LIMBO (XBLA) – Review – Xbox 360

Another year, another Summer of Arcade, and what better way to kick it off than with LIMBO – the first and only published game from PLAYDEAD Games’ that has been in development since they started in 2006. In LIMBO, you play as a boy who awakens in a dark, imaginary, and unknown place with many scary and challenging puzzles.

Story: “Uncertain of his sister’s fate, a boy enters LIMBO” – a world that is dark, mysterious, and chilling. The thing is, if you just buy the game and start playing, you will have no idea what the game is about because this is never mentioned within. There’s just no story progression whatsoever. It leaves you to think: How could he understand her fate? Is she missing? Is she sick and going to die? Is she in trouble? Maybe that’s what the developer wanted; an open story that has the player constantly guessing as he progresses through the game. If that is the case and the focus is on the puzzling gameplay, then fine, this game is awesome because the story is completely forgettable. I will say, with a possible spoiler warning here, that it does sort of make sense in the end but it also seems unrelated to the actual story. With that said, the ending is just begging for a sequel.

Gameplay: LIMBO is a 2D puzzle platformer that focuses heavily on gameplay progression and challenging puzzles. Unlike a traditional 2D platformer, you cannot attack nor will you see any enemies. Near the beginning, you will encounter some things that can be considered enemies, but really, the whole environment is your enemy. The game drops you right into the world without a tutorial but the controls are so basic and easy to understand from beginning to end – left stick to walk, A to jump, and B to interact with objects or switches. In LIMBO, you are constantly jumping from one puzzle to the next; think Portal where you are constantly progressing through the building from one puzzle to the next all in one seamless world. It may not be so obvious at once because of how seamless it is, but you will travel through many distinctive themes. One minute you are running through a forest, the next you are running away from a giant spider or large chain saws. The combination of running, proper timing, and smart thinking is key to completing LIMBO. Almost every challenge requires a lot of trial and error and you will no doubt die a lot, however, the respawns are quick and there are plenty of checkpoints. Because of the darkness, you can’t always see or recognize things that can kill you until the last second. At the start, the game feels very simple and boring but as you progress you come across puzzle sections that really make you think. Sometimes you wonder, “Who came up with these things?”

Graphics/Audio: The art style in LIMBO is probably the most interesting and simplistic style I’ve seen in a while. The whole environment is dark with a grainy overlay. It basically consists of a bright light shining forward through fog creating a silhouette of every object. The blend of background and foreground objects is very well done and occasionally you will even come across some challenges that involve light. The game has a very relaxing yet creepy atmosphere. There is really no music aside from the occasional audio cues to signal the start or end of a challenge.

Overall: On the first playthrough, players will no doubt die a lot. Every challenge offers something new and will really make you think. Depending on your skill with puzzle games, it should take some time to complete, but after a second playthrough, I noticed the game is really only about 2 hours long. It’s short, but going back to complete it again and finding achievements is really time-consuming and rewarding. With the game being only 2 hours long, it’s really hard to justify a 1200 point purchase, but like I said, on the first playthrough, it should be longer. Challenging puzzles aside, LIMBO offers a lot of replay value. I found myself going back and playing through the full game or certain sections over and over again. Trying to complete it with little to no deaths is tough, but LIMBO is one of those games that makes you feel for the character. The deaths are quick and brutal. With that said, LIMBO is a great start to this year’s Summer of Arcade. With a unique and interesting art style, a creepy atmosphere, and challenging puzzles, LIMBO will no doubt be talked about for quite a while.

Pros:
-Simple controls
-Challenging and addicting puzzles
-Dark and unique art style
-Great replay value
-Two interesting unlockable Avatar Awards

Cons:
-Very weak story
-Challenging puzzles aside, it’s a short game
-1200 MS Points? Too much

Score: 8.5 out of 10

An XBLA copy of this game was provided to the reviewer for reviewing purposes from the publisher.

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