Control Command Escape

Limbo for Mac OS X

Based on 6 votes

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Developer: Playdead | Reviewed by Ninja Foodstuff June 14, 2012
First released: July 21, 2010 | Mac App Store release: December 21, 2011 | Steam release: January 14, 2012

Gameplay Video

With a minimalist approach to its design, Limbo should feel at home on any Mac. With control of an anonymous boy with no real purpose other than to keep moving onwards, Limbo is at times haunting, brutal and bleak, but an incredible experience nonetheless.

Although essentially a platformer, it will challenge your wits more than your reflexes, much like the original Portal. The controls are stripped down to the bare minimum – the arrow keys move you left, right and left you jump, and there’s an “action” key (shift) that lets you grab onto things or push buttons. But the real game is about timing and interacting with the environment.

It’s all about solving puzzles, and how to keep progressing (if you’re so inclined, you can also hunt down the eggs hidden throughout the game). Failure at any point will inevitably result in the (often horrific) death of the protagonist. Like the adventure games of the 90s, Limbo will sometimes require you to take a break and mull over how to overcome a tricky puzzle, but it is absolutely one of the most gratifying games to play of the last decade (especially the final puzzle).

Performance & Quality

There have been some reports of graphical problems, but we’ve found it to be very smooth and playable. There are no graphics options to speak of, but the visuals are absolutely stunning regardless. The entire game is black and white, with a limited amount of sound (used to extremely good effect). There’s a vignette, grain effect, and a gentle flicker throughout, but it’s used very well and doesn’t become nauseating in the slightest.