Somewhere between life and death lies limbo, a nightmarish place where the feeble rays of light that flicker from above are swallowed whole by ink-black shadows. Dangerous creatures, hostile natives, and deadly traps populate this eerie plane of existence, making survival the only tangible goal to strive for. Limbo dresses the cerebral lure of thoughtful puzzles with a bleak visual design and sparse, moody audio to suck you in as completely as the protagonist child who is mercilessly trapped here. Limbo is fully realized in shades of black and white. There is a hazy flicker at all times, a film-grain grit that makes the world of Limbo feel tarnished and unclean. A modest jump allows you to clear small gaps; certain objects can be pushed or pulled; and you can climb up or swing from ropes. There’s plenty of variety in Limbo’s puzzles, and even those that appear similar initially are invariably quite different. Trial and error is a strong component because death often springs from unexpected places. Oftentimes, unavoidable death in games can lead to frustration, but Limbo avoids this pitfall for a number of reasons. Finally, there are subtle clues to help you complete most of the puzzles. Because Limbo rewards patience and avoids frustration, the puzzles are always enjoyable to solve, and the variety will keep pushing your brain the whole way through.
Without any load times or story segments to distract you from the gameplay, you're continually submerged in this bleak world. Bear traps cut you into pieces, spikes impale you, and electrical currents shoot through your body. Death is handled in such a cold manner that it continually shocks, even after you've seen it dozens of times. Limbo poses the questions of death versus life and reality versus dream, but it doesn't answer them. Limbo is a superb adventure from beginning to end.
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