You may remember publisher/developer Play Dead as the geniuses that birthed LIMBO, the acclaimed and award winning silhouetted puzzle side-scroller that spawned countless aesthetic clones such as Nihilumbra. After six years of silence the team are back with their second title, INSIDE, which has visuals that are much more in-depth in comparison to it's older brother, though the game still centers around a lone boy who must make his way through a dangerous, cold world.
The story of INSIDE is one that is up to the interpretation of the player, as the game contains no written or spoken dialogue at all. That being said, it does feel as though INSIDE takes place in a distant post-apocalyptic/dystopian future, since much of the technology that's portrayed is far advanced to what we have now. There is nearly no animal life to speak of, and the general population of humanity has dwindled to barely above extinction levels. Most of the humans (and animals) that are encountered are aggressive and hostile, as well. Overall, the developer does a great job in setting a cold, desolate tone throughout the entire game, by using a lack of humanity, emotionless death machines, and a dreary, foggy, grey, rainy environment.
Playing much like LIMBO, the control scheme in this game is simple; you can move left and right, jump, and grab certain items. In fact, a good chunk of the time that you'll spend playing this title will be used to run to the right, with the odd stop to solve some puzzles. Sure, this is what a side-scroller is for all intents and purposes, but sometimes the running-to-the-right segments are so long that it allows for the mind to wander away from the game, ultimately causing the player to feel sideswiped when an unexpected death occurs. There are a small variety of puzzles to be solved between the running sections, their difficulty ranging from very easy to mildly stimulating; needless to say, this is not a title for those who seek a large challenge from in-game enigmas.
Other than that, there's not really a whole lot to say about INSIDE. It doesn't contain any revolutionary ideas, it's not overly innovative, and its pricetag comes with a newly discovered Play Dead label premium. These opinions will undoubtedly be unpopular ones, but this review is comprised of points that need to be made. Sure, INSIDE is a decent side-scrolling puzzle platformer, and the cold dystopian setting is an unwelcoming one that makes the player feel consistently on edge, but that isn't to say that this game doesn't have its faults. The game lacks the intense ambiant atmosphere of it's older sibling, though some could argue that the eerily quiet world is much more disturbing, it just seems as though Play Dead forgot to add an atmospheric track to the game. As well, the puzzles are mildly interesting at best, and not very challenging. The pricetag of $21.99 CAD is steep for a title that lasts merely 3 hours, and houses very little replayability.
Rating: 3.0/5.0 - Average, can take it or leave it.The Horror Network
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