GamesRelay

Name: LIMBO

Microsoft's Summer of Arcade gets underway with the first offering, LIMBO, developed by Danish developers PlayDead Studios. It's essentially a 2D platform game, but, it's certainly not a standard affair. Its been around as a concept since 2004 and has existed physically in some form since 2006 when a teaser trailer was released to the masses; the same trailer being used to entice investors to fund the project. The PlayDead team refused to compromise their vision of the game and ignored outside influence as they fought to bring their original intentions of what the game should be about to life. And all the credit to them for that.

LIMBO is very minimalistic in its approach, the only thing you have to go off is that you're a little boy lost in LIMBO and you're on a mission to find your sister whose become separated from you. The whole thing is done in shadows, and by that you're going to find yourself looking into a world starved of colour, the whole thing is done in black and white, well, aside from the shades of grey. The controls couldn't really get any simpler, you use the analogue stick to move, you've a button for jump, and an action button to take care of, that's your lot.

In keeping with this, there is no introduction, when LIMBO starts you might be forgiven for wondering what's going on, a black and white dreamy forest landscape that just waits the right amount of time before the hero opens his eyes and they start to blink. Slowly a boyish figure rises and you're in control with no real clue as to what's happening. Getting to your feet you stumble to the first object which is a simple contraption, a bear trap, and again with no prompts you've to work out what you need to do next, it's not long before you stumble over it and work out that doing that is a bad thing. It's the first trap, you've set it off without realising; you don't see much, but if you did, you know it would be bloody.

The traps themselves can also be moved, allowing you to use them to your own devious advantage. Removing a rotten carcass of a tree vine so you can reach a higher location, or removing the legs off a giant spider, these are how LIMBO introduces you to its thinking and you'll soon be spotting things and getting your head into the same mindscape as the developers, and it's a pretty twisted mindset to be around, but boy is it a delicious place to be.

What starts of relatively simple soon becomes more complicated, the further you go into the forest the more abstract it becomes, LIMBO gives you more unanswered questions as you encounter mysterious figures who seemingly mean you some harm and set off more traps for you to negotiate. They scurry off into the dark forest as you approach; silently watching as you make your way around the traps they've left for you to negotiate, fear of these is further heightened by their seeming indifference as they know you can't catch them and take delight in watching as you fail their traps, they simply give themselves a little scratch and scurry off; you can imagine to report their success to the unseen force that is commanding them.

Further in and you'll begin to notice haunting figures hanging by their neck from trees, it gets a little macabre in places as you pull the legs off giant spiders and use their bodies to plug gaps which otherwise you can't jump over; you'll also have to drag dead bodies of what seem to be other children along so they can spring a trap for you allowing you to pass. The world PlayDead have created for you is a dark, dark place, not only because of the monochromatic effect they've chosen. You're not always stuck in this clearly twisted forest however, as you progress you'll eventually make your way into a cityscape with buildings and flashing neon lights, but the atmosphere still remains spooky and no colour comes to the landscape.

There's no haunting music to plague you through LIMBO and the sound effects are sparse, but keep an ear out for the sound when it does appear as it's likely to mean something, the silence is almost deafening in some places and the lack of music or sound somehow manages to add to the atmosphere, it sucks you into the world and you appreciate the atmosphere more for it. The total lack of presentation only adds to its mysterious appeal, there are no cut scenes, there is no dialogue, you're just a boy on a mission and that's all you've got.

LIMBO just gels itself together very well, it's a well put together package that never lets itself down in anyway, shape, or form, it's one of those games that years from now you'll bring up in conversation when you're in the pub with your mates reminiscing about titles from a bygone era, almost an instant classic in that respect, if you've played through it then you'll never forget it. In some respects it's comparable to Braid, it's something you won't ever want to give away when discussing it with those who haven't experienced it; the ending is just as obtuse and will no doubt leave some confused as to what it all was about, that in itself being an achievement.

It's an odd title to start the Summer of Arcade series with, what you have is a surreal adventure in your hands, it's not going to be fast paced and it's not going to blow your mind with eye popping colours. What it is going to do is take you to a place you don't often find and that is something that's sadly lacking in today's video game market.

Although LIMBO is truly a wonderous experience, it's debatable as to if the play time lends itself to the price point, the whole thing will be over with in less than seven hours for most people, less on a subsequent play through as you'll have the traps in mind and know exactly what you've to do to progress. That being said, it is money well spent considering the memories you'll gain and the overall experience of making your way through LIMBO. It's certainly not something you'll come across very often, that alone is reason enough to consider picking this one up.