Limbo Review

Limbo has you control a young boy who wakes up in a forest with no indication of who you are, how you got there, or where you're going. You set out to explore this bizarre environment but soon find it to be a dangerous place, at which point your motivation becomes clear: you need to get out of there. From beginning to end, the game never stops surprising, delighting, and horrifying the player.

Exploring the world of LIMBO is dangerous, and you will die… a lot. The game is entirely a 2D sidescroller, and the boy’s only abilities are jumping and grabbing. Much of the game’s challenge is in timing and quick reactions. The world is mostly linear, and there isn’t much option for exploration. You progress from left to right, solving puzzles and platforming through hazards as you go. The game is extremely challenging at times, generally due to challenges of timing, physics, and precision. The challenges are expertly created and although you continually die the game never becomes frustrating, The developers describe Limbo as a trial-and-death game. It will take a relatively short five to six hours to finish this game, yet every moment of it will blow you away.

Gorgeous, sublime, haunting, superb, atmospheric… where’s my thesaurus? I need more words to describe LIMBO’s graphics. The best word may be unforgettable. It’s hard to believe a completely grayscale game could feel so alive.LIMBO is beautifully crafted and full of incredible detail. From the disturbing deaths and imagery, to the way the grass is brushed gently by the disquieting wind, the game is anything but simplistic. The atmosphere is grim and dark, and the world itself is the boy’s sinister enemy. 

Limbo is an incredible achievement. Very few games are as original, atmospheric, and consistently brilliant as Limbo. It belongs in everybody's collection. The journey may be over too quickly, but you will be entertained every minute. One of my favorite games ever.  9.5/10
(available for PS3/PC/XBOX360 at $15)