Limbo

[Revan Jast]

Uncertain of his Sister's Fate, a Boy enters LIMBO.

Genre - 2D Action/Platformer/Puzzle

Developer - PlayDead Games

Platform - Xbox Live Arcade

Rating - Teen: Animated Blood, Violence

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It's quiet. Deathly quiet. You can feel the grass underneath you, the smells of the forest assault your nose, and slowly the realization that you're laying on the ground hits you. Opening your eyes, you realize that the world is in shades of black and white, and the light has a strange, almost heavenly quality to it. But make no mistake; this isn't heaven, nor is it hell. No... you're somewhere in between.

Welcome to Limbo.

I haven't seen a game this unique in quite some time. Although my description up above might sound really nice in that first-person perspective, this game is in fact a 2D platformer/puzzle game with some action elements thrown in. What makes this game so unique, you might ask? Well, let's start with the graphics. Or the lack of them, depends on how you look at it.

Across the foggy river I sail... no one by my side, no guide or master...

The world of Limbo is presented to us in an almost creepy black and white style that suits the game extremely well. The entire game has that creepy vibe, enhanced by the fact that the Boy's eyes glow the entire time as well as other elements, such as the fact that you have to be very careful to try and discern blades of grass from traps or you just mi- SNAP!

Lighting comes into play throughout the game as well, and it's used to good effect when it comes to certain puzzles. You'll experience different environs at points in the game to boot, such as an industrial zone (what sort of Limbo is this?) and so on.

The disturbing atmosphere is further enhanced by the fact that there's no real music to speak of, which means that almost all of the noise comes from ambient sounds, like things rolling, boxes dropping, and even the Boy running. While this might sound strange to most of you, it really adds to the game and helps draw you in, especially since some of these sounds are crucial to completing puzzles.

Now you're probably wondering about the story and the exact reason as to why this young boy is in this haunting world to begin with. Well, the game has no text or audible speech to speak of (hehe), which means you've got to rely on visual cues as to what's going on. For some people, this'll leave them disappointed and whining about how there's no story at all, whereas others such as myself will come up with all sorts of theories as to what's going on and just what this strange world is.

This is not Hotel California, I can tell you that much.

I don't want to say much because this is a story that is better seen first hand than heard about by ear, but the premise is basic: the Boy, our main character, is searching for his sister. That doesn't sound like much of a starting point, but the engrossing world and engaging puzzles will certainly suck you in and tell you a wonderful tale. It's all about what you see and hear... and sometimes what you think you see and hear.

On a final note, the game isn't extremely long for a first time run through. It took me about 5 hours to beat it, from beginning to end, but there's achievements that warrant a second run through at least, such as the one where you must beat the game in one sitting while dying 5 times or less. If you count in all the secrets Limbo packs, you could be looking at a 10-12 hour game easily, which is more than worth it at the $15 price point, or 1200 MS points if you want to convert that to XBL currency.

Limbo is without a doubt one of the most unique and engrossing games I've played this year. Heck, scratch that... this is probably the most unique game I've ever played in my life. There's a few small quirks here and there, but that's expected of any game. To end this review, I'm going to award this fun and amazing title a 9 out of 10.

So why are you still sitting here? Go get lost... in Limbo!

-RJ