Wow, Limbo, where to start? This game begins with our character, the silhouette of a young boy, his eyes bright and sparkling, waking up in a shadowy forest. No menus, no walkthroughs, no indication of what we need to do. From here the game is a dark and slightly disturbing puzzle adventure game. Navigate this grey world and get past the challenges in our path, for what end? I don’t know.
This game is enough to send a chill down my spine. When first playing, it really feels like you are in a limbo state, I immediately imagined that our character got hit by a car and woke up in this sinister world of shadows and monsters. The graphics reflect this perfectly and seamlessly. Screen static shimmers in your view, hauntingly reminiscent of “the ring”. The outside world gradually changes as you progress through your journey, from a haunted swamp, through an industrial wasteland, past a chemical plant, on and on our character travels on his unknown crusade.
The game itself is simple but very enjoyable. I can’t help but draw parallels to both Badland and Abe’s Oddysee in its macabre puzzle based approach. As your journey unfolds you will come across various obstacles and challenges that you must manoeuvre to continue. They range from the mundane to the murderous. Being drowned, grinded, squashed and electrocuted are all just a few ways our young avatar can meet his demise. All these even before you have to face some of the games harder and creepier bosses. The puzzles themselves normally involve getting over an obstacle using the world around you with each one is subtly different from the last. Timing, care and precision all play a part, but don’t expect to make it through this game without dying. Part of the fun is encountering something new and the suspense that comes from dealing with the unknown dangers it poses.
The music has been matched to the game flawlessly. A calming score, of almost classical music, is backed up by a fuzzy droning sound which perfectly reflects, in sound, the grey fuzziness of the screen. It gives off a buzzing quality, almost like a fly, which draws you into this world we find ourselves in. This music isn’t entirely pleasant, but then neither is this game, the music sets you on edge and enhances the realism of the game itself. It is difficult to describe but once you play you will see exactly what I mean.
Lastly I want to mention the Limbo world. The game gives a real feeling of journey with movement through the landscape. With no loading screens our path takes us through a variety of landscapes that slide into each other. The background, the weather, the obstacles change as we progress, always moving to some unknown goal. This really sets the stage for an epic journey and is incredibly powerful in its use.
TL DR:
The Good
- Atmospheric and haunting graphics and music
- Engaging and frustrating story line – where are we and what’s going on?
- Challenging gameplay but you will never be stuck for too long
The Bad
- No real replay value but who cares
Final Words
Limbo had me gripped on opening with its mysterious feel and absorbing mood. The experience offered is so much more than just a string of puzzles. The landscapes and other inhabitants of this dull black world intrigue, making walking between puzzles just as good as the puzzles themselves. As mentioned before, this shadow world has been designed perfectly to make us feel we are somewhere “wrong”, somewhere we must escape from. The puzzles strike a perfect balance of difficulty: never stuck for long enough to get bored but just long enough to have to think through the answer. This game is creepy and very moving and I would definitely recommend a download if you want an experience like no other on the iPhone.
Rating: 91/100
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