Limbo – Review – Xbox Live

Limbo is similar to games like Another World (Out of this World in the US) and Ico.

You are given brain teaser after brain teaser, compounded by endless puzzles that make you feel like you are in limbo. One puzzle can have you stumped for hours. Some of the puzzles feel like they serve no purpose other than to frustrate you, and make you pull your hair out.

Limbo is exactly what it means; you are a little boy (or perhaps a young man) who is trapped in a state of Limbo. He is expected to  overcome the biggest challenges ever: to escape his  own mind. Since there is no real story, you have to draw your own conclusions about what is really happening. You’re left not understanding why you are in Limbo or the reason you are forced into any of this.

The beginning is just as vague as the end; like fumbling around in the dark in search of a light switch. Limbo doesn’t claim to be anything more than what is, and what it does, it does very well.  It’s a mind-bending experience that twists reality; it takes us out of our comfort zone and has you thinking outside the box in order to finish the tasks you have in front of you.

It leaves you feelings of emptiness and wonderment as you try to piece together everything you have just been through. You climb platforms, pull levers, and avoid strange creatures in an effort to survive this twisted black nightmare that only dreams are made of.  But in the next breathe, it leaves you wanting more at the same time. Limbo, with its simple graphics and black and white environment, holds your attention to the very end. You can’t stop wondering what is next after the last challenge took over four hours to complete.

Limbo can take as little as eight to nine hours to complete, or as much as a few days depending on how long you are stumped on a particular puzzle. I’m no brain; I was stuck for many hours on a few of these puzzles. Some puzzles were so mind-bending, I had to go clear my head for a few hours and then return later with a fresh perspective. Limbo is not easy by far;  it will outwit you every step of the way.

One really nice feature – and one you don’t see often in Xbox Live Arcade games – is the avatar rewards feature. I found this very satisfying and also very rewarding for my efforts to complete the hard obstacles in Limbo. The idea of being rewarded items for your avatar is better than your standard, boring achievements ( plus, you will have items to show off your successful completion of the game). You will be rewarded with three avatar rewards: two shirts and one special avatar item upon completion. I could mention what the last special avatar item is, but I don’t want to ruin it for others before they unlock it.

Limbo is well worth the time and effort; it’s a must-have if you’re into mind-bending puzzle games that defy common thinking. You will get your money’s worth and then some out of this brain buster.

Limbo is available on XBLA for 1200 Microsoft points.

James ‘DaRipp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: Xbox 360 (XLBA)
Publisher/Developer: Triplepoint

Review Score
Graphics
The graphics are simple, yet very beautiful with their black and white environments. The levels are well designed and seem very modern.
Sound
The sound effects are spot on with every crunch and splat you may take; even the environmental sound effects work well. The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of music. I understand the Limbo aspect; you are suppose to feel alone, but I feel some music would have really set the mood here.
Gameplay
The game play is a perfect blend of brain teasers and puzzles from hell; I am still having nightmares. Limbo delivers a beat down like no other; you better prepare yourself for a game that stands up to its own name. My only gripe was the missing story elements; I would have preferred a few intermissions/cut scenes to add some kind of direction to what was happening around me.

Overall
This has to be one of the most involving puzzle games of the year. It pulls you in and warps your mind, and it forces you to think outside the box in order to complete each task. Limbo fires on all cylinders and it's a puzzle game to be reckon with, so by all means, check this out.