What to say about Inside? Well, as little as possible, honestly, except that if you?re one for truly unforgettable gaming experiences (and are still fortunate enough to be one of the few who hasn?t ruined it already by reading spoilers and watching live streams,) this is one you should NOT miss. I don?t mean to be senselessly ambiguous leading in that way; this is after all a review, so one might hope to learn something, but to provide too much detail about Inside truly is to rob a new player of a landmark gaming experience that slowly unfolds in a series of jaw-dropping moments that range from tense to awe to awful to horrific and everything in between.
First off, as many probably know already, Inside is the second game from independent Danish developer Playdead of Limbo fame. Much like in Limbo, the player starts Inside as a small boy alone in a foreboding woods, and from that alone, one might want to jump to the conclusion that Playdead has done little more than ?more of the same? with their newest game, but near immediately, it becomes evident that the tones of Limbo and Inside diverge on two very different paths.
Inside takes place in what can best be described as a bleak Orwellian societal dystopia, a far cry from the disjointed fantasy nightmare of Limbo. Saying so spoils nothing as the overt themes of control, conformity and slavery are established very early on in the narrative when you witness humans carted away in large trucks and the boy you control being hunted by masked men armed with flashlights, guns and vicious guard dogs. And it?s in the gameplay that Inside further distances itself from its spiritual predecessor. While still a puzzle-platformer on the surface, this time out, the focus is purely on the highly implicit narrative and less about taxing and tricking players with trial-and-error puzzles that might have them spending more time searching for YouTube solutions than playing the game. Inside never feels unfair, tricky or cheap; in that vein, it is far easier than Limbo. Its puzzles are organic and minor hindrances built intuitively into the environment that are meant to instill feelings of tension rather than protracted frustration; you?ll spend more time ?figuring out the world? out and far less time figuring out ?how[i/] in the world.? Puzzles aside, Inside becomes a dark, 2.5D side-scrolling adventure with platforming elements. Progress is primarily made left-to-right, but there are always elements in the depths of the background to be cognizant of, sometimes clues, sometimes hazards, sometimes both. Despite no shortage of antagonists, there are no elements of direct combat per se; your entire adventure will be spent defending yourself using elements of stealth and misdirection under the weight of feeling utterly helpless and alone as you progress further from the bleakest real into the darkest surreal.
As far as the technical aspects, I?ll start with the fantastic art style; it?s perfectly suited to the tone of the game. The red shirt of the literally faceless boy is the brightest flash of color you?ll see amidst the pallid greens, blues and greys that define the world around him. Built with the Unity engine, the animations are smooth and natural, and the water, fog and lighting effects are second to none, especially when comparing Playdead?s 25 person team to the teams of hundreds behind many of the lackluster run-of-the-mill AAA titles out there. But if I had to pinpoint one area of the whole that stands out for me, (and believe me, it?s like ?Sophie?s Choice,?) it would have to be the sound design. I never quite realized his brilliance before save for knowing how much I loved the sound design in Limbo, but after researching Martin Stig Andersen (the lead sound designer in both games,) it?s more than evident the effort that went into ensuring that the sound team worked closely with artists and programmers throughout the game?s development to create the most perfect melding of the three disparate specializations I?ve ever personally witnessed. I could rattle off a dozen moments that I just had to put the controller down and soak up what I was witnessing between my eyes, ears, brain and heart, but I?m betting you?ll know them when you experience them.
I won?t go into further details, but will say that with the themes in place, the perfect pacing wherein the player never feels stuck and a clear commitment to making each moment unique, memorable and more compelling than the last, Inside is a daisy chain of increasingly surreal ?WTF?!?? moments that will immerse you like no other game before it and will undoubtedly keep you guessing and questioning long after the credits roll. With a team of people few enough to fill up half a short bus, Playdead has crafted something few AAA developers could never hope to: a definitive and instant classic that will be talked about, played, replayed and, most importantly, REMEMBERED forever.
First off, as many probably know already, Inside is the second game from independent Danish developer Playdead of Limbo fame. Much like in Limbo, the player starts Inside as a small boy alone in a foreboding woods, and from that alone, one might want to jump to the conclusion that Playdead has done little more than ?more of the same? with their newest game, but near immediately, it becomes evident that the tones of Limbo and Inside diverge on two very different paths.
Inside takes place in what can best be described as a bleak Orwellian societal dystopia, a far cry from the disjointed fantasy nightmare of Limbo. Saying so spoils nothing as the overt themes of control, conformity and slavery are established very early on in the narrative when you witness humans carted away in large trucks and the boy you control being hunted by masked men armed with flashlights, guns and vicious guard dogs. And it?s in the gameplay that Inside further distances itself from its spiritual predecessor. While still a puzzle-platformer on the surface, this time out, the focus is purely on the highly implicit narrative and less about taxing and tricking players with trial-and-error puzzles that might have them spending more time searching for YouTube solutions than playing the game. Inside never feels unfair, tricky or cheap; in that vein, it is far easier than Limbo. Its puzzles are organic and minor hindrances built intuitively into the environment that are meant to instill feelings of tension rather than protracted frustration; you?ll spend more time ?figuring out the world? out and far less time figuring out ?how[i/] in the world.? Puzzles aside, Inside becomes a dark, 2.5D side-scrolling adventure with platforming elements. Progress is primarily made left-to-right, but there are always elements in the depths of the background to be cognizant of, sometimes clues, sometimes hazards, sometimes both. Despite no shortage of antagonists, there are no elements of direct combat per se; your entire adventure will be spent defending yourself using elements of stealth and misdirection under the weight of feeling utterly helpless and alone as you progress further from the bleakest real into the darkest surreal.
As far as the technical aspects, I?ll start with the fantastic art style; it?s perfectly suited to the tone of the game. The red shirt of the literally faceless boy is the brightest flash of color you?ll see amidst the pallid greens, blues and greys that define the world around him. Built with the Unity engine, the animations are smooth and natural, and the water, fog and lighting effects are second to none, especially when comparing Playdead?s 25 person team to the teams of hundreds behind many of the lackluster run-of-the-mill AAA titles out there. But if I had to pinpoint one area of the whole that stands out for me, (and believe me, it?s like ?Sophie?s Choice,?) it would have to be the sound design. I never quite realized his brilliance before save for knowing how much I loved the sound design in Limbo, but after researching Martin Stig Andersen (the lead sound designer in both games,) it?s more than evident the effort that went into ensuring that the sound team worked closely with artists and programmers throughout the game?s development to create the most perfect melding of the three disparate specializations I?ve ever personally witnessed. I could rattle off a dozen moments that I just had to put the controller down and soak up what I was witnessing between my eyes, ears, brain and heart, but I?m betting you?ll know them when you experience them.
I won?t go into further details, but will say that with the themes in place, the perfect pacing wherein the player never feels stuck and a clear commitment to making each moment unique, memorable and more compelling than the last, Inside is a daisy chain of increasingly surreal ?WTF?!?? moments that will immerse you like no other game before it and will undoubtedly keep you guessing and questioning long after the credits roll. With a team of people few enough to fill up half a short bus, Playdead has crafted something few AAA developers could never hope to: a definitive and instant classic that will be talked about, played, replayed and, most importantly, REMEMBERED forever.