*Threadjack* So, I finally played and beat Inside (2016) (Gaming)

by Korny , Dalton, Ga. US. Earth, Sol System, Wednesday, January 04, 2017, 15:25 (2880 days ago) @ CyberKN

Disclaimers: I really enjoyed Limbo, so my expectations for this game were fairly high, although I read a hyperbolic review by the huge fanboy Ryan Mccaffrey that helped remind me to temper my expectations. That said, I was able to go into the game completely unspoiled.


Mechanics:
Identical to Limbo, so if you played that one, you know the controls, the physics, the puzzles. Not a bad thing, since it's engaging and simple without slowing the pacing of the game. I love that you can see where the hidden objects are, and figuring out how to use the tools at your disposal to reach them is often more fun than the puzzle that you're supposed to be figuring out.

I do have a few quibbles- There is a bit of frustrating design where I'd often be triggering actions and animations with the Submersible that I wasn't trying to. And sometimes there aren't any context clues for what you can and can't do, so you might be the victim of a few unfair deaths.

Level Design:
The puzzles are often too simple, which again, is good for pacing, but it's really dumbed down compared to Limbo's "Aha!"-causing brainteasers. Other than that, the levels are never confusing, and the atmosphere is always really great. Moving from area to area does feel like a natural progression, and the hidden objects are always fun to get to. Honestly, I feel like the game should have placed a greater emphasis on needing to find them, if only because many people will miss out on some of the best puzzles in the game.

Story/Mood:
Everyone says to go into the game completely blind in order to avoid spoiling "The Twist™", but I'd say that it really doesn't matter, because although there are a vague number of puzzle pieces to stitch together, the final twist comes out of nowhere, and the game does nothing to earn it or have the puzzle pieces come together enough to paint a picture afterwards. On the flipside, the game does give you enough to work with that you understand and are willing to roll with the twist, even if it doesn't answer more than a couple of questions (and one of those is left for players to interpret), but it didn't come as much of a shock as it seems to be for some people, so I don't think you should bend over backwards to avoid a gameplay twist in a game with only vague hints of a story.

I did find all of the hidden objects, and got the "secret" ending before I got to the twist, so things kind of made more sense in that context, but again, I don't think most players will bother going out of their way for this extra bit of info (and it's a lot of work for a single important detail), so the story suffers just that little bit more for it.

Final thoughts:
While I enjoyed the experience, I wouldn't call Inside a "Masterpiece". Heck, I wouldn't even say that it's better than Limbo. But the atmosphere is fantastic, and once you get to the twist, you buy into it, and everything afterwards elicits emotion very well (I sure as heck didn't spare the director's life), which I can't say for a whole lot of games that I've played recently.

I'd give it a 7/10. Well worth the $9, but not the original $20 asking price.