Limbo Review

Simple 2D platformers are back in style. Braid led the way with its storytelling, graphical style, and simple yet difficult gameplay. Limbo takes a similar approach, although I find it to be significantly more enjoyable. It has all of the essential elements of being a masterpiece. If only it lasted longer than a few short hours.

Limbo has one of the most impressive atmospheres that I have seen in a video game. Completely black and white, the game constantly has a moodiness that is missing from games that include color. There is a certain level of somberness that permeates throughout the game.

The main character is a nameless boy that wakes up in the woods not knowing where he is. At first I thought the game froze because he just lays there for a while until he opens his eyes up. You work your way through both natural environments, encountering a forest and lake, as well as industrial levels. All of them are connected to each other in a seamless experience.

The gameplay could not possibly be simpler. The only things that you can do are jump and grab. While this may sound overly basic, it proves to be quite challenging. After all, Limbo is as much about puzzle-solving as it is platforming. You will have to manipulate the environment using chains to swing and boxes to climb. The game’s physics can (and must) be used to your advantage.

While Limbo features one of the younger protagonists that you will find in a video game, which did not prevent the developers from making this a particularly brutal game. The boy often finds himself the victim of gruesome deaths at the hands of bear traps, spikes, boulders, even a huge spider. Sometimes these traps that would otherwise kill you become a tool that must be used to advance in the game.

Limbo can be summed up with just a few words: unique, challenging, moody, violent, dark. The graphical style is spot-on, greatly enhancing the game’s ability to both lure in unsuspecting gamers and scare them when their character dies. Limbo is unfortunately a short-lived affair with little replay value. However, it is well worth the price just to experience this truly extraordinary game.