Limbo (XBLA)

Limbo is a side-scrolling, puzzle game which takes place in a very dark and twisted world. The game only uses a few colours, to make itself appear black and white like an old movie, which I would think made the game a lot easier to finish because there is no real texture or emphasis on graphics. This is a game that requires the player to have more imagination and rely on the actual gameplay mechanics than be dazzled by fast paced action and mind-blowing visuals.

I actually quite like the way this game is presented because it reminds me of games from the consoles of past generations, not only because there is very little emphasis on graphics but also the gameplay is simple, addictive and it is generally difficult to get too far without dying or becoming temporarily confused.

The game begins with our unknown character waking up in a dark place, with no clue of what has happened or what needs to be done. Most of the gameplay is jump, run and dodge but there are puzzles along the way which sometimes require you to practice, before you are able to pass them successfully. The puzzle elements and constantly encountered traps, make this a tough game to pickup because as stated previously, the game is presented in black and white, so there is little to look out for other than spikes or heavy objects that are ready to fall.

Look behind the hanging figure, can you see the trap?


As you play through the game, you become aware that someone or something is desperately trying to eliminate you. There are moments when you will see human-like figures pulling switches, setting up traps in the distance or even dropping large objects from height, before retreating promptly. The overall theme to the game is get the heck out of this place and try not to get killed along the way, this simple logic is much more difficult to carry out then it is to imagine because you just don't expect some of the things which happen, to actually happen.

Be on the look-out for the hunters, they will give chase!


Timing is everything on this game and if you rush into the unknown, then you will likely colide with the many traps and obstacles that are littered around each section. However if you do not use haste at some points, then you will also lose because there are certain points which require absolutely, spot-on timing in order to progress or to avoid being cruely eviscerated by something sharp, or being flattened by something heavy. The same thing applies to the objects that you interact with, if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time then you'll pay for it.

When you think it's an easy walk, the boulder appears!


If all of this wasn't enough for you, then you won't be disappointed to hear that there is a parasitic life-form which once attached to your head, controls which direction you are allowed to move in and will also not allow you to stand still. This parasite responds to the light that is shining in at certain points, and it will cause your direction to change when the parasite absorbs some of it. At certain points of the game, you'll need to work out how long you need to walk for before traps kill you or how to use an object to aid you, once the direction changes.

As well as not drowning, you have to be quick, or else!


This is quite tricky compared to some of the games I've played recently, but I like that because there is a challenge from it. When I think about the difficulty of this game, I just can't help thinking of games from the late 80's to early 90's because that era had superb, challenging games that required do-overs and lots of patience. It's sad to see games come out that are all about graphics and have no depth or difficulty to them, but games like this redeem them.

I think the only downside to this game, is that it is too short and it doesn't have much of a storyline to it. Never-the-less, it plays well and requires as much thinking as it does button pushing, so it is clearly not an average game. Watch this YouTube video to see what I mean!



To buy this game, please click on the XBLA image below and purchase it online right now!