Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Inside Review - Microsoft Xbox One

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  

  • Inside Review - Microsoft Xbox One

    If you liked Limbo, you'll like Inside. It's a natural progression, but with huge changes in style, pace and puzzle types, so it's never anything less than totally fresh and exciting. But what if you didn't play Limbo or didn't like it?

    Inside is a sideways scrolling puzzle game, featuring a young boy who appears at the start, with no plot divulged; the plot unveils as you progress. Whilst motion is restricted to 2D, the world is very much 3D, with the camera panning continuously as you move along the set path. The colours are very restricted in pallette, but the effect is incredibly striking, with amazing lighting revealing stunning vistas and architecture. It's much more detailed than Limbo and the world is a little more alive, with people going about their duties in the background and things happening in the distance.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	inside xbox one review 01.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	9.1 KB
ID:	2744011
    The first thing you'll notice is that the constant, and unpredictable insta-deaths of Limbo have been replaced by a much more forgiving play style. You are often running along for quite a while before interacting, instead just taking in the world around you. When you do come across multi-step puzzles to solve, the consequences of getting it wrong are often signposted just enough for you to take action and get it right first time, which is immensely satisfying, even if you scraped through by the skin of your teeth. That's not to say that you'll get very far without making errors and having to repeat, but when you do figure it out on the fly, the sense of achievement is just about right. If you do fail, it's often a case of thinking "should have got that!" rather than "ridiculous!" This might win over a few people who disliked Limbo. The controls are spot on, so most of the time you'll make the jumps you intended or grab the rope you were aiming at, and with only directions for movement, A to jump / drop, and B to interact, they'll be second nature very quickly.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	inside xbox one review 18.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	16.5 KB
ID:	2744012
    The puzzles are varied and you'll look forward to each and every one. I managed to complete the main game without referring to any FAQs, but I still found it challenging - I doubt anyone will ever accuse it of being too easy. You'll probably get stuck in a few areas, really having to think laterally about all the aspects you have control over (position, timing, direction, tasks etc.). Much like Limbo, you have no weapons and have to purely use your environment to hide or blend, or solve a puzzle.

    The plot is pretty out-there. Whilst most of it has disturbing overtones and currents, there are also moments of nightmarish horror chucked in. And a long piece towards the end that is at once both hilarious and gross. There are also moments of self-doubt: should you really go ahead and do this, just to solve a puzzle and progress, but in a world where slavery appears to be the norm, morals generally take a back seat to just surviving. It all gels together perfectly and leaves just enough to the imagination.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	inside xbox one review 09.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	19.0 KB
ID:	2744013
    There are around 5 hours of quality entertainment, and a few more to find all the secrets after the first play through, which then provides a different ending, so it's fantastic value. I found many of the secrets based on the achievement names, but had to look at FAQs for the rest. I worked out where to go after completing the final secret, but opening the door to the alternative ending was not something I would have ever figured out on my own! There are some clever people out there! More importantly, whereas with some games, I'm not bothered about completion, in contrast I was compelled to find out all there is that Inside has to offer. It's a wonderful game in the truest sense of the word and will leave lasting memories of a marvellous journey through an eerie world.
      Posting comments is disabled.

    Categories

    Collapse

    Latest Articles

    Collapse

    • Cosmo Dreamer & Like Dreamer: The Double-D Collection review - Nintendo Switch
      by Briareos Kerensky
      Shoot'em'ups come in all sorts of graphical flavours: fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, modern day, wartime, or even the sexy kind, like Cosmo Dreamer and Like Dreamer, together known as the Double-D Collection.
      Or at least that's what the title and cover would make you think. Publisher Eastasiasoft created a suggestive aura around these games, probably to get more attention than they otherwise would have had, but you cannot judge a game from its cover: yes, there are a couple of gravity-defying...
      10-03-2024, 09:20
    • Nintendo Swtich RoTATE review - a Tate mode gadget
      by briareos_kerensky
      The Switch's hybrid nature and the number of shoot'em'ups available on it created some interesting peripherals like Fangamer's FlipGrip, a plastic cradle to hold Switch's main body vertical with the Joycons attached to the sides; the FlipGrip kept Switch portable but is not compatible with the console's Lite or OLED iterations, and there are no signs of an updated version being studied. Enter Todd Gill, 3D printer extraordinaire. Under the name Retro Frog he designs, prints, and sells (and more o...
      15-10-2023, 07:48
    • Tsuri Spirits review Ace Angler review
      by briareos_kerensky
      Excerpt from the diary of Briareos Kerensky, newly appointed angler of the Oceanography Institute.
      Day 1. I don't usually write diaries, but I've decided to see for how long I can keep this up...not to mention this new job, I don't particularly care about fishing in any kind of incarnation, but there are no fixed hours or minimum time requirements. Got to meet my partners for this job today and they explained my tasks. We've got a supervisor from the institute, the ship's captain, an...
      16-08-2021, 14:34
    • Gal Gun Returns Review
      by briareos_kerensky
      Gal Gun is a light gun style game developed by Inti Creates which originally debuted on the Xbox360 in January 2011, with a PS3 version following one year after. Both titles remained the only ones available only in Japan till now. For the series’ 10th anniversary, Inti Creates, also celebrating their 25th anniversary, produced Gal Gun Returns, a remake featuring updated graphics and new game mode. This is a review of Gal Gun Returns.

      All Gal Guns start with you, the main charac...
      15-02-2021, 15:57
    • Hardcore Mecha Review - PC Steam
      by briareos_kerensky
      Rocket Punch were a small Chinese developer with no games under their belt when they launched the Kickstarter for the then-named Code: HARDCORE. Details were scarce, but the kickass art, and the promise of sidescrolling fast-paced giant robot action was enough to draw backers in, including myself. While still under development the game garnered several awards wherever it was shown, and after a change of title due to Japanese copyright laws, delays typical of Kickstarter projects, and Arc...
      18-07-2019, 16:01
    • Blaster Master Zero 2 Review - Nintendo Switch
      by briareos_kerensky
      The first Blaster Master landed in 1988 on the NES. It gave control over a nimble tank in sidescrolling stages and the tank's pilot in overhead stages, providing players with two distinct playstyles that mixed of exploration, platforming, and enemy killing, something that would be described as Metroidvania today. Blaster Master proved popular enough to receive multiple sequels, the last being re-imagining of the first game on the Wii in 2010. Fast forward to 2017 and Inti Creates released Blast...
      22-04-2019, 08:10
    Working...
    X