Limbo (2010 Video Game) User Reviews

Very atmospheric game, loses some luster near the end

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 25 July 2018]

I had seen photos and videos of this game and thought that it would be fun to play. A bit of a platform game with some puzzles to solve. I ended up getting it on the PS4 system and I will say that I enjoyed the game, but at a certain point in the game it just stopped being as fun and atmospheric as the beginnings. Basically, when you got out of the woods and into the industrial type setting, the game just lost some of what made it so entertaining in the earlier stages.

The story, from what everyone seems to deduce has a boy waking up in the middle of a creepy forest. They then speculate that he is hunting for his sister, though not sure why it could not be his girlfriend or just a friend rather than a sister. The world he awakens in, is one of quiet and eeriness. It is also one filled with danger as there are traps and other obstacles to overcome in this nightmarish landscape!

The game play is basically a side scroll game with puzzles to figure out to get through the many obstacles present in the game. You can jump, pull things, push things and activate things. It was really entertaining during the stages when you had to get by spiders and such, but once again, the game just kind of lost its magic when you were in the world simply activating gravity plates that just did not seem to fit the motif of this world that had been created.

So, not my favorite game ever, but it had its moments. If only the game play had been more like the first portion of the game throughout I would have rated it higher. Figuring out that you could rip a spider leg off then roll the spider was just more interesting than activate this thing to make crate fall in right spot. I am wondering if these stages I am complaining about are all just add on stages for the PS4 as the original Xbox 360 version only had 24 stages while this had 39 so it may be a cause of them lengthening the game, but not really putting much effort into the stages and puzzles as they had originally done.

Simple, yet effective.

[atk92 · 8/10 · 2 August 2013]

Take a game with no color, no dialogue, no 3D, and a musical score so subtle it might as well be ambient noise. In most cases that sounds like a terrible game, but Limbo pulls it off incredibly well. This indie release has received much deserved praise for its simplicity, yet very effective gameplay. I think this game masters one aspect incredibly well, and that is the sound of the environment. Heavy footsteps, loud electrical crackles, and scurrying spider steps all are done to perfection to a point where no background noise is necessary at all. 2-D sidescrollers have been done to death, but Limbo feels almost entirely original because of how it is presented. The plot is very simple and almost doesn't need to exist for this game to work. It is more about the tension, and players will be on edge the first time they play this game. The platforming, with some exceptions, is satisfactory. The game is a bit short, but much like Portal, this game is better because it is shorter, not overstaying its welcome. I did have a few gripes about some of the ludicrous amount of precision required for certain platforming sections, and some false paths will lead you to nowhere except certain death, but all in all it is a unique little platformer that I am glad is in my collection.

Close to Heaven

[southdavid · 9/10 · 25 September 2018]

Beautiful minimalist physics-platformer from Play Dead studios.

The story is very open to interpretation, given there is no dialogue or indeed and character interaction at all. You play a young boy, chasing after a girl through a deadly forest, which later becomes a more industrial (though equally hazardous) landscape. The menacing giant spiders and trigger bear traps become rising waters and murderous children and finally electrified walls and gravity traps.

Control is minimal, the boy can jump, push, pull and press buttons, but that's about it. Despite these limitations, or perhaps even because of them, and the aesthetic style, "Limbo" is a joy to play. It's vicious, almost to the point of requiring precognition on your first play though - but it does have very regular checkpoints and the game restarts very quickly - it's the perfect amount of time to get your expletives out before the game goes again.

It is short, a playthrough can be done in about an hour once you really know what you're doing - but your first run, as you die repeatedly and work out the puzzles is more likely to take 7 to 8 times that. I received this copy free with my Playstation Plus account, but maybe had I paid more for the game I would be aggrieved by that. Though any longer and the game would probably start repeating itself and lose some of the appeal.

"Limbo" really is a key game in the history of Video games, as it helped kick in a renaissance for both independent titles and the physics Platform boom that continued through the 2010's. Make sure you experience it at least once.

Wonderfully designed game that is logical and rewarding despite being painfully short

[bob the moo · 18 November 2010]

This year (in particular quarter 3) has been a very busy one for games but generally the focus increasingly seems to be on graphically detailed, expansive worlds where the playing style is either free-roaming or has an element of freedom of movement within it. So your Red Dead Redemptions give you the ability to ignore the "main" story and do loads of other things if you so desire, while the large levels in some first person shooters mean that, although you are doing the same mission, you have options in terms of how you approach the action and where you go. So perhaps with that in mind it is a surprise to find that one of the biggest hits of the year on Xbox Live Arcade (the online shop for "smaller" games on Xbox) is a 2D platform game where each level has to be completed in a very specific way in order to progress.

The "story" of Limbo is vague but essentially you play a boy who awakens in a dark world and moves sideways through it in a hunt for his sister – although it must be said that narrative is not really a huge part of the game and indeed the nature of the ending is part of that. The point of the game is that every step of the game is a puzzle to solve. Not a riddle but rather the ability to progress requires you to cross some sort of obstacle by using the tools available to you in that specific area. It sounds simple and, in hindsight it is, but yet it is also challenging and rewarding. The "tools" can be physical objects (mostly boxes to climb onto) or dynamic forces within the area (eg magnets that you can switch on/off). Some "areas" are larger than others (some are wholly visible on one screen) but with all of them the principle is the same – everything you need to progress is there, all you need to do is work out how to use them. Once you understand the "rules" of the area then it is a matter of logic. In some areas me "playing" Limbo involved the controller sitting by my side while I stared at the screen muttering to myself, deep in thought about the puzzle.

This is not the case for all of them (some are pretty straightforward) but some of them are wonderfully clever in their design – one puzzle in particular I thought was wonderful as I realised that momentum of an object in combination with opposing magnetic forces was the solution. It is a great feeling to progress whether it is working out the logic or making it across an electric "hotel" sign with a series of perfectly timed jumps and movements. Speaking of timing there are plenty of puzzles where you have to get things just right and are jumping towards electrocution knowing that (if you got it right) it will switch off just before you hit it, giving you time to run along it and jump off before it switches on again – there are loads of "ohhhh, just made it" moments here.

The design of the puzzles are not the only great part of this game. Visually the game is simple and stunning. Entirely in black & white with lots of shading and atmosphere the game is beautiful to look at – it is like playing some Eastern European cartoon from the 1930's. The sound design is equally impressive. There is no (or very little) music but instead the game is populated by silence, footsteps, wind and noises associated with actions (metallic noises etc). It is very effective and adds a lot to the atmosphere.

So, the downside. Well simply put the game is very short – very short. I was loving it and it was disappointing to finish it. Given the length it was probably a bit overpriced at £10 (although it is still 4 hours of play, so not too bad) but it does also have limited replay value because, once you solve the puzzles half the fun is gone from the game. I would therefore advise anyone playing to not look for solutions on the internet – if you are stuck then be stuck, think about it, if you watch someone else do it on a video then what is the point? The only exception would be those hunting the hidden eggs for the achievements – most are so impossible to find that using a guide is the only way to do it.

Limbo is painfully short and feels even moreso because of how much fun it is. However it is beautifully designed in all regards. The simple gameplay/controls and rewarding puzzles make for great simple play where thought and logic are your weapons. Visually and aurally it is stunning – although for some reason it attracts my cats to the TV in a way no other game does – the noises and the visuals have them enthralled. It is short but it does leave you wanting more and I will be first in the line if they make Limbo 2 (which I really hope they do).

Arnt Jensen's "Limbo" is a mind-blowing video-game that masterfully combines breathtaking visual design and platforming with mind-bending puzzles and gameplay...

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 10/10 · 17 April 2012]

Game developer Playdead's 2010 downloadable platform/puzzle game "Limbo" has quickly joined the ranks along with "Shadow of the Colossus", "Metal Gear Solid" and "Heavy Rain" as a strong contender in the argument of video gaming being a valid form of the arts. The game is a revolution for platform and puzzle gaming, and the visual style pushes it to breathtaking heights. This is one of the finest games available for download on the Microsoft X-Box 360 or Sony Playstation 3.

The story is minimalistic- you play a nameless young boy, pursuing a young girl through a hellish domain of forest and decaying cityscape, forced to solve treacherous and life-threatening puzzles to stay alive and proceed. There is no dialog and music is kept to a bare minimum.

The first thing that attracts most people to this game is the dark, unsettling visual style. Almost the entire game is played in silhouette- your character and his immediate environment is pitch black, save for the young boys paper-white eyes. Fog generally obscures portions of the background, but you will also see layer after layer of gray-scale trees, structures and buildings in the background. The game is easily comparable to old black-and-white film noir, or German expressionism in terms of visual stylings. There is a complete absence of color, leading to elements like fire, sparks and water having an oppressive, blurred white effect that is almost hyper-real, and therefore even more threatening.

As mentioned above, there is absolutely no dialog, and an almost complete lack of music. Instead of music, we are treated to the sounds of the environment- the patter of feet against the ground, the groaning of metal, or the wind whipping through the trees. Only in certain rare cases will there be tones in the background. Not even traditional music, just haunting tones that prophesize coming dangers or triumphs. Again, it has an almost hyper-real quality.

Controls are extremely tight, simple and responsive. Which is a great help for the intricate platforming and puzzles within the game.

This is a game of puzzles, more or less. The entire game is divided into chapters/challenges (although there is no official level system, there is a chapter selection screen through the pause menu), and each one increases in intricacy and difficulty. While your first few puzzles are relatively straight forward (pushing and pulling boxes, etc), over time the evolve into hellish and inhuman heights. By the second half of the game, you will find yourselves in environments that spin and have gravitational shifts, involve the use of magnetism, and involve increasingly deadly booby-traps. Combined with the unsettling visuals and disturbingly low-key audio, the deadly puzzles turn this game into an ultimate experience of horror and mystery. I have not been so frightened of a game in my life since the original "Fatal Frame", which to me is one of the single most frightening experiences of fiction in my life.

I have to give this game a perfect 10. It has something for most gamers. For those looking for a standard platforming adventure, this will deliver. For those seeking a suggestive and provocative mind- bender with an artsy flair, this will astound them. This is the rare perfect game.

Simple Sophistication in a Puzzle Game

[atlasmb · 10/10 · 6 May 2015]

"Limbo" is a 2-D game in black and white and gray tones that might sound retro, but it uses modern game physics. (Please note that not all aspects of modern game physics are utilized in this game. It is not "Portal") It is a series of puzzles that become more complex as the game proceeds.

When you move the controls, you find that you are animating a small boy in silhouette. You are in a very atmospheric world, where the creepiness and tension are achieved by a combination of excellent art design and sound. There are also elements of humor to keep it light. It never devolves into horror. The focus is on the puzzle challenges, which must be solved before you can proceed on your (linear) way.

Sometimes simplicity is sophisticated. Less is more, they say. "Limbo" is thus attractive. And few puzzle games are as reliably entertaining and engaging.

I recommend it for puzzle gamers and anyone who might want to try a different twist on the puzzle experience.

This is not a Limbo dance!

[wroguard · 9/10 · 27 May 2012]

Emos and Goths should rejoice! There's finally a game that even you can enjoy!

Limbo is a terrifying and stylistic side-scroller that will have you puzzle-solving and cringing throughout. Great puzzles, yet simple and creepy atmosphere make this game distinct and special.

The controls are simple to handle, making this simple enough for a child to master, even though children should not necessarily be playing this game. There are some terrific (I mean terrifying) and grotesque scenes of decapitations or impalements that are gruesome enough to make any adult squirm. Unless you feel your child is psychopathic enough, or has been introduced to the internet already, only then should a child be allowed to play.

What's off-putting is the cute vs. dark imagery. For instance, the main character is so lovable, with just two glowing eyes of a silhouette, which bobbles as he travels through impossible odds. By impossible odds we mean this cutesy character is going to die in odd, original, and not to mention very, (we stress) very gruesome fashion.

The scenery is simple yet fantastic. The character is literally running through a world of stasis and limbo. You may be running through forests, city tops, industries or sewers yet they are all tinged with the same dark, dank imposing shades of grey. It's beautiful and creepy all at the same time; a constant sense of oddness and unease. From the very beginning of waking up in a patch in the forest the story is unsettlingly disjointed from reality. The lack of story or comprehension adds to the artistic beauty and the sense of separation from understanding what is Limbo.

Again, the core of the game is a puzzle game, which is a constant battle. What the developers have succeeded in creating is a puzzle game that focuses on timing and fear. If you take just split second longer to jump, well you poor little dark silhouette buddy will be sawed into kibbles and bits. You got to find all the pieces to fit together and be precise in timing. But this constant dying makes the result of surviving in the end all the more satisfying.

So if you got nothing to do and feel slightly depressed about everything and desire a challenge, then we highly recommend downloading LIMBO. It might make you more depressed but it's worth it in the end. - screenedcommunity.weebly.com

A DARK, CHALLENGING, AND HAUNTING EXPERIENCE

[kailaskishore-04736 · 8/10 · 9 June 2020]

Before I knew what Limbo was, I played a game called Miriam, which was horrible. When I saw the gameplay on youtube, I decided to give this one a try, and believe me, I wasn't dissappointed. Despite there being no dialogues at all, you can easily grasp the storyline. Its about a seemingly little boy who enters Limbo, which seems to be an alternate version of our world, but filled with mysterious elements that possibly confuse or even chill you. At the end, the boy flies through the barrier which links both the worlds and finds the reason why he entered Limbo in the first place. His sister. The most attractive thing I felt about the game is, the sounds that are so perfectly timed and vivid. Being in black and white, obviously the game seems kid friendly. But believe me, it is not. It has got some really violent moments where you will see dismemberment and such stuff with the blood in black and white. There are however, some really confusing moments throughout, and I had to check for solutions on Youtube. However, when you actually get the solution/ a way to the next level, you understand how visibly clever, the game is. Do check this game out. It was an amazing experience for me, and worth the money too. So, I rate Limbo, a much deserved: 8.1/10

LIMBO (review)

[T-CRITIC · 9/10 · 28 February 2021]

It's worth your time, really. Limbo was exactly the first game ever made by PLAYDEAD. And guess what: the art, music, sound effects and puzzles astonished me more than ever. It's worth your time, just like I said. The reason I didn't add a 9/10 or a 10/10 is because it was too black and white and colorless. But the art is good. So why not give it a try, then?

LIMBO: Atmospheric Minimalism

[Jinxxa_Wolf · 9/10 · 4 November 2019]

LIMBO was an extremely well done, minimalistic horror game. I was surprised by the absolute creepiness of this little game, and by the dark and disturbing content. Being such a simple game, I had been unprepared when initially delving in. I was pleasantly surprised.

While this game may seem lacking in some regards, such as expansive worlds and story, complex characters, quests and detail, it certainly makes up for it in its macabre puzzles and eerie, stark monochrome design. Don't be fooled. This game truly packs a punch. The world of Limbo is a severely grim one, no matter how subtle it may seem.

Developed and published by Playdead, this Indie game is a true masterpiece and I can't wait to see more from Playdead. I highly recommend this dark little gem to puzzle fans. Not for the faint of heart.

STORY: 7/10 GAMEPLAY: 9/10 GRAPHICS: 9/10 ART DESIGN: 9/10 MUSIC/SOUND: 7/10 OVERALL RATING: 8.5.

Death with challenges.

[Lain666 · 7/10 · 24 February 2020]

This game is a dark game in which you complete puzzles to go to the next stage.

It is very rewarding and it is great black and white game.

Minimalist masterpiece

[petros-ant · 9/10 · 30 December 2017]

Limbo is a black-and-white 2D puzzle platformer, in which you are a boy searching for his missing sister. You wander through gloomy forests and try to escape an industrial complex - all painted in silhouette against the smoky greys of an old flickering film.

Limbo is the perfect example of visuals, sound and gameplay. working together in harmony to create something astounding. Without any text or dialogue, it manages to communicate circumstance and causality to the player more simply than most games.

Shakm Gaming

Surprisingly good.

[jmyska1 · 7/10 · 22 February 2021]

I'm not a fan of old school 2d platformers. That's why I didn't play Limbo when it was first released. But I bought it on sale on PSN, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. The dark, colorless atmosphere is creepy and engaging. But the puzzle solving is what had me staying up late playing. I doubt I'll be playing it much in the future, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

It's beautiful and ingenious, BUT ...

[hoytyhoytyhoyty · 5/10 · 30 November 2021]

I had to give up around the final chapters. LIMBO stopped being fun.

The difficulty spikes, combined with the laggy controls (XBox One), just made LIMBO unplayable in the end.

Too often, you find yourself one part trying to solve the puzzle, but several parts simply trying to make the character repeat an action it did ONCE.

Five identical manouvers will get you five different behaviours.

It will bump things and ruin elaborate setups. It will fail to grab things. It will slide off a surface that it was perfectly happy sticking to the (dozenth) iteration before.

I just don't have the time. My hat goes off to those who obviously do!

All that said, LIMBO is gorgeous, atmospheric and original. You can see it as the prototype for INSIDE.

I have played INSIDE right through, and though it has a couple of difficulty spikes of its own, its controls work almost perfectly. The timing is 99% down to you, versus about 70% for LIMBO.

Glad I gave LIMBO a try though.

Walking in a creepy, disturbing Wonderland

[der_industrievertreter · 7 March 2012]

So what can you say about Limbo? Basically, this Indie-Jump-and-Run-Game is about a little boy thrown into a hostile, unreal and most of all frightening world, looking for his missing sister... and that's it, more or less. If you're looking for a storytelling monster, you better look elsewhere. Limbo draws nearly all of its quality out of atmosphere and fluidity. Now, what sets Limbo apart from most of its genre companions at first glance is the graphics style. While the dusky and depressing black-and-white look of the game may imply that this could be a gloomy experience, the dark tone adds impressively well to the overall feeling of this game, conveying both the life-threatening danger the boy is in and most of all the fear the main character is obviously going through, even reaching levels of panic in certain chapters of the game when he – and the player – is in some high pressure situations (Shelob-sized spider comes to mind). The world the player is set into is a dark and dangerous one, and it looks the part. The superb work with lighting and shadows also helps to the conclusion that Limbo is better off without any colours. Speaking of presentation, the at the same time rash and dreamy sound effects are also a big part of the menacing atmosphere that is built up from the first second and never lost until the ending. Last but certainly not least, the subtle but unsettling soundtrack rounds off a presentation surpassing those of many far-higher-budget titles.

Well, there you have it. If there is one word that I'd use to describe Limbo, it would be „unsettling". There's not one word spoken throughout the whole game, but instead of raising my eyebrows at that I can't help but get the feeling that this illusion the game creates would have been thoroughly destroyed by the spoken word. It's not like there's much plot to speak about, anyhow. Limbo is a firm believer in the get-involved-by-playing-and-enjoying-the-atmosphere-way of selling a game which so many Indie programmes nowadays seem to follow. „Get involved by playing" in this case means an entertaining mix between jumping, running and overcoming obstacles by solving riddles. The latter are executed beautifully most of the time, both in variety and difficulty, not once feeling forced and yet often requiring some clever thinking to get through. Now, that doesn't mean Limbo is a difficult or even unfair game; apart from one point when I personally wasn't able to identify a gravity arrow (those who played the game will know what I mean) I had no problems whatsoever and that, coming from someone who is an average-at-most gamer and riddles solver, should dispel any doubts over difficulty concerning Limbo (if anything, the riddles could be harder every now and then). In fact, the pleasant level of playability reminded me of Portal in some ways, which managed to balance gameplay between fluidity and challenge extremely well.

What's also adding a lot to this feeling is the outstanding animation of the game. The movements of the main character are just downright perfect, no action – jumping, running, climbing, falling – of the boy ever gives the feeling of jerkiness or abruptness. However, what is definitely (and intentionally) abrupt are the various and numerous dying sequences of the little hero. Here, the game shows no mercy at all, regardless if the boy is squashed, stabbed, sliced, electrocuted or even more disturbing things to death – don't expect anything but ruthless depictions of flying body parts and intestines of the hero. But again, it's not like these things make the game appear needlessly gory or that it wants to draw any attention on itself by those death scenes – I always had the feeling that this was fitting for this game, and the knowledge that my main character would suffer a horrible and disturbing (after all, he is a kid and, well, some developers might have second thoughts while discussing exactly what angle the head of the boy should be catapulted away after he jumped into the giant buzz saw and was torn apart in a spray of blood) demise adds very well to the overall impression of the grim, dark and frightening place he has to track through.

So, everything's shiny in Limboland (apart from the fact that the game obviously takes place in the freaking underworld)? Well, not entirely, of course. In the later stages of the game, some types of riddles do get a bit old, and the jump-and-run sequences aren't all that much of a challenge. And I know it's an Indie game and they don't have any money and everything, but for all the fun I got out of the four hours I needed to complete the game I really wished there would have been more.

Other than that, maybe a few words on the story or the lack of one, for that matter: No, I don't think this game necessarily needs any great explanations, since it works really well on its creepy little self. However, I can understand those who were a bit disappointed by the ending because there were certainly many questions left unanswered (like: the spider, the giant machines no one seems to own, the murderous children clan, and who for God's sake had the idea with those freaking „Whee-you-are-now-a-lemming-hooray"-snail-thingies?). I for one didn't really mind that, and the open ending – which, for me, was both exciting and mysterious, like it was intended, I guess – does cause a lot of interesting discussion just what in God's name happened in this game.

Over Rated

[cchenders40 · 8/10 · 30 January 2023]

Over rated.

Just finished this up with near completed gamer scrore. The puzzles and platforming in this game are indeed brilliant. The atmosphere is absolutely engaging and the story is haunting, but the gameplay, button input, and controls in general are pretty rough. I think it is worth playing but I would say Inside and Somerville are better by a landslide. You will get frustrated playing this game. And the hardest achievement is really annoying and honestly not worth trying for. Don't get me wrong I see the. Brilliance of this game, it just is a little rough around the edges. It's not a masterpiece but it was the step needed to make the masterpiece called Inside!

An Excellent Game!

[MonzterOuttaHere · 10/10 · 29 April 2022]

I loved those types of indie games that are scary, mysterious and even if it's so well made. Limbo is an black-and-white 2d-puzzle game that you are a boy in a world of fears trying to escape the Limbo (i think.) It's very well made and maybe on of the best 2d puzzle indie horror game when it was released. Playdead (company) deserve the effort of making this game.

Slightly overrated but undeniably quality

[kvndonahue · 7/10 · 23 June 2022]

I'm not a big fan of puzzle platformers but I still completed Limbo (including the secret level), so that must say something about its quality. The game immediately throws you into the gameplay with little to no setup or instructions, which was kinda Unfortunately the game also has little to no story, aside from some very ambiguous narrative nuggets built into the game itself. Limbo excels in its bleak atmosphere, animation and puzzle design, which forces the player to die multiple times in order to learn the right way forward. The game controls really well and although a few of the puzzles stumped me, I was never dying due to unresponsive button inputs. Most of the checkpoints are pretty forgiving so it's never too frustrating, even as the difficulty increases throughout your journey through Limbo. Maybe it would have been more impactful if I played it upon release but even in 2022, Limbo is a solid game I'd recommend checking out.