So lets get into it!

Kudos to Nerd Rage for the quality laughs!

And we have Awkward Zombie to thank for the next batch of laughs!

And Cyanide and Happiness rounds us out today!

There would have been more Cyanide and Happiness, since they are among my personal, preferred comics spots, but apparently their site is down right now. Fear not, they left us this .gif below to tide us over while they are performing  maintenance on their website.

I’ll leave you with a bonus video or two! Have a great week!

(Thats right, I dabble in photography!)

It’s been a long while since I’ve been able to truly sink my teeth into a quality anime series. The last 3 or so series didn’t really do much for me; Eureka Seven AO, for example, ended up being a colossal disappointment, so I’ve been wary when it comes to new anime. I’ve been off my anime game for a while now, wanting and waiting to find the right show to draw me back into the wonderful world of Japanese animation,  and with Pyscho-Pass, I’m ecstatic to report that it seems I’ve finally found my way back.

So lets talk about my first impressions of the show

*No spoilers ahead*

Psycho-Pass takes place sometime in the near future-25-40 years from now, give or take, where it is possible to “instantaneously measure and quantify a person’s state of mind and personality. This information is recorded and processed, and the term “Psycho-Pass” refers to a standard used to measure an individual’s being.”  In other words, they have the technology to predict whether a person has the capabilities to commit crimes or not. The show centers around a task force of Enforcers and Detectives, whose purpose is to locate and neutralize threats as effectively as possible, and maintain order in this society.

The shows main protagonists are Shinya Kogami, Akane Tsunemori, Nobuchika Ginoza, Tomomi Masaoka, Shusei Kagari, Yayoi Kunizuka and Shion Karanomori.

I’m about 4 episodes in so far-and honestly I would have just kept watching, if not that I had to summon all the willpower I have in me to tear myself off the screen so I could write this review- and its been a great ride. The shows futuristic, cyber-punk setting acts as a great backdrop, and makes for interesting scenarios and plot points. The world-building in this show is very well done and extremely interesting, although they could ease up just a tad bit on the info-dumps, which might become too much to digest so quickly for some new viewers, but its par the course for the first bunch of episodes of any show. Overall, the world these characters live in is very intriguing, and should make for some great story-telling scenarios in future episodes.

Each character is extremely intriguing so far, and I find myself wanting to know more about them as they all appear on screen. Every character has their own established motivations and reasons for doing what they are doing, as well as their their own opinions on the methods that they use to protect people and bring order into society. It’s very interesting just listening to a couple of the characters muse about a case they are working on, and getting each person’s viewpoints. The show deals a lot with topics like this, and what it means to live in a world where you might be apprehended for a crime you didn’t even commit yet. Is the government at fault for constantly stressing people to always behave “at their best”? Is the system broken? Should these people be persecuted even though they haven’t done anything wrong but have the potential to do things? Questions like these are being tackled throughout the show, but the writing is such that the themes do not come off as heavy-handed or shoved down your throat.

Criminal Investigation Division agents get to carry an awesome looking gun called the Dominator, which can paralyze or kill targets, although the Dominator can only fire on those whose Pyshco-Pass reading is too high above the “Crime Coefficient“, and thus have been deemed “Latent Criminals.” 

The Dominator!

Production I.G. does not slack at all when it comes to the animation on this show; the mood is tinted and muddy, drawing an almost noir-esque feel that is very appropriate for the shows detective leanings. The juxtaposition of shiny futuristic technology with a dark noir tint makes for great eye-candy, and its an absolute pleasure just sitting and watching the show.

Story-wise, the show excels at making things fresh. The cases that the team has investigated so far have all been very intriguing and well executed, with edge of your seat tension-building, some awesome action set pieces and smart detective work. The plotting has just been great!

So here I am, with the biggest grin on my face, just from thinking about watching more Psycho-Pass. Only 4 episodes in and so far not one single jarring blemish from this show; only anticipation of the future awesomeness to come in the proceeding episodes. If the glowing first impressions from the first 4 episodes are anything to go by, I think I’m in for an excellent ride!

(A full review of the show will be posted after I’ve completed it)

While the world at large is facing horrid situations that are enormous in scope, we forget that to every individual person, their life and the going-on’s in their life is the most important thing. Everyone is essentially the star of their own movie, and you rarely ever get a true, vivid glimpse into their inner most workings. You, the curious outsider, never really gets to know what that person you are observing is thinking; you never get to know why he or she is making the decision that they are making, what logical or emotional forces brought them to that decision or how they feel in that moment in time when making their decision. Life isn’t much like a novel where you can read and fully grasp the inner-most thoughts of the protagonist; you never know what someone wants, or what they are thinking, unless they simply tell you.

So that’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to tell you guys and gals what is on my mind, what I have been doing since I took an unexpected and frankly speaking, unwarranted break from writing for Dancil, what my future holds for me, and what is important to me at this moment in time.

I Dropped Dancil like a hot potato:  Earlier this year, I decided I needed to make some changes to myself, so I could become the man I always wanted to be. I decided I was going to need to take charge, grab the bull of life by the horns, do something, do anything. So I focused on school and my studies, I left Dancing Silhouettes to the way-side, and I watched the humble empire that Phylix and I built with so much blood, sweat, tears and emotion, start to crumble, piece by piece. As someone who once poignantly advocated for people to open themselves up to other avenues and not be so caught up with formal education, I sure as all-fuck came off as a big hypocrite.

I became frustrated with all music: It’s not silly hyperbole when I say that every single album I’ve listened to this year has been underwhelming. I exhausted most of these albums in a matter of days, some I barely got through the first listen. Let’s run it down real quick: I didn’t like Wolf, the 20/20 Experience, Bankrupt!, Mosquito, Monomania, Indicud (No chance in hell for that one, really), Wrathe of Caine, Comedown Machine, Holy Fire, Long*Live*A$AP, or any Naija song that came out in the past 6 months. Funny enough, the only album that has lasted over a month on rotation this year, Embrace, is the only one I paid for.  Absolutely nothing is doing it for me. I’m starved for new music; I get frustrated and agitated listening to the same shit over and over. I feel it’s killing me slowly. Music recommendations welcome, by the way.

I withdrew from a Course: I was taking this one class, with this one horrible Professor. For the sake of discretion, I won’t mention any names or specifics, but all I’ll say is that I needed to get out. That professor was driving me crazy and depressing me. I barely learned a single thing in his class and I was failing out the ass. He spent class time going on useless tirades about world issues instead of teaching; he was a horrible teacher who showed that he didn’t care for some of his students or give a damn. I needed to get out, so I did. I’ve never done something like that in my life, and it was probably one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. Suffice to say, my family was not happy with me, but most of all, I wasn’t happy with myself. I needed to get out.

I quit Twitter: Some regulars might have noticed that my Twitter moniker @suburban_muse hasn’t been active for a while now. You can cool your jets and call off the search dogs; I’m still alive and breathing. I left Twitter because I needed to. I looked at my life and everything that was wrong with it, and that website stuck out like a soar thumb. Some of the people on that site disgust and depress me, yet for some weird reason, I feel socially obligated to keep following them. Instead of pursuing my own happiness and mental health, I worry about some perceived slight caused by unfollowing a random dude on the internet. I realized that I was placed so much unwarranted value on a website, and that was reason enough for me to decide that I’ve had my fill of the cynicism, superiority complex, pretentiousness, bitterness, ignorance, idle gossip and general uselessness of the majority of “Naija Twitter”. I wanted to get out. I needed to get out.

I started to improve myself: Remember when I decided to grow up but essentially did nothing? Yeah well, this time, I did something. I woke up one morning, and I said, if I want something, I’ll have to go out and get it, only when I do that, will I be truly rewarded. It’s simple really: look sharp, act sharp, BE SHARP. I recently started working out; nothing too drastic, just a couple push-ups, squats, some lifting etc. I’m not trying to be Mighty Igor. I eat healthier food now; I’ve cut out the caffeine, and greasy foods. I try to get a decent amount of sleep, I read more novels and classic, historical or educational literature, and I’m working on improving my inner-self, changing my mind-set, becoming a better person. I was extremely sheltered as a child, and I’ve been working to break that shell and put myself “out there”, ya know? Go out more, do more. All things considered, it’s going good, although I haven’t worked out in about 10 days. I really should fix that before I slip right back into the old, lethargic routine that I was so desperately trying to escape from. The one thing I’ve learned this year is that, if I want life and all the good things living entails, then I’ll have to earn it.

I have to make grown up decisions now: I’m not gonna lie, I’m afraid, like that creeping feeling you get when you think about your impending, inevitable death, when I think about my coming adulthood, I get scared shitless. I get scared of failing, so like we do with death, I just decide not to think of it, even though I know it’s coming, and as the days pass, it gets harder to ignore it. I can’t get into too much detail, but I’m facing so many major crossroads that come with becoming an adult. It’s funny, because, at the most base level, most of it can easily be boiled down to what I want for myself Vs. what my elders want for me. I consider my situation and my place in life, and then realize some would be lucky to be where I am right now, in my comfortable queen-sized bed, on my fancy-smansy laptop, with Honey-Nut cheerios in my belly, facing some of these problems. So many quintessential questions come to mind: what do I want to do with my life? Will I make money? Is this the right decision for where I want to get to in life? Where do I want to get to in life? I was talking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago: she wants to be a Doctor; I asked her if that’s what she really, truly wanted with her life, she said not particularly, but she gives it her all and it’s worth it because it pays well in the future. I was shocked at first, but then a bit comforted, at least I’m not alone. A lot of people give me shit for being my age and still enjoying things like anime and Pokémon and cartoons and comics and shit. You know why I like those things?  Besides objective reasons such as quality of story-telling, animation blah, blah, for me, it boils down to simple nostalgia. These things that I bury myself and escape in, if only for a few hours help me to bear the burdens of the world. Nostalgia makes me feel better. It reminds me about a time when all I had to do was wake up and just “be”, not be anything in particular like a bread-winner, husband or perfect employee, but just “be”. It’s 30 or so days to my 21^st birthday, and all I can think about is how much I miss quixotic Detanfy.  So with that, I want to share with you something I’ve learned on my journey in life: Most people just want to be “Okay”, keeping in mind that “okay” means vastly different things for different people, but at the base level, all most people want is to be okay. We don’t necessarily wish for “fantastical” or “miraculous”. Just being Okay and being happy is good enough for most people.

Adulthood is coming. All I can do is take responsibility. Its time to nut up or shut up!

I answered the Call to Arms: In the dead of night, when the world was sleeping, Phylix and I had made something new. The Collective was created. The Collective thrived for a long era, reaching heights thought unattainable by its inventors. I mean, for the love of God, we were referenced, as a legitimate source of information, by io9.com. Sometimes I forget what Dancing Silhouettes has achieved in its short life-span. Sometimes, I forget what I have achieved in my life-span. Eventually, Dancil waned, and the Collective grew weak, but Dancil would not let this darkness linger for long. There was a call to arms, and it was loud and clear. Dancil called, and how could I not answer? I’m here and this is what I have to offer: My  thoughts, my trivial pursuits, my struggle with maintaining adolescence and the desire to grow-up, my love, my hate, my interests, my opinions, my life in so many words.

I hope you enjoy this ride as much as I do, it’s only beginning.

A big hand for these wonders. Next week, we see how potatoes can smile and what happens when you cross a chicken with a cow (Hint: it’s not Taco Bell).
Stay safe amigos!

Psy rocks this one without even trying so hard to make another Gangnam Style, which is a good thing. Gangnam Style was one thing, and as popular as it got, it had to go down after Harlem Shake came up (which has theoretically gone down too); so Psy focusing on the future and what he can do with his jonesing is the way to go. But what am I talking about? Get your phrase receptors ready to light up because you’re going to grab some sticky notes to use through out your days ahead after watching the video. And, to make matters even better, Psy has a new dance for us in this one!

A little note though, at the time of posting this, the video had passed 200 million views on YouTube. Goes to show that this dude apparently isn’t just a one-hit wonder, and he wouldn’t settle with such either. Is there really much else to say besides ‘Look at those awesome trousers!’

Those trousers…

Oh yeah, that and the dance moves. So, satiate your hunger or thirst with some gifs!

Those bums

Arguably one of the best scenes

Ah-llang-gah-mo-lla

Good…

Let’s muse lightly over the basics

This is a game journal post, and so shouldn’t be treated like an official review for the game. It’s partly like a review, but without the cynic trappings of formality. Also, there may be minor spoilers in this, but nothing too great as to reveal major plot details.

Facts You Should Know

Name of the game is Alice: Madness Returns

Available on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows (this version was played)

Released in North America on the 14^th of June, 2011 and in Europe on the 16^th of June, 2011

Developed by Spicy Horse, Published by Electronic Arts

Play time is within the range of 12-18 hours depending on how much you explore, the hidden items you look for (pig snouts, hidden memories, tiny doorways, etc.) and how fast you advance through chapters

Played this on an Asus X54C Laptop; specs include – 6GB RAM, Intel Pentium B960 CPU running at 2.2 GHz and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor.

Let’s dive back into the insanity of the moment then shall we?

The Story

Alice: Madness Returns follows the story of 19 year old Alice Lindell after she was released from Rutledge Asylum in American McGee’s Alice, as she was admitted there after she ran insane, believing herself to be responsible for the fire that claimed the lives of her parents and sister as well as burned down her house. After spending 10 years in a catatonic state, stricken with survivor’s guilt, Alice falls on hard times and goes into an orphanage under the care of Doctor Angus Bumby, a psychiatrist who relies on hypnotism to help troubled children forget horrible memories of their pasts. However, Alice does not believe that the fire which killed her family was an accident, and begins going through Wonderland, corrupted once again this time by the Infernal Train and Ruins (the original had Wonderland corrupted by the Queen of Hearts). In Wonderland, she comes across old friends and foes and tries to stop the Infernal Train from taking over Wonderland completely, in the process getting her memories back and remembering what exactly happened the night of the fire and who was responsible for it.

The Gameplay

Alice: Madness Returns offers players 3D carnage. I believe that’s a good way to shoot this off. The game begins in London, with Alice looking sick and pale and the general colour dull shades of everything. London Alice only moves around and interacts with a few people or objects, but nothing much else. The London parts are like intermissions between new Wonderland areas. An event is always responsible for the transition, so London Alice’s playthrough is a pretty linear deal; no side missions or discoveries (as far as I can tell) that you would find. Then there’s Wonderland Alice. She looks healthier than her London counterpart, and is fiercer and more sarcastic than she was in the original title. In Wonderland, you control Alice through several areas, jumping, shrinking (after she gulps some Shrink Juice (not official name)) and fighting your way through to progress through the story. You begin actually attacking when you first acquire the Vorpal Blade (same one used in the original) and then later on get the Pepper Grinder.

Overall, there are 4 upgradable weapons to obtain, and with the linear nature of the game, you can’t miss them.  Weapons are upgrading by collecting the necessary amount of teeth and using them. Upgrading the Vorpal Blade adds more sinister slashes to Alice’s combos. Upgrading the Pepper Grinder increases the number and intensity of shots you can fire before the Grinder jams. The third weapon, the Hobby Horse becomes fiercer looking and more destructive when upgraded. And the fourth weapon, the Teapot Cannon gives more powerful teabags that splash harder while the Teapot gains more shots without overheating when upgraded. You also acquire a parasol that lets you deflect projectiles, and a bunny clockwork doll that’s a bomb with a timer. Pretty neat huh?

The game is played in a third person perspective, so you can see everything happening around Alice by moving her and/or the camera angles. At certain points in the game, you’re asked to push the action key to view a place of interest from an overhead sort of view, without compromising your location.

Fights are pretty solid in the game, with the ability to chain combos between the Vorpal Blade and Hobby Horse, making for some pretty good fast and heavy hits. This is especially effective when fighting heavy enemies (like the dollies in Dollhouse, they still make me shudder). In some cases however, enemies flock all around you and your best bet is dodging through and through while slicing them whenever possible. Then there are the memories. These little bits are distinct in their appearance and nature. For example, a transparent rotating house means it’s a memory involving Alice’s family. A pen means it’s a memory involving the asylum. Glasses are those of the orphanage, etc.

The Music

Creaky violins. That’s the first thing I’ll tell you. Alice: Madness Returns is filled with violins, like those beautiful works of art are meant to make the psychological horror part stick out. Fortunately, it does. Alice: Madness returns doesn’t boast that many musical scores that pop out in your ears, but the ones that do, do so in such a way that you’re familiar with the fact that this is meant to be scary. And then you get scared.

The Art

Graphics would be more appropriate in this case, but considering art has been the norm, we can deal. The environments of London are eerie and done in a Victorian era, with all the drinking, prostitution and debauchery toned out well. Ugly people look like caricatures of their ugliness, and the textures look real. I had to tone them down a bit though, so the game could be playable on my system. In Wonderland, the environments are full of lushness and colours. Even the parts that exhale darkness don’t do it in black and white, but in several shades of colours that will still make you rotate the camera angle.

At The End of the Day

Alice: Madness Returns scared me on several occasions. Luckily, they weren’t on the level of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis or Clock Tower 3 scary; that would have been another story altogether. Admittedly the lengthy nature of the game got tiring at some point, and considering the linearity of the game (it not being a sandbox title and all) the novelty of its story’s hidden secrets began to wear off. But considering I never ended American McGee’s Alice (I couldn’t beat Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee), learning about Alice’s past through Madness Returns was intriguing to say the least, and exhilarating when it came to cutting the opposition and learning the truth behind it all. So it’s something I actually enjoyed sinking my time into, because even though it’s a 2011 game, it still feels nice in 2013. Plus, I got to use Alice as a giant. Why would I pass that up?

Stomp Stomp Stomp!!!

As always, we don’t have any propriety rights over these videos. The reason they’re here is pure fandom, I’m a big fan of TomSka and hell yeah you should be too! Check out his YouTube channel if you’re heavy on the downers and need something to pick that mood up sky high. It never hurts get a little jiggle in that belly when you’re laughing so hard you’re tearing up.
Have a splendid day folks!

There Was Nothing

Followed by Everything

Swirling, Burning Specks of Creativity that circled Idea-Birthing minds

And Then….

We Faded into the Darkness

*************************************

It was the spark that started the fire; a legend that grew in the tweeting.

Some believe it began the moment Detanfy made First Contact with new readers.

Others said it was when Dancil was Broken in the Summer of 2012.

Many more think it was when the frustrated citizens Occupied Nigeria, representing the Green-White-Green.

They were all wrong

*************************************

As it happened before The Guide 

Before The Wizkid Post

and before The Poems

*************************************

It Started with Two Friends.

It started with an idea.

“Entertainment in a simple yet artistic Manner”

*************************************

It was a summoning

She is the boss; Our Oga at the very Top

So when she called, what writer would not answer?

*************************************

It started with an idea

The spark that started the fire was organized randomness

Dancil Spoke and gave the idea form

She said the words, and made it real.

She said…

“They need to keep doing what they love and enjoy”

We need to keep doing what we love and enjoy.

I need to keep doing what I love and enjoy.

And how could I not?

I am of The Collective.

***************************************

Let me go straight to the point. We’ve been failing heads and tails all over and I can’t even begin to scratch the surface of what’s going on with the Dancing Silhouettes family.
Pfft… family.

We haven’t been looking out for each other as far back as months now. We’ve left ourselves dangling on the edges, only coming to our individual rescues when the damage has properly been made and we’re trying to salvage what is left. That’s what it’s come to… Salvagers.
We’re not even doing a good job of salvaging what we’re meant to salvage; if at all that’s the aim of the goal (goals have aims too).
It makes me wonder… are we using our brains right? Putting them to the task they’re supposed to undertake, making sure we succeed and move forward? Or are we just being baseless, giving excuses about what’s up with why we’ve left these grounds fallow for so long?

Uhhhhhhh

I’m sure some of you have been wondering the same thing too…

I mean, come on. It’s the third week in April and ‘The Collective’ (as they’ve so chosen to brand themselves) hasn’t done squat in what they said they were going to do. Do you know how much paperwork we got down together on the plans for the first few months? I’ll spare you all the details because I won’t go pretty with them. Suffice to say, the boys haven’t even gone quarter way with what they’ve got to offer on the table.
My anger (as I would so lightly put it) is mainly towards Detanfy and Phylix. Why? I live the grounds in their hands to run and what do I get? 2 game journals, a Beyonce themed outcrop, a Game of Thrones trailer and a mash of funnies? Where’s the originality? The ingenuity that I left the boys with before I went on my sabbatical? What happened to the passion these boys had locked in them?

Normally I’d go hit them in the head myself, but then I thought doing that wouldn’t do much. They’re Ibadan boys, hitting their head wouldn’t make them budge. But maybe showing them up for all to read could do something. Am I being harsh? Mayhaps so. Why am I being harsh? Because this is something they love doing and I’m not ready to see them turn into boring young adults who start reminiscing about the past and how cool and active they were (like that one guy in Sexy Evil Genius).

I can’t have these bros being deep with their plans and making out pathways and backup plans, then start chasing their tails when it comes to breaking it down… you know, like a dawg would do?

Do I really need to tell you all the potential these guys have? I don’t think so. They need to keep doing what they love and enjoy, because gaddamnit those are the rules. You do what you love and enjoy because that’s part of what adds colour to your life. If not, you join the boring group of ‘mediocrates’ who roam about trying to gray out other people’s colours. I won’t have that, no. Rather I close down the whole Dancing Silhouettes project that leave it to become a shell of its original casing, lying around with no sense of bravado in its veins.
Time to have a talk with the boys, girl’s style.

This is a game journal post, and so shouldn’t be treated like an official review for the game. It’s partly like a review, but without the cynic trappings of formality. Also, there may be minor spoilers in this, but nothing too great as to reveal major plot details.

Facts You Should Know

Name of the game is Limbo

Available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Microsoft Windows (version played), Mac OS X, PS Vita, Cloud (OnLive)

Released for the platforms from July 2010 – March 2012, with the Vita version to be announced 2013

Developed by Playdead, Published by Microsoft Game Studios and Playdead

Play time is within the range of 2-6 hours depending on the hidden eggs you look for, how fast you solve puzzles and how many times you die

Played this on an Asus X54C Laptop; specs include – 6GB RAM, Intel Pentium B960 CPU running at 2.2 GHz and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor.

Now that’s out of the way, we can move onward into oblivion.

The Story

Officially, there’s no story for Limbo. Besides the established bit that says “Unsure of his sister’s fate, a boy enters the unknown” there’s nothing else about Limbo that lets us know what exactly is going on. Even the ending of the game is so open-ended; you’re left trying to make out theories that seem sensible. There are so many theories as to the story behind Limbo that I believe an exam of 100 questions can be made on theories about the beginning and ending alone, leaving out the playthrough. Let me just a bit on what I tried to conclude Limbo was all about (spoilers abound). The boy’s looking for his sister, and the transition from forest to city to factory are the several levels of limbo (the spiritual plane). The puzzles and enemies he meets, solves and fights are trials testing his worth in the plane, and after passing them all he breaks through the veil covering limbo and the real world, where he finally finds his sister in a crouching position. However, they both die there as the scene from when he sees her and the scene of the title screen look alike, except the title screen has flies buzzing around and masses on the floor (which could probably be their bodies). How they died hasn’t really hit me. They probably got eaten.

Other theories exist, like The Boy being the antagonist of the game, while the enemies you see along the way try to protect his sister; the ending meaning that he was killed by his sister before he killed her (because the mass covered by flies in the title page is closer to where the boy was standing when he found her). Another theory talks about the troubles of going through adolescence in a rather morbid depiction. Those exist alongside others on that same page, a theory from a different person on the team. Even gamers have pitched in their own theories as to what it could mean. A Google search on ‘what does the game Limbo mean’ will raise quite a number of suggestions, and a lot to read through. It’s fascinating to be able to share similar ideas with people across the globe and read up on what other brilliant minds have come up with. So the story or lack thereof, is a ball of awesome.

The Gameplay

Limbo plays like a classic side scrolling game, but is blessed with very limited functionality. You have only a handful of actions in the game; run, jump, climb, push, pull, grab. Funny enough, with this handful of actions, you fight (and definitely run away from) a giant spider, set traps, escape traps, solve puzzles and very much stay alive. Of course, the staying alive bit becomes a little far-fetched as you progress. Remember the play time is determined by how many times you die? Well, in the first hour I played, I died 25 times (give or take). The second hour had that number increase to 45, which was really a rounded figure. 2 hours, 30 minutes in, I’d gone beyond the 60 deaths mark and at 4 hours 45 minutes (the time it took me to complete it) I had lost track of how many deaths I had suffered. Limbo’s puzzles require timing on most occasions, while some require precision. I’ll admit that I used walkthroughs to scale a few places when my method wouldn’t reap results, only to find out my timing at a particular time was off by seconds. It can tear your hair off your head, but the challenge can be intoxicating for those who adore challenges that go beyond how fast you can shoot everyone in the room (one puzzle has you leading other boys through traps that stab, crunch and smash them… genius).

The Music

Limbo doesn’t exactly have music. It has acoustics and sound effects that creeped the hell out of me time and time again. Surround sound can be a glorious thing, and in this situation it uses that setup quite well. There are several scenarios in which the cackling of electricity is enough to have you on edge, keeping you on the lookout for that pole or platform that you’re going to have to climb on before you’re electrocuted to death. It’s morbid and eerie, and it gives Limbo that feeling of dread it’s supposed to.

Serenity exists in certain sounds

The Art

Unlike the normal features of side scrollers (you know, colours and what-not), Limbo offers you no colours whatsoever. You’d think the plane between Heaven and Hell will at least splash some in (Heaven’s white, gold and blue, Hell’s red and black, purgatory’s purple (sources unknown)). Limbo is completely black, grey and greyish white. With the shade the game gives you, you can’t completely be sure that there’s white there, unless you decide to describe The Boy’s eyes and the brain-burrowing maggots as white.

Depictions of death can be morbid..

At The End Of The Day

Limbo will make you cry at some point. One theory I read talked about the punishment of Limbo, as The Boy tries to reach the girl (who could be dead) by dying over and over only to reawaken and continue the tumultuous journey onwards. The opportunities for dying cannot be over-emphasized. And I do this without crying about the difficulty of the game, because the difficulty was something to relish. Despite this, and the fact that there are hidden eggs to find (I never found all), Limbo is a pretty entertaining game. One can easily breeze through the game with the help of a walkthrough, but even concise walkthroughs won’t save you completely from the clutches of Limbo. If you feel the need, you can use a walkthrough for the hidden eggs. This could probably add another hour to playtime. Limbo is good. Very good. So good it’s been very successful since 2010. Playdead has plans for another title, and so far the code name is Project 2. Just one screenshot exists. I’m eager for more news on this to surface.