LIMBO – Review

The first thing that will strike you about PlayDead’s puzzler, LIMBO, is the visual style. LIMBO is a black and white game, which may seem simple, but it makes the game incredibly atmospheric and dark. The black and white style extends further than just plain old black and white though, your main path is dark black, while items in the foreground and background and light black and grey which give the environment a sense of depth and guides you through the treacherous world of LIMBO in order to find your sister. The protagonist of the game isn’t complex either, a black body with bright white eyes. And yet, you care for him, you want him to find his sister and you want to guide him there. It’s a simple and basic story, and yet it’s one of the great elements of LIMBO.

The rest of the game is very simplistic, yet very deep. The sound effects throughout the majority of the game are sounds from the game itself, the lonely footsteps of the main character for example, or the cracking of twigs as you stumble across them which makes it seem like you’re right there in Limbo with the boy, and when a music piece does kick in, it fits so well with the part of the game it’s accompanying it makes it even more tense. Even the controls are simple: A to jump and B to interact. Simple, yet deep and very engaging seems to this games M.O.

The puzzles come thick and fast and are very engaging and provide a challenge without becoming infuriatingly frustrating. You’ll find yourself figuring out a bit of the puzzle, dying, then figuring out the next bit and repeating until you solve the full puzzle and feel a great sense of achievement as you lead the boy further in his quest to save his sister. Everything in the game, and everything you do and interact with in the game leads to creating an eerie atmosphere, and one that quite honestly is scary and frantic in parts. Being chased by a giant black spider while using it to your advantage is no walk in the park.

What makes the game so engaging is that you feel a great sense of desire to solve the next puzzle and help the boy, even after dying a countless amount of times you still want to do it as it feels so rewarding to solve the puzzle. And then move onto the next one, and repeat. It’s a great formula and leaves you wanting more even after the game is over. Of course, you can start again and experience it all over again though.

By now you’ve probably gathered that this game is beautiful, with great design and a great formula it’s a joy to play and there’s a set-piece at the end of the game that just re-enforces just how beautiful and stunning this game really is throughout the duration, a great achievement by PlayDead. LIMBO a new standard for puzzlers and atmospheric games alike.

By Daniel Brooks