Inside (2016)

I think of this game as a companion piece to Limbo. While they have the same identical style and gameplay this one achieves greater success in my opinion. The game has its artistry at full blast with character design, backgrounds, and music. Although I love the game's visuals, the story is what made me love it even more. Suddle but always present you get a feeling of dread as this little boy travels through an industrial world. Strong commentary is happening right under your eyes and I absolutely love it when games tackle issues or subject matter with something to say about it. This game does that spectacularly. I was not that taken aback by it at first but after a replay it made me appreciate the game quite a lot. I feel like this decade has produced some of the best indie games ever. Inside is short, visually pleasing, smart, and entertaining. An easy must play.

Gameplay: 4.5/5 Story: 3/5 Presentation: 4.5/5

Basis:

Story= plot progression, intrigue, characters, world

Gameplay= Mechanics, gameplay options (freedom), repetition, goals, difficulty

Presentation= graphics, animation, environment/character design, Art direction, Script, music

Having played the company's first title "Limbo" I found the gameplay in this more engaging, but less difficult. The puzzle at times to a bit of backtracking time, but I never found myself stumped for more than 5 minutes. I am of course not saying that is a bad thing, but for some, it may turn them away. There was a good steady mix between actual platforming and puzzle solving. At times they kept you on your toes making you do both at the same time. It was a relief that death does not hold 10- 15 minutes of replay. That often times gets to me. The checkpoints seem to be very well placed only taking back about a minute of gameplay. At the end of the game the gameplay changes up on you and I love it.

As for the story I give it a bit of a lower score because it is very up to interpretation. I like to make my own theories and so I find it fun, but at the same time, the theory I made as I played left the ending feeling a bit stale. Though it does not directly tell you the story of the world you're in. The world definitely has a story to tell. Many strange things occur and if like doing your own world building it gives you just the right amount of resources to build upon.

The animation is superb in this game. I love how the character swings on ropes and traverses this world. Such a great job from such a small team. There is never repetition in this game as the environment constantly changes. Very distinct areas from woodland to city and many in between. The dark palette fits the feel of the game and at times can serve as a guide. If it is too dark to see often it is a dead end.

I purchased this game because it was super cheap in the PlayStation store. I hadn't played Limbo yet, but I knew it was from the same studio. As Limbo has some pretty decent review, I decided to give Inside a try. And damn, this game is beautiful. If you're looking for an all-out action game, then this isn't the game for you. But if you like suspense, if you like to be kept in the dark about the plot, and if you enjoy atmospheric games that make your skin crawl with amazingness, the this is the perfect game for you.

In Inside, you're a young boy (like seven years old?) who does only a few things: he runs, he jumps, he pushes and pulls, and he swims. But that's absolutely enough. At times, the game is scary, at times it breaks your heart. The ending will rip your insides out, chew on them, and put them back inside of you (that's probably why the game was called Inside). I won't spoil you here but if you're looking for a short and sweet ride of around 3-4 hours, then you should consider buying this game. I mean really, it's the perfect mix of horror, adventure, and jump'n'run. I can't wait for Limbo now!

I dipped my toes into Inside and I'm very impressed with it, but that's not a surprise really. It's universally acclaimed by pretty much every single player and critic. In some ways this is like the a Stanley Kubric film or some such. Every aspect of the game is so cleverly finely tuned, nothing was spared. Every element from the sound, the UI, controls, lighting, palette, pacing, storytelling, atmosphere. It has borrowed the most powerful bits and pieces from history's greatest games and has mixed them together with a bit of its own flair.

It's a 2D side-scrolling adventure platformer, so you could say it has roots in Super Mario, especially when you consider the control system. Minimalist UI and graphics give the imagery the feeling of a realistic painting, and this analogy goes further when you witness the close attention to the composition of every frame and environment in the world. There are no tutorials: there doesn't need to be because it's just so intuitive. There's no prologue, voice-over, dialogue, collectable notes and diary entries: and yet the game conveys a very powerful and clear narrative: through traditional game mechanics alone.

I could ramble from another 10,00 pages but I won't Safe to say it's a brilliant game, no doubt. But still, a lot of people note that Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever made, and that may be true, but it's not something I watch weekly, and it wouldn't make my top 50. I feel the same about Inside. I kinda feel the same about Inside. I fully recommend it, and it's a ground-breaking title, but I probably wouldn't place it in my top 25. And I think that's just because it doesn't meet the subjective qualities that I look for in my ideal game. I mean, one of my favourite games this year was Lithium: Inmate 39. So maybe I just had bad taste, or else I just enjoy things which are creative to the point of becoming outcasted mutants on in the Steam reject basket, games that are risky, a bit broken, charting new ground.

Anyway, in conclusion, definitely give this a try. It's an extraordinary experience and one of the best examples I've seen that proves a games cam share some stories that films/books/other media cannot, and in the telling it can express ideas, precipitate emotions and divulge narrative structures in deep and satisfying ways, unavailable otherwise.

(INSIDE is a game that is best played having as little prior knowledge as possible about it. While I have tried my best to keep this review spoiler free, I've given a warning just in case.)

Mild Spoilers Ahead

Despite being excited for INSIDE after seeing its debut at E3 2014, I largely forgot about this game until I received a coupon for it on Steam. As a big fan of their debut game LIMBO, I was excited to see if Playdead would be able to recapture the magic that made LIMBO so special with this follow up. After watching some trailers and looking up some review scores to remind myself why I was interested in the first place, I bought the game and jumped right in.

THE GOOD

• The game is hauntingly beautiful. While the environments are not the most detailed, INSIDE has a great-looking visual style, and the world that you travel through truly feels like it could be a real place. The art direction and lighting are also fantastic.
• Puzzles are clever, and use numerous interesting mechanics. Despite having a simple control scheme (there are only 6 buttons: 4 to move, 1 to jump, and 1 to grab), each puzzle felt unique, and the gameplay never really felt repetitive. Each area of the game brings its own unique mechanic to the table, and each one was implemented excellently.
• The atmosphere strikes the perfect balance between wonder and mystery. The music (or lack thereof) is used perfectly to both make you stop in awe, and to dread what might await just a little further along the path. There are multiple moments like this that are almost worth the price of admission alone.

THE BAD

• The game is not very difficult. With the exception of a few puzzles, I never really struggled with anything during my first play-through. I'm not sure if this counts as added difficulty, but I did miss many of the satellites during my first run. However, once I started really looking for them (in my second run), I found they were really easy to spot and reach.
• The story is... ambiguous to say the least. While I somewhat expected this after playing LIMBO, I felt LIMBO was more of an experience, in the sense that the 'story' didn't really matter as much. It was very much up to the player to interpret what they had just gone through. With INSIDE however, I felt that a story was trying to be told, but the desire to be vague overruled it. The game made me ask question after question about the game and its world, and the characters within that world, but didn't really provide any semblance of an answer to any of those questions. This left me feeling a bit like the developers were intentionally teasing me, jingling keys in front of me that I could never quite reach. Or maybe I was just too dumb to understand it, which is also a very real possibility.

THE UGLY

I won't spoil it with a picture. It's what's inside.

OVERALL

I'd give INSIDE a 7.5/10. As an experience, INSIDE is excellent; as a game however, I felt there were a few things that just didn't really click with me this time around. While I did love the chilling atmosphere that the game created, and its seemingly simple yet extraordinarily clever mechanics, the ease of the puzzles and the story (or lack thereof) definitely put a damper on my enjoyment. While I liked LIMBO because of its lack of a story, I felt INSIDE was trying a bit too hard to be purposefully vague. Nevertheless, I thought INSIDE was a worthy successor of LIMBO, despite the fact that I did enjoy LIMBO better. I would recommend INSIDE to anyone who was a fan of LIMBO, anyone who enjoys puzzle-platforming games, and/or anyone that wants an interesting and heavily atmospheric/artistic experience.

An amazingly atmospheric game that reminds of a mix between Limbo and Another World.

First of - it's a 2.5D platform game that makes a real good use of the 0.5D aspect incorporating in its puzzles and obstacles. There is no word ever spoken in the entire game and the story is what you make of it. You start out in the woods with what looks like being on the run. While on the run you go through different locations solving different puzzles.

The atmosphere is the strongest point of this game. It gives out an eerie vibe very much reminding of Orwell's 1984. It's dark and unsettling. The visuals are amazing, the super smooth animation helps with the atmosphere and the sound design is top notch.

As you progress trough the game all you can do is avoid enemies - and they do feel very scary. Scarier than most games I've played in the recent memory. And you're always accompanied by the feeling of being small and alone in a very hostile environment.

Don't really want to go into details as not to spoil the fun. Enough to say - this game is amazing - you should give it a go. Not ver long but definitely worth a play-through.

Fans of LIMBO know what to expect from Playdead's INSIDE. Puzzles, eerie atmosphere. I'll say nothing of the story since this is one of those games that is best when it's played completely blind. Each of the games characteristics compliment each other. The graphics, music, lack of dialogue, and just plain weird things all combined create an imaginative experience that is rare to find. INSIDE is a real gem from beginning to end.

Play it blind. Then get all the trophies/achievements.

Pros:

- As soon as you start playing, you'll be introduced to the simple, eerie graphics. They are very effective in creating a desolate and dangerous atmosphere throughout the entire game.

- The music and sounds are superb and are perfectly suited to the times you hear them.

- The story is great.

- Puzzles are not re-used. Each one is different than the last.

- Creepy, weird, scary, tense at some points, but you get breaks between. Very balanced experience.

Cons:

- A little short.

- Puzzles could have been just a little harder.

I was playing Inside knowing the rave reviews, and not really getting it. It's a puzzle platformer with a focus on ambience, which is up my alley. Sure, there were some striking bits, little things that surprise you, that take you aback. Strange sights (mostly to do with neat lighting for me) or audio gems (e.g. at a point you are chased by a rolling pipe, and it's clang clang clanging, so you jump into a pool to escape it, and suddenly the audio goes silent). It wasn't enthralling, but it flows like a stream-of-consciousness piece: while there are separate rooms which you could call "levels," there never seems to be a natural stopping point. Inside gives enough to keep you interested, so you keep on playing.

And then it happened.

If you think you might play Inside at any point in your lifetime, do NOT get spoiled as to what's "Inside."

The majority of the game is just okay, like 3*-worthy. The climax and what follows is, perhaps, perfect.

9/10

For fans of Limbo. If you liked the previous Playdead game, then you should probably like this.

There seems to be a little more light this time around but it's still a dark and moody game, with detailed environments and a lot of imagination. The music is minimalist but the sound is very important to the experience. Nobody says anything so you're left figuring out for yourself what the plot actually is, but it does take place in a dystopian society.

You solve puzzles, run and jump. There are some gruesome deaths, and none of the puzzles are difficult. Most of them are fine, but its at its best when they are logical.

The last half hour or so of the game is incredibly satisfying, and the ending is symbolic but vague... just like the rest of the game.

Yes, this is another artsy platformer from Playdead. I wish it wasn't over 20 bucks for 3 hours of gameplay, but at the very least it's a satisfying 3 hours.