Aug 19, 2011
A missed opportunity at every turn…
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Pros:
+Great use of monochromatic visuals
+Interesting environments with solid animation
+Some puzzles are great
Cons:
-Has a mysterious world that never truly comes into play
-Minimalist story doesn’t convey enough to give meaning to interpretation
-Lack of music hurts more than helps
-Most puzzles are trial and error
-Overpriced for its length and lack of replay value
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I’ll be the first to admit that I love artsy games. I absolutely loved Okami for its watercolor painting visuals, adored Shadow of the Colossus’ minimalist use of narrative and think the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was breathtaking with its swirls of bright colors on every tree, cloud and wave, but LIMBO just doesn’t feel like it hits any of these marks for which it aims. I’m probably the only one to write a negative review for this game, but I just fail to see how it got all the awards and high marks that it did.
The game starts off with a young boy, waking in a forest, as he is about to set out on an adventure to find his lost sister. The latter of which I only knew after reading its Wikipedia entry. I understand the game is supposed to be minimalist in nature, much like ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and Portal, but the previously mentioned games offer SOME sort of insight to at least get you started. I’m all for interpreting and purposely leaving story elements vague as to insight thought in the gamer… but don’t leave me in the dark to the point that I have to go on Wikipedia in order to get some sort of foothold in order to even begin my interpretation.
I will say, however, the world intrigued me. Through the first quarter of the game, I went in with an open mind thinking that, that would all be expanded upon – the people attacking me, the sister I’m in search of, the giant insects trying to eat me, the dilapidated cityscape that I traversed. Why these all didn’t come into play, and were mere obstacles, confounds me. I guess this is where I’m supposed to interpret, but with such an enigmatic world in the background, I felt like it was all for naught.
As for the controls, they were fairly tight. I never died due to sloppy controls and I liked how I felt like nothing more than a mere human boy as I worked my way through the game’s many puzzles. There was no double jumping, no power-ups, no fast paced running. However, I was not too fond of most of the puzzles, in the game, being trial and error. Many times I would be blindsided and meet an early demise before I could even react, while other puzzles were just so convoluted that I had to look up a solution or two.
Just about the only thing the game did wonderfully, that was worthy of an award, was its visuals. I loved the monochromatic tone used throughout the game, as well as the boy’s animation. But the presentation was severely lacking… I found myself with more questions unanswered than chapters in the entire game.
The game, itself, spans 40 chapters in total. Each level lasts around 2-8 minutes if you avoid deaths entirely – which you won’t your first time through. Outside of collecting 10 hidden eggs, which are tied to trophies, there really isn’t enough here to give the game much replay value. You can, of course, go for the “No Point in Dying” trophy, which calls for completing the game in a single sitting with 5 or less deaths… but that’s the very definition of punishment – both the cruel and unusual type. Lastly, there’s the “DING!” trophy, which asks you to complete a very long bonus chapter, unlocked by finding the previously mentioned hidden eggs, in which the entire level takes place almost entirely in the dark. In short, it’s a Gold trophy at the cost of your sanity.
In closing, this game just didn’t impress me. I went into it with an open mind, hoping for the best and getting next to nothing in return, much like BRAID. I love 2D platformers, and think 2D gaming, in general, is an amazing thing… but when it comes to story, minimalist narrative, audio and its soundtrack, LIMBO just doesn’t live up to other games within this “genre”. And, much like its namesake, I was left in limbo.
RATING: 2.5/10
Developer: Playdead
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Platform: PS3
# of Players: 1
Online: No
Trophies: 13 Offline
Install: 94MB