Limbo Review

Danger lurks everywhere.

In Limbo you may never truly know what is going on but regardless you will be on the edge of your seat until the very end. My heart was jumping out of my chest several times throughout the game.

Limbo tells the story of a boy who enters Limbo to see what has become of his sister. You would never know this because the game just begins - and for that matter ends - and plays through.

The only actions in the game are to move forward or back, jump, and interact with objects (usually by pushing or pulling them). Despite all of this the puzzles in the game get challenging (but not controller throwing) and often result in, "AHA," moments.

The best part of the game is that this game is timeless. It will look great in 10 or twenty years - in its beautifully rendered black and white, film grainy style.

On the opposite side of the coin the most disturbing thing about the game is all of the ways that you will be dismembered while trying to discover the right way through a puzzle. My heart would beat faster every time I slipped and feel of some spikes or stepped in a bear trap. I cringed.

I feel that even if you are a very careful player this game requires a lot of trial and error. For me it never became frustrating though I was a little annoyed with one puzzle that required very precise timing.

The length of the experience should not matter to anyone but look at five or so hours for your first playthrough. The game invites at least a second playthrough to discover all of the game's secrets and perhaps the achievement for finishing the game in one sitting dying five times or less.

At the end you leave feeling that Limbo is art. You are playing in a movable Edward Gorey book and might feel right at home in a Tim Burton Movie. Playdead hit the nail on the head (literally) with Limbo. This is an experience everyone needs to have.

10 out of 10

Limbo is XBLA exclusive, part of the Summer of Arcade promotion. It costs 1200 Microsoft Points and was paid for by the reviewer.