Hey folks Valkor here. PAX East 2010 has come and gone, but that doesn't mean the fun has to end. I'm going to give you a first look, hands on preview on what could possibly be the coolest game I've played this year (Actually it's one of two). First up, I enter the world of Limbo brought to you by the folks of PlayDead.
From my understanding (and I can't find too much about it so bear with me or correct me in the comment section) but you're a young boy out to find your sister who is trapped in Limbo. You possess no fighting skills and no weapons; mainly it's you versus the environment, where you'll have to solve puzzles to move on. To solve the puzzles, the world will give you clues either visual or audio that will give you a hint as to how to move on past a situation. One in particular, I had to get past a giant spider that looked like a tree. Just to my left is a bear trap stuck in another tree. When the spider strikes the ground you can hear the bear trap shift. Get the spider to strike a few more times and the trap falls. You then use the trap to take out the spider's legs. Nice! There are other puzzles that require you to push and pull objects to get higher or to block enemy's paths. There's even situation where you lure enemies into traps and race past fall walls that could smash you in a matter of seconds. You'll die and trust me you will die a lot, but in death you will learn and if you're persistent you will overcome and it feels so rewarding.
Limbo is done up 2D style with some serious depth. Though everything looks silhouetted you can make out some crazy detail in the for and background such as the grass swaying in the breeze, dancing trees, spider webs, etc. But even crazier is animation in the far background; one area in particular you'll see giant wheels spinning. I especially love the animation of the main character, which's done extremely well and looks amazing as he moves. There are little touches to his actions that add some realism to him, such as the way he moves his head or looking up or down. Nice!
Controls are very basic; you get one button to jump and an action button to push and pull objects. That's it! Moving your character is a cinch and the fluid animation helps, plus the character is very responsive to the controls, no lags or sputters. In short if you're dying a lot, it's not because of the controls.
Audio wise, you have very little in music, though tunes will kick during certain situations. But mostly you're left with environmental noises such as wind blowing, your feet crunching on the ground as you walk, or crickets and other critter noises. Overall what sounds that are there sound crisp, clear and spot on perfect.
Overall I enjoyed playing Limbo and it is one game that is a must play of this year (Look for it on Xbox Live); stunning visuals and tons of surprises await you. Look for a full review as we draw closer to the games release and stay tuned to TOV for more up to date info of this awesome title.