Limbo

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Playdead Studios

In a market saturated by doing nothing but asking players to shoot varying enemies in the face, as you rampage through the game world, it’s much easier for games to be noticed should they step out of the mould.

This can be work both for and against any developer attempting to do just that. On one hand, the game will likely catch the eye of the public. On the other hand it will need to be very good if it wants to garner any support from the masses before they turn back to their TV’s and begin shooting things in the face again. After all, a naked pensioner hobbling down the street will certainly catch peoples eye, but its not necessarily the kind of attention you would want.

It is with this in mind that Limbo must walk the slippery tightrope that has seen so many games before it plunge into the mirky depths of despair and angry message board comments.

Thankfully Limbos eases across the tightrope without even a stutter.

The side scrolling puzzle platform game succeeds in telling a story without even so much as a word of dialogue. Set in what seems to be Limbo land (the place between life and death) hence the name, it tells the story of a young boy battling to reach something (Not entirely sure what that something is).

To reach this… thing, the boy is forced to solve puzzles and avoid the pitfalls strewn across the world, often resulting in violent consequences should the player fail.

In short this game handles fantastically well, the pacing is dead on on the game mechanics are solid. Puzzles can at times be quite difficult, but the tone of the game prevents it ever becoming frustrating.

What really sets this game apart from the rest, is the sound and art style. It’s likely that players will be blown away by the game when they begin to play. The simplistic black and white tone, accompanied by incredibly atmospheric music comes together to create a truly memorable experience.

The game does suffer from being a little too short (about 4 hours), and the aesthetic will not be for everyone. However the overall experience that most gamers will get from this game will negate any of the faults encountered.

Overall this game is a must buy for anyone that’s looking for something a little different, there isn’t really anything else like it out there, and for most this will be a game that has players thinking about it long after they put down the controller.