At a glance...

Reviewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Screenshots
Richard Pilot	Xbox 360	PlayDead	PlayDead	1	Here
Requirements
None.

Limbo review

Last year's 'Summer of Arcade' brought us an incredible set of Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) games, from the extreme Trials HD to the ridiculous 'Splosion Man. This year's season looks to be equally impressive if this first title is anything to go by. Limbo is a side-scrolling platformer from the previously unheard of PlayDead, an indie developer based in Copenhagen. The game is unique for many reasons, most notably its art style. Delivered in gorgeous black and white graphics, your character and the ground beneath you is silhouetted against an incredibly detailed background. There is a wealth of artistic talent here, from detailed particle effects, such as sparks from decrepit industrial machinery to the wonderfully animated lead character and the various movements he performs.

There's not a lot we can really say about the story; you wake up, alone in the forest and that's about it. Reading into the game’s description and you’ll find out that you're in fact looking for a lost sister, but after actually playing the game, you’ll discover that you're never told any of this. In fact, you're not told anything at all and it's up to you to figure out. Once you’ve picked yourself up, you’re left to your own devices, with nothing but your own desire to progress. But after your first few steps, you’re hooked. What PlayDead have done here is crafted a world that draws you in. From the sounds of your feet against the forest floor or the ambient noise of the wind through the trees, Limbo is eerily haunting and makes an impression in your mind. If you stop in your tracks for a moment, you find yourself caught in a picturesque forest scene, the wind rustling the grass beneath your feet and butterflies floating in the air. You character pauses to watch them; a stunning moment caught in the game and one of many that await you through your trails. You feel connected to your character and linked to his survival, which is a good thing, since the world of Limbo is a precarious place.

The game will take you through a range of environmental puzzles that will tax your brain and that's the key word, environment. There aren't any contrived puzzle mechanics here as each puzzle is connected to something around you. Perhaps the tree will fall and crush you or a sign will detach and crush you or a box will slide and...well, you get the picture. The point is, the challenges you encounter are tiny set pieces in one big set piece and they fit in completely, the levels themselves are part of the character. There are times where you don't even notice a trap until it's too late. They feel organic and there are no contrivances in this game. That's not to say the game doesn't fall back on some tried and true concepts, deep down this is a platformer after all. There are the obligatory pushing of boxes around and jumping over gaps. But even then, Limbo doesn't punish you liked you'd expect, you're not going to die because the jump required you to perform a specific action at the right time; what will get you is the bear trap lying in wait for you at the other side.

Bear-traps are the least of your worries however, as you progress through the game and there are constant reminders that this isn't a fairy tale. The gore animations in combination with the atmosphere are stunning, your character's death perfectly sillueted against the world. We've already discussed that Limbo doesn't employ much in the way of narrative, but in this instant, it works perfectly. There is no death music, no step back from the game, instead the game fades to black and sets you back a few moments before your death. Luckily checkpoints are plentiful, so it's not long before you're back at the spot you lost you way and you get to try, try again. As you progress on your journey, you'll occasionally stumble upon a few corpses, reminders of others who were not as lucky as you. You'll also manage to encounter a few living creatures, although almost all of them aren't the type to embrace you with open arms; you may spot an odd glimpse of a boy running away from you, half-built structures in the forest and even a spider. But at its core, these moments of connection are fleeting, the core to Limbo's concept and indeed its name, is the feeling of loneliness, of isolation. You're always heading forward, never stopping to investigate and you get the impression that this place has been reduced to a small fraction of its former glory, as evidence of a civilization long forgotten passes you by. Across your journey through this world you'll encounter three main sections, a tranquil forest, an abandoned city and rundown factories. Each area adds its own unique twists and challenges to the gameplay and, as we've discussed earlier, the game isn't shy when it comes to finding new and interesting ways to send you to your demise.

Many comparisons will be made with another summer hit, Braid, which was released as part of the first XBLA 'Summer of Arcade' in 2008. This almost feels like the a philosophical sequel to Braid, as each has their own similar yet uniquely different art style and both developers managed to craft a living, breathing world that you can't help getting sucked into.

The biggest problem I have with Limbo is the way in which it ends. At one your point you're in the middle of a puzzle and the next, the game is over. It's incredibly distracting and breaks the intense atmosphere that the game has been building up until that point. For a game that's so focused on atmosphere and absorbing the player in its world, it's a shame the developers couldn't have wrapped up the game a little bit better. It comes as a shock because you're not expecting the game to end so soon. Going back to the Braid comparison, in that game you're constantly aware of how far you've come and how much further you have left to travel, something that seems to be absent from this game. Whilst to some degree this may have taken away from the game, but if there was some goal you're working towards then it may have helped to understand where you were and where you are going.

These issues aside, Limbo sets itself apart on XBLA and in a world where new games are always vying for attention this is no mean feat. The game doesn't take long to complete, I managed to spend four hours in this world but it gives you plenty of reasons to come back. Hidden paths are scattered among the levels, achievements awaiting you, but even without these, you won't regret a second play. At the very least, this time you'll know where the dangers are coming from. Needless to say, Limbo is a thoroughly engaging game and we look forward to whatever PlayDead have up their sleeves next.

Ratings

Overall	Limbo is a fantastic game with an astounding atmosphere that will engage you throughout. What it lacks in story, it more than makes up for in presence and whilst you won't be spending hours completing it, you'll enjoy the experience.	8/10

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