Short, but so worth it
There are not many games my anti-gamer wife enjoys. It is usually the violence that puts her off first. Strangely that was not the case with Limbo. Developed by Danish Playdead Studios. Despite Limbo's (at times) grotesque violence she admitted really liking the game.
Game-play for this moody title can be described as a platform game with some puzzle and thriller elements. Only action button's are pull/push and jump button. There are frequent checkpoints and hardly any death penalty in Limbo. Which both come in handy seeing how well the boy with the shining eyes tackles the environment. The infamous spider as well as the bear traps and couple of circular saw blade's will make sure that the progression is not too easy.
For such a atmospheric game is hard to say that there is no story. At least nothing concrete. Theological concept for word Limbo stands for afterlife of some sort. This would go well with game's ending. Other than that you are in control of a kid who wakes up in the forest and starts exploring around.
Visually Limbo uses monochrome style with black and shades of grey/white. Perfectly setting the tone for the dark forest. At times only light is a single beam of light that shows where to go just barely. Background is done with beautiful silhouettes giving the game even more artistic look. Hostile environment with it's few occurrences relay a very dark picture of Limbo'a world. Audio is very low-key. The ambient-like tracks are hardly visible (in the sound picture). Showing a fine example on how well the music is integrated.
Limbo is very good looking and polished product. Only thing breaking the grim and beautiful mood is the achievement being unlocked (assuming one has this on). Ten hidden eggs are spread around the world which give a achievement. A more challenging achievement is unlocked by completing the game with only five deaths. Which is impossible during the first run. It simply is not possible to know how to pass certain sections before dying at least once. Which would be my only complaint. This trial-error just doesn't feel to go together with games serious art-like style.
