I warn you now, this review will be very vague as I believe Inside, the next game in-line from the critically acclaimed Limbo by developers Playdead is best played as blind as possible.  A huge part of my enjoyment came from the unexpected and it’s fair to say that this magnificent title knows how to deliver its surprises in such a manner, that it will have you questioning the meaning of this game in such a fantastic way for quite some time.

 

Even from the two of three trailers I saw of Inside prior to playing this game, I knew very little, other then it seemed to follow the story of a young boy on the run and if that’s all you know too, then you’re in for a real treat.  The ending of Inside will likely have you scratching your head, but there are various fan theories on the internet for you to explore.  One of the beauties of this game is that as it begins with you in control of a boy on the run, you naturally assume that this will be the continuation of its story.  But Inside manages to throw several curve balls into the mix, that by the end of its conclusion, you’ll have more than a fair share of your own theories.

 

 

The previous game from Playdead, Limbo, was a fantastic title, but despite my many efforts, my phobia of spiders has thus far haltered my progression in finishing that game, but I swear one day I will finish it.  However, don’t let the lack of spiders make you drop your guard on the assumption that Inside is without its own horrors.  It superbly manages to hit the nerve of many phobia’s and I have no doubts, that on more than one occasion, Inside will make you feel just as uncomfortable as being stalked by that impaling spider, if not more so.  Much like Limbo, Inside forces you into tempting fate and will continuously make you feel unease as it forces you to dance with the devil.

 

As well as being very unnerving, Inside has plenty of well thought out puzzles, with some of its best, having seemingly the most logical of solutions.  Depending on your skill level, these puzzles could keep you in “limbo” for quite some time, which I’m especially thankful of, because despite Inside’s brilliance, it only took me around three hours to finish.  But don’t let that put you off, because for your initial playthrough, it feels like the right campaign length as it keeps you tormented.  Plus, there are many secrets to discover, which leads on to a secret ending (which I’m yet to discover).

 

 

One of Inside’s most impressive assets in my opinion, is how powerful it tells its story.  This is even more impressive when you consider that Inside features no spoken narrative, but instead uses its clever use of audio cues and nail biting soundtrack, both of which are used very sparingly during its entirety, which only adds to its eeriness.  This is aided furthermore by the stunning, yet haunting visuals.  If you are ever on the lookout for a game to be considered a visual work of art, then look no further then Inside.  At times it’s simply breathtaking.

 

While I already had high expectations for Inside, it somehow managed to exceed them.  Some may question its £15.99/$19.99 price-tag, but please, please don’t let that put you off if you’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Playdead’s next outing.  Inside is intriguing, terrifying, haunting, puzzling and quite simply, magnificent.  I can hand on heart say that Inside is a strong contender for game of the year and anyone that owns a PS4, Xbox One or capable PC, you owe it to yourself to play this work of brilliance.

 

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