With 3D games, first person shooters and mind-blowing effects taking over the video game industry, its a wonder how the small side-scrolling game Limbo became a success. A press release indicates that the multi-platform download title has sold over a million copies and will expand to Mac formats soon. But how did a black and white game with minimal sound and basic graphics become a success?
Limbo Game Dynamics
Even though Limbo is a side-scrolling game, there is no comparison to the family-friendly world of Super Mario Brothers. The game follows a young boy who wakes up in the woods and must escape as he travels past bear traps, giant spiders and other obstacles. The death scenes feature a violent variety of bone crushing and decapitating body parts.
The visual design and simple gaming is part of what leads to its success. There’s nothing out there like this game and the basic sound effects not only add an eeriness to the game, but a visual break from all the Call of Duty explosions and Sonic’s blue blurs. The design is reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie and I’m sure an animated adaptation of the game would be a huge hit.
The puzzles within the game, make players think, process and solve multiple puzzles. The success of solving the puzzle and surviving drives a player to further himself through levels.
Expansion on the Mac
The Limbo is currently available on PCs, Xbox 360 and PS3, but the expansion on Macs will only increase the popularity. If iPad and iPhone users get access to the game download, the popularity of Limbo could increase further overnight. The simple controls make it perfect for portable devices and expansions on the Nintendo 3DS or the PS Vita.
Limbo 2
Limbo was originally released in 2010 and after two years and growing on the market, gamers are ready for a sequel. As long as the creators continue the story and stick to the original, Limbo 2 could be just as popular as the original title.
The game has endless possibilities for levels, obstacles and puzzles to challenge gamers. The new “Minimalist” trend of video games could catch on and spread through other titles and developers, but everything will be compared to Limbo before all others.