Just when you thought 2D platform gaming, you know, the stuff that you played as a little kid, thanks to great games like “Super Mario Bros,†“Mega Man,†and “Sonic the Hedgehog,†was dead, a great game like “Limbo†comes along that completely mesmerizes, thanks to solid graphics, sound and an abundance of style.
Currently available on the X-Box Live Arcade, “Limbo†may not be as long as you like, but it’s certainly unique, providing plenty of memorable moments along the way.
Feeling similar to another amazing 2D side-scroller on the Live Arcade, “Braid,†minus the fast forward and rewind function, “Limbo†is simple in its approach, as it’s all about avoiding obstacles and getting through rigorous environments. Using your surroundings to navigate through the terrain, “Limbo†forces you to use your brain at times, but most of the time the answers lie right on the screen, making the gameplay fun, yet intuitive, as the puzzles flow into one another incredibly well. You’d never think that climbing trees, flipping switches, pulling bear traps and jumping would be all that fun, but there’s an inescapable charm here; something magical is at work. Capturing the essence of classic 2D adventures, yet cool enough to keep your attention throughout, “Limbo†is a must-own on the 360, even if it can be beaten in less than six hours.
However, aside from perfect controls and great pick up and play gameplay, “Limbo†is probably memorable most for its non use of color. Yep, you guessed it, the game is completely in black and white. Feeling like a dream from Tim Burton, “Limbo†does a great job of providing terrific ambiance with the barest of essentials. Using beautiful graphical asides such as shadows, smoke, moving water and solid animations, combined with the perfect amount of sound effects, “Limbo†is video game art personified.
It doesn’t matter if the story is non-existent or your character’s most distinguishing features are his small white eyes either. Simply put, “Limbo†gives you a world that’s worth getting stuck in and is equally as satisfying to get out of. Even if it’s only a mere distraction in the bigger gist of video gaming, it’s an experience that you’ll remember for being as beautiful as it is different from everything else available on the system.
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