INSIDE

Even ‘spoiling’ the game would fail to accurately capture the full extent of what Inside has to offer, and what playing it is like. These might seem like unusual, high-concept ideas for a simple 2D puzzle-platformer, but Inside is a particularly special case.

Inside very clearly builds upon what made Limbo great, and in fact builds something greater. Its unimaginable twist may leave you dumbfounded, confused, and quite possibly speechless, but it will fuel heated discussion with your friends about its meaning, its message, and its intentions.

Inside is part of those games that can mark you for life. Walking in the footsteps of Limbo, it builds its own identity in a beautiful way and improve the formula in absolutely everything we had already fell in love with just a few years ago. A true masterpiece.

As far as puzzle platformers go, Inside is the new benchmark. This is a game that manages to spin a compelling yarn without uttering a single word, and one that is designed so meticulously that the puzzles it contains never once become rote or frustrating.

This is a game that will still be talked about five years from now—even 10 years from now. Inside was pretty much three hours of me shaking my head, clutching my chest, and realizing every few minutes that my mouth was hanging wide open. It’s an analog science-fiction thriller, and so good that it’s impossible to improve upon. It’ll get right inside you.

Inside is as beautiful as it is bleak. A truly fantastic experience that deserves its place among the very best games of the generation.

Inside is a game that simply has to be experienced. Its mystery filled dystopian world is brought to life expertly through tight, thoughtful design, masterful art direction and sublime sound design. Inside isn’t like many other games, because not many others can do so perfectly what it does regularly.

If we had the technology, we’d force all of you to lurch up out of your chairs and go buy this. [November 2016, p64]

Certain standout moments play unlike any other game. Your first play-through may frustrate but the emotional aftermath hammers home the depth of the achievement. It's the nightmare cousin of Journey. [Oct 2016, p.78]

An awesome puzzle game with a fascinating style and a dark, but intriguing storyline. Fans of Limbo shouldn't hesitate.

A blast for your conception of a classical videogame. Extremely clever in its gameplay design. Don't underestimate its sparse graphics and sound. It's all part of the plan.

Playdead has made a game equally interesting both in its gameplay as in its plot. Everything feels so natural and the combination of puzzles, platforms and sidescrolling enhances the formula already used in Limbo. Inside will be in your mind well after you've finished it, and its ending's many interpretations make an overall superb experience and a remarkable game.

It does so much right in terms of design and stealth however at times lacks in terms of ‘new’ and ‘exciting’ gameplay with regards to the puzzles.

If you liked Limbo (or even if you didn’t, maybe?), or found yourself piqued just a little by what you’ve seen of Inside, then go snatch it up. It’s a rabbit hole that you’ll find comfort in diving into.

A worthy follow-up to Limbo, that challenges in terms of both its fiendish puzzles and its harrowing storytelling.

This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo. Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence.