[HEADING=1]Sub/jective Reviews[/HEADING]
I am starting a new review series that I am going to do every holiday/time off from education. The series will be split into segments, where I discuss the different aspects(gameplay, visuals, audio, story, multiplayer(if any)) of a game in their own given category. Most notably, I will provide what I find to be an objective assessment of those different sections. What this means however, is that I will provide any objective information that I can, which will usually be limited to a list of features, a bug/glitch count during my playthrough and a run-down of the options. I will take both the subjective portion of the game and the objective into account during the final assessment. I will not provide scores, as I am opposed to that idea to begin with, as it causes readers to glaze over key information in any review.
Why am I doing this? Many people are clamouring for game reviews to be more 'objective', so I'll address that wanting, if only to highlight exactly how limited true objectivity is in application to reviewing.
For the time being, I will focus on indie games. I am open to suggestions, so long as the games are available on PC/Steam and so long as they aren't something that has been talked about too much, as I don't believe that I will add anything significant to that discussion.
Why am I doing this? Many people are clamouring for game reviews to be more 'objective', so I'll address that wanting, if only to highlight exactly how limited true objectivity is in application to reviewing.
For the time being, I will focus on indie games. I am open to suggestions, so long as the games are available on PC/Steam and so long as they aren't something that has been talked about too much, as I don't believe that I will add anything significant to that discussion.
Critique is encouraged and appreciated. If you see something you'd like to be added/improved, post ahead!
The PC that the games will be played on:
[li]Intel i5 3470 @ 3.2Ghz Quad Core Processor[/li]
[li]Kingston Hyper-X 2x4GB DDR3 RAM @ 1337Mhz[/li]
[li]Zotac Nvidia Geforce GTX 670 2GB[/li]
[li]Acer 23.6" Monitor 1920x1080 @ 60Hz[/li]
[HEADING=1]Limbo[/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Intro![/HEADING]
Limbo, much like Fez and Super Meat Boy can be considered as one of the flagship games of the XBLA indie renaissance. Like the aforementioned titles, it picks a specialisation and stretches it across a simple narrative spanning the better part of an afternoon. Characterised by its bleak presentation and vague story, it drew nigh-universal critical acclaim, and is presented as a stand-out game that personifies the power of indie development.
It has quite the history behind it because of this. Naturally, it drew my attention, in part because reviews can only be ignored so far without attracting interest, and in part because its initial promise of telling a story purely through the gameplay and the environment was personally alluring to me. Based primarily about physics manipulation and offering a window into an experience exploring the mechanics of depression, Limbo promises quite the engaging affair.
[HEADING=2]Story![/HEADING]
As with Year Walk and Receiver, the story seems to barely exist at all. The difference between these titles is that the latter two gradually acquire depth through continued exposure, whereas Limbo gets as far as building up to a conclusion...but fails to do anything with it. It's less so a story, so much as it is a presentation, a gallery of gameplay, sounds and visuals which presents emotions and ideas. This is where the game will make or break on its promise. If the idea of conceptualising depression through gameplay, in the vein of a 'walking simulator' with physics puzzles, appeals to you then Limbo will certainly pay off as that sort of experience. The downside is if you're expecting a detailed and enveloping story, for there is none. The main character is essentially, to use an analogy relating to cinema, the screen upon which the ideas are projected. Through his progression, we see the developer's intent, but we don't get to fully experience it, as it lacks the assistance of a cohesive narrative structure to bridge the story into a more focused experience, or even any attachment to the character. Instead, it just offers ideas, with the main character being the way through which we see them presented. We don't see him grow or change in relation to events, he is simply a tool to be used.
The game has a very oppressive tone that is punctuated throughout the game. As an experience, it certainly doesn't fall under the term 'fun', and relies on just being compelling to keep the player interested. The pacing at the beginning of the game is pretty strong, with the notable spider set piece progressing alongside the protagonist. The insect analogy, which is prominent throughout, can result in an extensive set of analogies and metaphors to be inferred, which is why it's a shame that it begins to break down towards the end.
This is the most detrimental part of the entire game. Everything up to about 2/3s of the way through the game is consistent in terms of symbolism and narrative significance, however, the game ends with a poultry selection of really obnoxious puzzles that deal with the manipulation of gravity. The problem with these later sections is that, for me at least, it really detracted from the greater meaning of the game. I found myself more often than not frustrated at the puzzles rather than drinking in the atmosphere or considering the greater meaning of what was happening around me.
Perhaps it is meant to punctuate a point about depression in terms of it being a vicious cycle: that seeking the end of it often catches you in seemingly inescapable loops, but I find that to be a stretch. The only time the game hints at this idea being a certainty is in the later areas, but it is unfocused and doesn't yield much significance. Suffice to say, the story really begins to suffer as a result of a seemingly insecure, sudden dependence on mechanics as a substitute for engagement. Perhaps it is just my own ineptitude speaking, but I honestly feel that with a little revision, Limbo could've pulled off it's execution of the central conceit if it didn't feel as desperate in engaging the player.
[HEADING=2]Gameplay![/HEADING]
The game revolves around the manipulation of physics to solve puzzles. Things begin simple, mostly orientating around pushing and position objects, with platforming taking centre stage. The game doesn't evolve beyond it, but the strong atmosphere and presentation could excuse this somewhat. The puzzles aren't devilishly difficult or insultingly easy, just occasionally annoying or mercifully brief. The game works on a crest-and-trough mentality across many levels: through the music, the visuals and indeed, the gameplay. This philosophy pays off the least in the gameplay, as it often feels as little more than a method to progress the story or to prolong the game somewhat. This doesn't factor in until later in the game, but as mentioned in the story department, the beginning is excellent at drawing you in.
I feel like Limbo offers itself up to interpretation, but sometimes on sufferance. A perspective could be taken that the physics manipulation could work as an extended metaphor of how depression requires extensive legwork to work through, but the game doesn't seem upfront enough in allowing this kind of analysis to take place. It's evident that the mechanics feel more rudimentary than the presentation and the atmosphere, as you often find yourself admiring the scenery or being shocked by the music rather than paying attention to the gameplay.
In many ways, it feels directed; your character controls less so as if you're directly manipulating him, but more like he's being aimed and launched by the controls. The brutal deaths don't feel personally shocking, since there's little in the way of attachment working there. Whenever the character dies, which is usually unexpected and in a very brutal manner, it feels as if you directed him in the wrong direction. Again, perhaps this relates to the hypothetical metaphor at play; that mental gymnastics can lead to unexpectedly disastrous outcomes, that you might not see yourself as being totally in control... but the game doesn't provide.
[HEADING=2]Objective Assessment:[/HEADING]
No re-bindable keys. Permanently fixed to ctrl to interact and the arrow keys to move.
[HEADING=2]Visuals![/HEADING]
Aesthetically speaking, Limbo is suitably draining. The scenery is over-burdened with black shadows and a total lack of variety. The monochromatic presentation is simple, yet effective in the emotions it wants to provoke. The environment communicates that this isn't an experience to be enjoyed, but to watch unfold. Everything seems to be lacking detail, with the protagonist being made distinct by his bright eyes. The most detailed things around include harsh machinery, defunct structures and insects. It all feeds into the extended metaphor, that this is a visual transcription of depression; well-trodden ground surrounded by the familiar, the old, and the predatory.
The insect imagery is in particular used to great effect. These creatures animate this otherwise indifferent environment with purposeful brutality and vengeance. The player responds in kind to them, often leaving to some visceral, yet troublesome scenarios such as the climax of the spider set piece. The visuals all truly communicate the idea of this enclosed environment, compounded from all sides by mechanisms that only exist to harm and kill. Everything looks simple, but you always feel lost in another world: the forest and the factory alike both represent sprawling organisms through which you tread, having no business in being there.
[HEADING=2]Objective Assessment:[/HEADING]
No resolution settings available. No windowed/fullscreen options. Game defaults to your native resolution. Possible upscaling from 720p involved.
[HEADING=2]Audio![/HEADING]
The music appropriately ranges throughout the game. It is both intense and subtle whenever the levels ask for it to be so. The music neatly mirrors the player's own perception of the situation, often evoking terror at specific moments or a sense of intimidation. Even with this proposal in mind, the music still manages to sound similar throughout. This is possibly due to the cyclical metaphor being in place, that despite the situation, everything is uncaring and imposing, conveyed succinctly by the music and the environment.
The sounds do this too to great effect, in particular in relation to the executions. Every single death is depicted uncomfortably viscerally, to be accompanied by a suitable sudden squelch as the body is strewn across the terrain. In conjunction with the music and the visuals, these elements all converge together to create an oppressive atmosphere. The player is lost in a miasma of despair and monotony, with every single sense informing them of their unsuitability in this world. The audio works to set the player into a haze by negating all sound, and then to suddenly jump start it at the onset of a set piece to break them out of that mindset to remind them that everything is trying to kill them and that they should never feel at ease.
[HEADING=2]Objective Assessment:[/HEADING]
No audio sliders at all.
[HEADING=2]Tangent/Thematic Discussion![/HEADING]
Needless to say, I find Limbo to be frustrating. All the elements are in place to depict a truly unique experience, to truly immerse the player in this cocktail of despair and loneliness that it seems to emulate, only to be compounded by the game's brevity and latent concern of puzzles over presentation. This being one of the games that jump started the 'artsy platformer' sub-genre, I have to give credit to the fact that this game does seem to have a lot of potential for inference on display. Taking apart each one of the elements individually and analysing them could lead to a satisfying conclusion to what Limbo is trying to say, if anything.
But therein lies the problem. Limbo wants us to choose, to decide the meaning of the game, without allowing for arguments for or against. Is it just a neat puzzle-platformer with a thick atmosphere, or is it social commentary on depression? It doesn't necessarily allow for one or the other, leaving only the left-over impression of the end experience to guide the analysis to either direction. This can lead us to conclude that Limbo feels unpolished, or that the designer had to compromise at some point in development. It's true that the game still stands out across the sub-genre, but only barely so. It's emphasis, nay, reliance on presentation to convey feelings and ideas through pure gameplay makes it seem as if there was a lack of confidence in the game. To put it simply, the developers seem to have figured out a neat idea first, then figured out ways to make the player progress through presentations of said idea. I honestly feel that with enough work, Limbo could've pulled it off altogether, but this lack of confidence is especially present at the very ending. The game just finishes, without any greater significance to events whatsoever.
Back in my Gunpoint review, I mentioned how I found the precedent of artsy games to be troublesome for gaming as an art form, since the games themselves favoured to approach the idea of artistic significance through classical methodology of just 'looking' distinct, and I feel that Limbo acts as an example of that sort of mentality. Instead of reeling it in, the developers should have gone wild with the idea and focused on presentation through gameplay. As it stands, the game is only ever emotionally penetrating through it's set pieces and occasionally striking imagery, which is a bit of a shame. It could've been more if it focused either completely on the scenery or completely on the gameplay, instead of the stalemate we have at hand.
[HEADING=1]Final Assessment![/HEADING]
The original 'artsy-platformer', or an evolution thereof. It has a nice presentation that is sadly undermined later on through a short story and a latent over-reliance on puzzles over simple presentation. It has some truly striking moments, but it feels like it could've been even more significant, truly stellar, if more effort had gone into an emphasis of mechanics-as-metaphor.
[HEADING=2]Final Objective Assessment![/HEADING]
Game is severely lacking in technical options. Clocked in at about 3 hours, with a standard price of
£6.99, resulting in a per hour price of £2.33.