LIMBO

OK, here it is finally. My first game review. I always used to give my (unwanted) opinion about various games to my friends(being a self proclaimed gamer has some duties like annoying friends with your "expertise"), but never have I written a full review. It might be a bit difficult for non-gamers to understand some of the terms but I will try to keep the language as simple as possible. So let us start but before that let me say this : THIS GAME IS AWESOME.

Limbo is a puzzle platform game developed by danish independent developer "Playdead". The game was released for the Xbox live arcade in July 2010. I read about it in a newspaper and then checked it out online. From that time Limbo became one more reason for me to buy an Xbox with my first salary. But to my great surprise, the game was re-released for the PC platform on august 2 and I downloaded it right away(Rich gamers should not make faces,cause I don't get 9$ to buy a game). The Xbox game had already won a number of accolades and the PC game didn't disappoint a bit either.

Plot : There is not much of a story in Limbo cause none was provided by the developers either. This however adds a touch of mystery to the game. At the end it leaves you terribly confused and anxious to know what you were doing in the entire game, and start proposing your own theories about the plot. You would end up playing the game again and again just to get some clue to support your hypothesis. I ended up searching the whole internet to get a satisfying story for Limbo and I did find one. The game basically features you as a faceless boy( maybe 8 or 10 years old, it's hard to tell) who wakes up in the woods and then starts an adventure to find a girl(probably his sister). You would have to pass through different areas of the world and would be challenged by a number of puzzles that you would have to solve in order to advance. Its the ending that makes you pull out your hair(play it and you will know)

Presentation : Limbo has no tutorials, no cut scenes, no text, no dialogues and yet you will connect to the game instantly. The presentation is unique, there is no concrete starting, neither is there a firm ending to the game. This increases your enthusiasm to play Limbo...........when nothing is known, its upto you to solve the mystery. Limbo will knock your socks off. I give it a 9.5 for presentation.

Graphics : Frankly I never play a game for its graphic exuberance, all that matters to me is the gameplay. Believe me, I would still rank Half-Life way above Crysis 1 or 2(Those who have played HL and Crysis series know what I am talking about, those who don't get it check out the videos of these games and you would understand). But the graphics of this game just made me drool in awe. Its nothing as jazzy as Bioshock or Crysis, in fact it's just charcoal and black ink on a brightly lit canvas. Yes the whole game is black and white only and above that, its just a side scroller, but the way it has been presented is simply marvelous. The level of detail( only in the sense that its just black ink) is unmatched by even some hotshot big budget titles. Limbo is a dark and bitter game. The whole world in Limbo seems gloomy which though is what playdead wanted to show. A quest where their is no surety of success but death is present in ample. The only thing that brings optimism into the plot are the white butterflies that flutter around in the world. The world created by playdead is gorgeous with different areas such as the woods and and a city to give you maximum variety in gameplay. The game although is full of gore(and every animation is very satisfying indeed) and that's why rated teen( I guess watching a little boy being decapitated by a saw or being impaled into spikes is not everyone's cup of tea). For graphics I give it a 9.5.

Gameplay : As I said earlier,the first thing I look in a game is the gameplay and Limbo makes me do the cha-cha-cha with joy. The gameplay is simple yet strong. Solve puzzles using your wits and the environment around you and you can proceed. Sounds easy?? Well its not. You will die or get stuck so many times in Limbo that you would want to kill yourself in real life as well. However, the game has been built like that, you learn by dying, and you can continue as much as you want. About the simplicity of the gameplay...........there are just 5 controls at your disposal - 4 movement keys plus one for interaction. What more, you can't crouch, the down arrow will be used only a few times in the game. The puzzles are interesting and would make you use your top floor to the max. The environment in Limbo is ruthless and brutal, ready to kill you at every point. From giant spiders to machine guns.... you get a piece of everything. Its a short game as well, you can complete it within an hour if you are a pro. I give it a 10 in gameplay.

Sound : There is not much audio effects in Limbo, no background score either. Being a horror genre, one would expect some horrifying sound effects. But Limbo is no dead space, its motive is not to spook you but to make you realize the graveness of the danger the boy is in. Removing the background score and minimizing the sound effects, in fact does the trick. The buzzing of the saw hidden in darkness and the cracking of electric hoardings over a silent background intensifies the experience, you can't expect more than this. In sound its 9.

Appeal and Replayability : Every minute of the game is pure fun. There is no slogging, the game moves at a constant engaging pace. You would never feel bored at any point of the game. As far as replayability is concerned, though some sites would tell you that that it has high replay value, I would say that once played, Limbo would seem redundant the next time, cause you know the solution to all the puzzles. If for anything, you can replay Limbo to get all achievements, but that too is for gamers who have bought the game and who want to show off their stats in the Limbo community. Other than that its a one time pleasure like a scoop of Ice-cream. 9 here.

Verdict : THIS GAME IS AWESOME ( deja vu anyone??) Listen to me, you need to play this game, gamer or no gamer. Its a short game but hey its an indie game and its brilliant. Go play it. Non-gamers, start your gaming life with this game.

P.S : If anyone wants it, please ask me.