Limbo is a
platformer video game released in 2010 that uses dark lighting, black and white
effects to create an eerie atmosphere. The game is about a boy who is in the
forest trying to find his sister while avoiding the obstacles without dying, and encountering
other players who are both dead and alive. The little boy has to face huge
spiders, and traps all throughout the game. Playdead’s game director Arnt
Jensen, Dino Patti and lead designed Jeppe Carlsen developed Limbo in 2004. The
game was released July 21st, 2010 through the Xbox Live Arcade service.
Before I started
playing Limbo I read several articles discussing the game and one thing that I
found interesting was that the farm near Jensen’s home inspired the forest in
the game. Jensen also suffered from arachnophobia, which explains the spiders
in the game. I liked how past events
from peoples lives made their way into the game. Although it makes me wonder,
did Jensen used to wonder around the forest when he was little in search of something?
The first time I
played Limbo I immediately noticed the peculiar way the game was set up. I
thought it was interesting why the designer chose to have it in a gray scale
instead of color. Since the game takes place in a forest it makes sense to
create the game in a dark and spooky setting. The sound effects, old-fashioned
font, and lack of music all contribute to the eeriness of the game correlating
it to the horror genre. After playing the game a few times I started to really
notice how dark the game was. It almost seemed the game was taking place in
purgatory, with the strangeness of the sound of bees, water, and the footsteps
that would creep up behind the boy. I also thought the game reminded me
of a dream, a boy wandering in the forest out searching in the unknown.
Personally, Limbo
didn’t make it to my favorites list of games. The game definitely had an appeal
to it, but I wouldn’t call it fun. It took me several tries of playing the game
to figure out what was a trap and what objects I needed to help me from dying. Since
the game is a two dimensional platform, the boy is able to run, jump, and climb
onto ladders during the game, which helped me when I first started to play Limbo.
Since I wasn’t to
excited each time I played Limbo I probably won’t be playing it again. I don’t
necessarily hate the game I just would rather play a game that I really like and
enjoy playing. To be honest the game was a little depressing for me, there was
nothing too exciting about it other than the giant spiders that would pop out. Although
Limbo wasn’t my favorite, I’m glad I was able to experience a type of game
that is a little different than what I normally play.
