LIMBO - Xbox Live Arcade

The readers post their own reviews.
User avatar
VideoGameCritic
Site Admin
Posts: 18106
Joined: April 1st, 2015, 7:23 pm

LIMBO - Xbox Live Arcade

Postby VideoGameCritic » September 4th, 2011, 8:04 pm

Apparently I didn't read this one too closely before I posted it.  I didn't realize he had only played the demo. 

Not sure how long the demo is, but I can see why that would make some people question the validity.

Do you guys think I should remove this one from the review pages?


MoonMetropolis

LIMBO - Xbox Live Arcade

Postby MoonMetropolis » September 4th, 2011, 10:19 pm

I definitely don't think it's fair to bash a game after simply playing the incredibly short demo, which doesn't even finish the first level.  And, whether you like it or not, calling this game "shovelware" is just outrageous.  "Overrated" is one thing, but "shovelware".  Come on, man.  That's a label for games like Ninjabread Man and Trixie in Toyland.

If you don't like the price point, there's always the option to buy the triple-pack, which has Limbo, 'Splosion Man, and Trials HD on one disc.

Skinr

LIMBO - Xbox Live Arcade

Postby Skinr » September 5th, 2011, 12:18 am

[QUOTE=MoonMetropolis]Limbo is a work of interactive art and a cinematic platformer.  The fact that many of the objects blend into the background is part of the puzzle-solving, and trial-and-error has been a part of cinematic platformers since the days of Prince of Persia and Out of This World.  Having a clearly-defined story and giving hints would completely ruin the  brilliant atmosphere of the game.  It's SUPPOSED to be dark, dreary, and monochromatic.  It's one of the most visually-stunning games I've ever seen.  The art is heavily inspired by film noir and German Expressionist elements.

"The camera is fixed in place"?  Are you freaking kidding me, dude?  IT'S A 2-D GAME.

Clearly, this is not the game for you.  If you prefer games like Call of Duty and Halo, that's your opinion and I'm not going to judge you for it.  But don't play the DEMO of a game like Limbo and then bash it because you don't understand it.  I imagine you'd probably also bash games like Out of This World or the recent Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery EP.

[/QUOTE]

Yes, I know it's a 2D game. I do not hate 2D games; some of my favorites (Metroid was mentioned in my previous post) are two-dimensional.

And no, $15 isn't a bad price at all for a new game, but I would only pay that much for a game I like. The only reason I would consider spending money on a bad game is if it's part of a collection (like, say, Ballz or Shaq Fu) or if it has easy Achievements (like Truth or Lies).

I do not think the term "shovelware" is unjustified; if a game looks like it was made in someone's spare time, and isn't very fun, it's not good, no matter how "innovative" it is. Going back to Ballz on the Genesis. Yes, the graphics were innovative for their time, but that doesn;t make the game itself much better.

And yes, I am aware of the challenges involved in making games; I myself made a number of games a few years ago using Game Maker 7. It takes time, energy, and creativity, which I had in moderate supply. But rather than try to solve my issues with sprite coloring and environment skinning by turning everything black, I used what I had. No, my games weren't fabulous, and certainly not worth fifteen dollars. But I liked them, and my friends liked them; I didn't start off by releasing a subpar product and asking for people's money.

Looking at my review, I can see why some people don't think it's fair to bash a game based on the demo. I fully understand this, but I respectfully disagree. The purpose of a demo is to sample the game, similar to sampling food at a grocery store. If you like it, you may end up buying it if you like it enough; if not, you don;t have to. Generally, if the demo of a game is not to my liking, I won't spend money on the game to find out if it gets better, because a lot of the time (Scott Pilgrim vs the World) it doesn't.

All that being said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If yours differs from mine, fine. If you agree with me (which, it seems, few do), I'm fine with that.

True, complaining about the "camera" was a bit much; I haven't been in a great mood the past few days. If I've offended anyone, I'm sorry.

MoonMetropolis

LIMBO - Xbox Live Arcade

Postby MoonMetropolis » September 5th, 2011, 1:44 am

You honestly think the game was put in black-and-white because the developers were LAZY?  The game would look absolutely ridiculous if everything was rainbow-colored.  It's an ART GAME.  The black-and-white graphics ARE PART OF THE APPEAL.  It uses elegant simplicity to create a world of beauty.  The atmosphere is a big part of the game as a whole.

Critics are not just going to praise a game because it's "old-school".  Countless retro-style games have received negative reviews.

I don't think you really understand what "shovelware" is at all.  Shovelware is quantity over quality.  A company might put 52 games on one cartridge (Action 52), but they're all garbage, so it's shovelware. Data Design Interactive makes countless games for the Wii, but they're almost exactly the same, they were ported from the PS2 with zero care, and they all suck, so they're shovelware.  Labeling a small, award-winning independent game that was clearly a labor of love and was entered into numerous festivals as "shovelware" is just ludicrous.

And do you really think that comparing a game to FOOD makes any sense?  When you've taken a bite of food, you know what the whole thing is going to taste like.  It's not going to get any different.  Playing some of the first level of a game is nowhere near enough to give you any idea of what the full experience will be like.

User avatar
VideoGameCritic
Site Admin
Posts: 18106
Joined: April 1st, 2015, 7:23 pm

LIMBO - Xbox Live Arcade

Postby VideoGameCritic » September 5th, 2011, 1:54 pm

I removed this review from the pages since it was based on a trial version and that didn't sit well with many readers.


a1
Posts: 3032
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

LIMBO - Xbox Live Arcade

Postby a1 » September 5th, 2011, 5:43 pm

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]I removed this review from the pages since it was based on a trial version and that didn't sit well with many readers.

[/QUOTE]

Good call. I think the game may be mildly overrated, but it is still a good game. You need to play past the demo to see that, though. Reader reviews can be casual, but I think we need to keep a certain level of professionalism when writing them; writing one based on a demo is unfair and misleading. 


Return to “Reader Reviews”