His Sister's Name is Blob
Obviously, I'm kind of late to the Limbo review conga line. Oh, not that kind of Limbo? Then what have I been up to this whole time?
Anyways. to put it simply, Limbo is a side scrolling puzzle based action game. It has some amazing visuals and really knows how to set an atmosphere. The story is of a Boy who is out looking for his sister (Who I have been calling Blob. It's like they're all grown up!) after waking up in some mysterious, and incredibly creepy, woods. With nothing else to really do, and a dead end behind him, the Boy just has to press on. The only sounds you hear are the creaks of things that you step on the creeps of potential predators as they stalk you from abandoned tree houses to a worn out and destroyed factory.
But enough of that, onto to the...
Highlights!
Get it? Because the game is so... dark and monochromatic. I am original. Anyways:- Simplistic control scheme
- Tells a compelling story with no use of a narrative or dialog
- Ambient sound scape
- Very forgiving checkpoints
- Focuses on both solving a complex problem and being able to time really crazy stunts
- Simple, yet sinister, the game isn't afraid to use brutality to absolutely end you
- Very open ended in the ending, gives players an opportunity to come to their own conclusions
And not every game is absolutely perfect, and that means...
Lowlights!
Haha, I should be a comedienne.- Super short game, easily completed in one sitting if you work hard enough
- Pretty high price tag for a game that is as short as it is
- The transitions between atmospheres can be slightly confusing and weird
- Eye strain (I dunno about you, but after 30 minutes, I needed a bit of break)
- The physics engine is wonky is some parts
And then something in the middle: Trial and Error. I know of quite a many gamers who hate that aspect when they play games. But Limbo is so forgiving with the checkpoints and is so short, that it doesn't bother me. It encourages you to look for every possible solution for a puzzle. (Even if there is only one way, it has you guessing and trying.)
Overall, I think Limbo is a fantastic game at least worth the trial download. But if you're unsure of a purchase, don't worry. XBL always has a deal of the week and I'm certain this will be on sale come spring time. Just a little tidbit of advice. Oh! And you're welcome. :D
