lost in the woods? These are questions that you answer for yourself.
| Genre | Puzzle Platformer |
| Similar games | Braid, Trine |
| DRM | Steam |
| Price | USD$9.99 |
| Best Moment | Chased by giant spider & the word turning upside down |
Pros:
- Well designed puzzles, not quite Braid level of brain benders but just right
- Unique aesthetic that'll keep you wishing that this was some sort of Stephen King novel(heck I think Play Dead could do one if they wanted to)
- Lots of variety in puzzles. Limbo changes things up from chapter to chapter. SOme really surprising and cool puzzles.
Cons:
- I clocked at 6 hours for the first playthrough. I think most people could probably run through it in 4.
- The story might be a bit too confusing for some. An open ended ending.
Verdict: Excellent puzzle platformer with great atmosphere and an open ended narrative that leaves room to interpretation.
nice.
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