Okay, I admit it. I have not played Limbo.
Well, I actually did play it, but I was far too young to appreciate what was going on, and probably stopped playing a few minutes into it for lack of an exciting, immersive open-world (looking at you, GTA: San Andreas). Inside makes me realize just what exactly I had missed out on.
Inside is a weird game. Not weird because of the total lack of dialogue - the atmosphere and beautiful artistic environments don't let you dwell on the absence of voice for a second - but because of the buildup to the ending, and the ending itself (more on that later).
Now, just to be clear (and before anyone gets offended - because that happens a lot these days, and with increasing ease) when I say 'weird' I mean that in the best possible way - meaning the game intrigued and puzzled me and that I had an enjoyable time. Something along the lines of "Hey man, you have to watch Mulholland Dr, it's the weirdest movie I've ever seen!" but for a video game.
Getting back to the point, the game has a seemingly straightforward storyline - you're a nameless, faceless boy who comes across something sinister as he makes his way through the forest - suddenly you're being chased by strange men. There's also something else going on - a mind-control experiment of sorts. Making your way through the forest, then the city - through the facilities, both under and above water level - is a breathtaking experience. The puzzles are just the right amount of tough; hard enough to make you spend some time on them (and feel good about yourself when you finally figure them out) but not so mind-numbingly boggling that you need to (sheepishly) turn to the walkthrough on IGN. And the running and swimming physics - it's just ... perfect. That's the only word that comes to mind when I think about it. Everything feels the way it should - your running, swimming, jumping - fits perfectly in the game's environment.
Finally, coming to the weird part - the ending. It'll make you think, that's for sure. After going through a few discussion pages and articles on the ending, I found a theory that makes the most sense to me. The ending is bizarre, confusing and brings to conclusion a very frenzied last 30 minutes that make you question everything you've witnessed in the game.
Definitely an unmissable experience; go for it.
PS: If you haven't, I highly recommend watching Mulholland Dr, one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen.
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