I don't get art. Yeah, I can appreciate the effort behind pieces like the Mona Lisa or Scream, but at the end of the day, they're just paintings to me - but Limbo, now that I get. The indie platformer/puzzler from Denmark based PLAYDEAD oozes with ambiance and personality, and it combines that with enough substance to keep you playing until the end, and thinking about it well after you've completed it. Simply put, Limbo gets it right, and it should be in everyone's collection.

It's tough to say just why Limbo works so well. In most games, most of its components, like the instant, almost unavoidable death would be mind numbingly frustrating, but here, they work - and they work well. The best guess is that Limbo never really lets you feel comfortable in the world it's created, and it keeps you guessing until the end. From the start, you're never really sure of anything; who are you? What should you do? Who can you trust? The game gives you little information, you're a young boy who wakes up in a mysterious land and off you go. Within five seconds of starting the game, any idea you had about what feeling comfortable in Limbo is thrown away and you're forced to pay attention to every move Limbo makes; it demands your attention.

"...the puzzles and platforming sections are rarely ever incredibly difficult..."

That uneasy feeling keeps going throughout the entire game. Take for instance early on in the game's first section where you encounter a pretty massive sized spider, of course, you have an idea that this spider is bad news and wants to do you harm, but you never really know exactly what Limbo's rules are and the result is a series of trial and error gameplay that results in pretty much instant death, but is so incredibly rewarding when you figure it out, that it makes it all seem worth it. Oddly enough, the puzzles and platforming sections are rarely ever incredibly difficult, they just require a bit of thinking (or sometimes a lot of thinking) and the solutions always seem so simple once you finish them that they're rarely ever “aha!” moments like you get in other games, but “duh” moments as the solution is often right in front of you the whole time.

Perhaps what's most amazing about Limbo is how it does so much with so little. There's no character progression, and all you ever see of yourself is a shadow with glowing eyes, but by the end of the game, you'll find yourself caring deeply about what happens. Limbo is a pretty violent game, and more often than not the boy will be shredded to pieces or crushed mercilessly; only here, you're going to find yourself doing your best to avoid these horrible deaths; and that's more than I can say for most games.

"...it creates this style that just oozes with ambiance and appeal."

Of course, what's going to cause most people to sit up and take notice of Limbo isn't the gameplay, it's the unique and utterly cool style in the game. It's a mix of shadows and light at the right moment and it creates this style that just oozes with ambiance and appeal. I remember one section, where I had to hop across lighted and electrified letters that formed the word hotel and was utterly amazed at just how cool the entire thing was. There are those who say that the game's sound doesn't compare to the visuals, but it's evident that they work together to create the entire Limbo experience.

If there's one knock against Limbo, it's that it's short - like really short. Some would even say that it's so short that it doesn't justify the purchase price, but it does. Limbo is a game that deserves to be played continuously in one sitting. It's that enthralling of a title.

These may be strong words, but stepping into Limbo for the first time reminded me of the wonder I felt the first time I experienced Mario. It's a rewarding and fun platformer that drips with style and personality. You absolutely need Limbo in your collection no matter what kind of gamer you are.