The 2010 classic platformer game Limbo by Playdead has had many discounts on Steam from time to time. A well known title among indie gamers, this game has become an important step in puzzle and platforming games.
Limbo explores the black and white adventure of a boy who searches for his sister in a dark and surreal world filled with enemies, traps, and loneliness. The surreal environment establishes half of the game as you are plunged right into the first areas with no tutorial level. Along the way, the main character faces bizarre creatures, deadly obstacles, and strange contraptions.
The game’s plot is incredibly vague and challenging to crack. For some daring gamers, the plot of the game will be fun to figure out due to the little clues and the cutscenes. However, the game’s unclear storyline may leave others frustrated and without any incentive to play.
The obstacles of the game start out rather simple but quickly becomes more difficult as the game progresses. Many of the puzzles, later on, are frustrating to crack and may require a walkthrough online in order to get through it. Many other obstacles are also based on trial and error, resulting in many player deaths before figuring out everything. Luckily, the player deaths are without punishment and respawns players before the last obstacle. Furthermore, gamers who don’t enjoy time-based puzzles will perhaps struggle around the second half of the game. The hardest levels seem to be the water and gravity levels, in which the player musutilizese timing and patience to beat them.
Graphics and sound wise, the game absolutely captures the surreality of the atmosphere around it. The ambient soundtrack is ominous and hauntingly powerful, reminiscent of the entire adventure. The tiniest creaks and sounds of traps and obstacles can be heard in the game. The graphics of this game are clear and high quality, capturing every spark and lighting present in the game.
The game’s stage organization is divided into “chapters”, which segment different obstacles in the game. A player can go back to a chapter they completed before, and chapters that are not completed yet are locked. Each chapter in the selection is illustrated by a screenshot present in that chapter, making level recognition mildly easy. Although the level selection is aesthetically pleasing, it is not efficient, as the player has to repeatedly click the left right arrow keys to get to a specific level.
Overall, the game is mysterious and challenging, offering twists and turns at every corner as well as inducing a trial and error type gameplay for the player. Limbo’s ominous atmosphere and artstyle truly captures the full surreality of its world.