Limbo is a puzzle platform video game (It doesn't actually fit any of the well known horror game genres, but I would consider it as one due to it's eerie art style and subject matter) that was released in July 2010 as platform exclusive title on Xbox Live Arcade, though thankfully ports were made later on to the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows. It was the first title by indie Danish game developer Playdead (While the second project is presently in the works, not much is known about it at this time).
The game is a 2D side scroller, incorporating the physics system Box2D to govern the environmental objects and the player character. The player guides an unnamed boy through incredibly dangerous environments and traps as he searches for his sister. Players are actually expected to fail numerous times throughout this game before finding the correct solution, hence this is why the developers called the style of play "trial and death" (Poor thing…), using interestingly gruesome silhouette-like imagery for the boy's deaths (Poor, poor thing…).
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| God, this is Heart of Darkness all over again... |
The game is presented in black and white tones, using lighting, film grain effects and minimal ambient sounds (The soundtrack available only lasts for less than 20 minutes too, but Jesus, listen to the "Rotating Room" track when you get the chance...) to create an eerie atmosphere often associated with the horror genre, since the pre-release of a development screenshot, the game's art style and presentation has actually managed to stay consistent though the development cycle.
As many have said before, this game has been classified as an example of video games as art, much like the works of ThatGameCompany, the game breaks away from the usual norms implemented into video games we normally see in larger franchises (Though of course we still love those kinds of games, don't get the wrong idea), going for a more unique and unconventional look, often standing out for aesthetic beauty in design (Which is most definitely present in this game).
The decision to go for a more minimalistic style was a clever and creative one, considering how it allows the players to deal with threats within the game in a surprisingly different manner (For one, by having better eye sight and keeping you more on your feet than ever before), it really did allow the developers to focus more on the gameplay design, and much like Okami, avoiding more detailed/realistic graphics was really a blessing in disguise, considering how well received the art style was for this game.
And I'm pretty sure that this game was able to get the special kind of reaction it wanted from its audience, especially with its interestingly open and ambiguous story and eerie but rather enthralling, absolutely atmospheric setting.
While not much is given about the storyline of this game, save for the tagline "Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters Limbo" and of course the title itself, those are probably enough to hint at where this actually takes place, as well as perhaps explains the open ending to the game… oh wait what am I saying? They obviously aimed to make this game open to interpretation from the very beginning.
As he looks for his missing sister, he encounters only a few human characters, who are either aggressive and wants him dead, runs away, or are dead (The latter are the most helpful of them all, just a heads up), strangely however there are practically no more humans seen about in the second half of the game...
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| Inspirational stuff, these art games... |
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