Limbo – The MMOMFG Review
Limbo
Before we get started, you will want to have your wallets or Microsoft Points at the ready, because by the end of this review you will probably find yourself playing Limbo, whether you want to or not. Yes, it’s that good. And yes, I’d still like you to read the rest of the review, but I understand if you are easily swayed and have already jetted off to two-button your way through this swanky shadow-land they call Limbo, and I call morbidly phenomenal.
What’s Good
Not child’s play – It’s not often that a platforming game strays from the typical bright landscapes, joy-filled characters, and gold shaded collectibles that we are all used to. Limbo is proving that change can be a good thing. The gameplay is simple, press A to jump, and B to interact with objects (or X and Y if you prefer). Sounds simple, but it won’t be long before you’ll be craning your neck six types of backwards when faced with the horrors and puzzles that lie in wait in this black and grey silhouetted landscape. As you make your way through the ominous scenery, you will encounter everything from swinging (and grounded) bear traps, spike filled pits, creepy big spiders, giant mashing traps, whirring saw blades, and worlds that completely rotate.
Basically it’s one big grab bag of all your childhood fears rolled into one big game of awesome. You will die. You will probably die A LOT as you try and figure out your way through this unknown world. So, be prepared for body ripping deaths at every tree, corner, jump, hop and skip. As gruesome as it may sound, the multiple deaths your character suffers will fill you with ooh’s and aah’s thanks to highly, and surprisingly, realistic rag doll mechanics. I hope you don’t like your head too much, because chances are you will witness it rolling across the floor with a peppy bounce on several occasions.
Less is more – I wouldn’t call Limbo horror filled, but it is definitely a creepy, yet intriguing world. The ground and water are littered with fly rotting dead bodies, strange creatures, and shadow boys who try to hunt you down for no apparent reason. The lack of color and eerie quiet in this desolate world only makes all the action that much more graphic. Footsteps echo off into the distance before you find yourself falling into a pit of spikes, only to be met with an almost too gruesomely realistic crunch. You will likely find yourself cringing the first few times you fall to your demise, I know I did. Which is something I haven’t found myself doing to a game or movie in quiet some time. Limbo’s black and white shading and unique lack of any soundtrack creates a surprisingly realistic world, and an experience that you would be hard pressed not to find yourself lost in.
The world is spinning! – The puzzles in Limbo are simply stunning. As you work your way through the world you will encounter all sorts of predicaments in order to get to your final destination. Some will definitely test your patience more than others, but if you like a good challenge, you will be duly satisfied. Trial and error will most certainly become part of your routine, so be prepared to put your thinking cap on. The levels toward the end get particularly interesting as the whole world rotates around you while you jump, float, fall, and walk on ceilings to get through the obstacles. Sometimes the smallest item or landscape is your only source to advance.
What’s Bad
What do I do now? – The one potential downside to this fine platformer is its lack of replay value. I know I plan on playing through a couple more times if only to try and figure out or understand more about the world and appreciate all the detail more fully, but I know many of you probably aren’t too keen on playing through a game a second time simply for aesthetic value. Shame on you, but I understand. However, I offer this up as a solution, you can always go after all those Easter Eggs you missed or shoot for the No Point in Dying achievement, where you complete the game without dying more than 5 times.
Worth Remembering
That you don’t need gallons of spewing blood, flying chunks of flesh, or the score of a hundred man orchestra to create a realistic and immersible gaming experience. Shades of black and white, and precise sound effects to an otherwise desolate audio-scape get the job done just as well, and twice as gory.
Worth Forgetting
Absolutely nothing. Except for those few hairs you might pull out when a puzzle or two gets the best of you.
Limbo is a game you really do need to experience for yourself. I’ve been praising it to all the staff and friends, and everyone I know who has tried it has loved it. If the 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) seems a little steep, I assure you it’s worth every penny. If you are a true gaming fan, simply being a COD meathead doesn’t count, this is a game you will want to have in your collection. We all, or at least most of us, started out our gaming adventures with some sort of platformer, and Limbo is testament that the genre is not dead, and I look forward to seeing what Limbo and its developers, Playdead have in store for us in the future.
* Limbo was purchased and reviewed on XBLA for the Xbox 360
Got a news tip? Send it to press@mmomfg.com and we'll shower you with love!
Subscribe with iTunes
