In today’s post, we’re talking about two games we’ve been playing a couple of weeks ago, namely Limbo and Inside. They were created by the same developer and are very similar in many respects, so my rating is similar for both. You can now read how I found them.

First of all the general. As already mentioned, these are two games from the same developer, the Danish studio “Playdead”. The stories of the two games have nothing to do with each other; however, the mechanics, design and general feel of the two games is very similar. You can definitely tell that the same idea was behind it.

The main differences are that “Inside” looked a bit more “polished” in some places. The graphic style was refined, the controls were a bit better (although they weren’t bad in the first part either) and there were more ideas as far as the puzzles go – otherwise both games are superficially the same.

But what are these games actually? I honestly can’t answer that. For me, frankly, they were a waste of time. I can’t say anything about these games that stood out in any way – or stood out at all. Points like “The controls were precise” or “The graphics were high-resolution” are true, but nothing I wouldn’t expect in a relatively recent game. The games didn’t crash either, but that’s nothing special either.

I can’t even say exactly what genre I would put these games in. Officially it’s probably puzzles and platformers – I couldn’t tell. The stories in both games are essentially “keep moving to the right”. In the first part you end up with a girl who is digging in the ground, in the second part you are absorbed by a shapeless thing made of people and you end up at the sea in the sunset. I don’t know what to read into it as there were no other events apart from the occasional hunt by evil people.

But a good puzzle game doesn’t necessarily need the best story – theoretically. Because I didn’t find the puzzles in either game particularly challenging. Mainly you pushed boxes, moved switches or controlled alien beings to push boxes or move switches – well. The first part had a few (and I’m talking about two or three) puzzles at the end involving gravity and magnets. These were actually interesting, but quickly over as well.

Story unknown, puzzles rather mediocre – what’s left? Maybe the atmosphere. However, that didn’t really work for me. I claim that well-made games can get me very excited, and that I get uncomfortable when the sound and the environment are right has been seen often enough. But this game didn’t trigger anything in me. The music was okay – nothing more, nothing less. It wasn’t elevator music, but it faded out for me after a while. And then you kept running to the right until you finally got to the end, done.

Overall I was hoping for more from the games. They were suggested to me several times and seem to be generally well rated, but that was not enough for me. I was missing any kind of content or feeling that the game presented to me – besides boredom I mean. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to play both on PS Plus or Gamepass, so it’s not a financial loss for me. Anyway, I won’t recommend this game.

How do you see it? Do you agree with me Have I perhaps overlooked something and you have a completely different opinion? Feel free to discuss it with me on Discord!