So when my little brother was playing this, he made some comment that I told him was wrong...but now after the ending I think he may have accidentally been right...
He kept dying at the spider, and the spider was stabbing him. Right after the spider re-appears and chases you down. The spider has a dead body already on his leg, and my brother must have not noticed it the first time.
His second or third attempt, he goes "Hah - its like Im dead twice! The spider still has my body on his leg from the first time!"
I told him no, that was one of the boys from earlier.
What if it wasnt? What if all the bodies are YOU, just earlier incarnations? What if you're the one whos been populating Limbo...forever?
probably not
some of the natives are much taller/older than the kid, and you see a few of them committing suicide as you go through the game
there's probably no significance to the natives' presence, i think they were just there for atmosphere and as a way to set up a few last traps before the forest runs out of ideas
Or maybe
the boy sometimes survives all the traps, and nothing happens. He's still in limbo. He grows up, gets older - but has no purpose. So maybe he just lives there. And other incarnations of himself decide to hang themseleves every so often, because there's just no end.
I just love the way that you never fully "get it" until the actual title screen re-appears after beating it. And how you can literally just begin again. There's never a resolution - it just is a cycle that continues forever.
I'd love it if somehow there was some easter egg that if you did the impossible - and managed to beat the game without dying - the boy would 'age' and be a little older your next playthrough.
but if the natives were his reincarnations, then wouldn't there be only one of them at a time? you usually see them in groups
Yeah. I guess. Or...
Because every time you die, you immediately respawn, I suppose you could end up with a 'backlog' of sorts, of boys who sometimes survive and sometimes don't.
But with the game being so intentionally vague, there's absolutely no way to know. Fun to talk and think about though.
mxmarks on
PSN: mxmarks - WiiU: mxmarks - twitter: @ MikesPS4 - twitch.tv/mxmarks - "Yes, mxmarks is the King of Queens" - Unbreakable Vow
I would like to meet whoever came up with the five or less death achievement and buy them something they've always wanted for their entire life only to smash it to pieces in front of them and set it ablaze...
After playing all weekend I've managed to beat the game with 11 deaths. Its the last few puzzles that get me...
Also, I spent like.. an hour and a half trying to figure out how to get past the roof slope just after the zip-line towards the end of the game. I just thought it was a sign saying "Go that way!"
Skull2185 on
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
Aagggh played through the game three times yesterday. Finished it with 15 deaths, then stopped near the end when I hit 6, and then finished it completely, again with 6. The last few areas require very precise timing, especially the ones involving electricity.
The trickiest parts to avoid death, even when you know what to do, are:
The two parts with the HOTEL signs
Any part involving moving saws
The final portion where gravity changes constantly and jumps need to be timed accordingly
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thought that the same thing about that sign after sliding down the roof.
I do enjoy this game, I think its great. The ending,however, was extremely unsatisfying... its very little payoff for all that hard work.
As for the trickier parts
For the Hotel signs I find that if you count 2-3 seconds right when the lights come on and then jump that seems to work the best.
The timed gravity deal at the end of the game, I'm sure everyone knows this, but you can hear the timer in the background. Its pretty muffled for some reason but you can time your jumps off of that.
Skull2185 on
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
The ending is as satisfying as you make it. The people here pondering on the meaning of it are getting the most out of it while people who have less imagination and want things completely spelled out for them are feeling let down.
I definitely think the first half was more interesting; I prefer the tactile, atmospheric environment puzzles and horror-like tension to the clinical, timing-based tasks of the factory. The game never got boring or frustrating, but I found myself wishing that the game would revert to its forest-like surroundings, and it never did.
Marvelous game nonetheless. I hate to bring up this comparison, but Limbo basically sidestepped everything I disliked about Braid. Especially in the way gameplay and narrative are intermingled.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
i don't think this thread has made it a single page without someone comparing it to braid, but i don't really find them that similar. they are both nicely drawn platformers with some tricky puzzles and that's it. they are so different it's amusing, since braid focused on intricate puzzle-based levels which actually took me out of the game rather than put me into it.
this game is INFINITELY less annoying than braid since all those time based puzzles really can make you feel dumb in braid. i also feel like this game was less 'artsy' and was a more focused effort. the controls, the sound, the setting, they all coalesce into one great game. i feel like the slow pacing works in concert with the puzzles and enemies to create a sense of foreboding. i much preferred playing the game not knowing what was coming next, my uncertainty at times the only thing keeping me alive. braid did not much in the way of setting a tone or create an atmosphere. it was basically well painted mario with time puzzles and then an odd story tossed in to the mix.
and so can we STOP comparing them already?
The ending is as satisfying as you make it. The people here pondering on the meaning of it are getting the most out of it while people who have less imagination and want things completely spelled out for them are feeling let down.
I'm all for pondering the meaning and all that... but give me something to ponder...
Skull2185 on
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
Who were the children? Why were they so vicious to one of their own? Why was the boy chasing the girl? What does each different 'area' of the game represent? Personally i follow the theory that the protagonist being a boy does not mean that he was a boy at the time of his ending. I think he was a grown adult, his life flashing before him. Heres my take, which goes mostly with the current theory.
1) Boy relives his childhood. Children can be cruel, mean, vicious.
2) Boy fights and defeats his childhood fears (The spider)
3) Boy is old enough to recognize the world around him...his house, falling apart around him, along with the idea of HOTEL's, suggests that he did not have a happy childhood, perhaphs his parents were divorced, or traveled constantly. The loss of control via the brain slugs gives emphesis to this.
4) Boy is old enough to work. It is a confusing place, fraught with obsticles dispite his physical age, he still thinks of himself as young, so hes still a child in limbo. Boy overcomes obsticles, becomes overconfident.
4) Gets drunk with his sister...the world begins to go out of his control. before he always had buttons to press, or levers to pull to gain some kind of control. At the end, the world does what it wants to do, and he has to simply go along with it.
5) The accident. Him and his sister die. He was driving. He is responsible. He is in limbo because he cannot forgive himself for causing his sisters death. Until he can accept it, he is trapped.
the anti-theories:
I disagree with the 'fell out of a treehouse' idea. What would a child know of factories and work? Why would they be integrated into the childs memories? Why would he even be in limbo, if they had died innocently? Limbo is a place, much like purgatory where a pennance is being paid. Did he push his sister? maybe but why is he dead as well?
The only problem I have with the game is the fact it was 1200 points. I almost never have enough money to spend 1200 points on a game, and this is a great game, but it only took like 3-4 hours to beat and there is zero reasons to play this game again, so I kind of feel a little ripped off. If the game was only 800 points, I would be happy... But when it only takes 3 and a half hours to beat a game, 1200 points for it is just a little too expensive.
I ended up getting quite a bit more time out of it, mostly from going for the last achievement. It took me 4 runs to get it down after the initial one, so that's getting close to 8-9 hours at that point, and that's definitely a more reasonable timeframe for the cost.
*sigh* the '1200 points is too much' argument again...
Seriously...i mean thats like two trips to taco bell. One if you get the Bel Grande Chupacabra.
its one trip to the movies for usually less then 2 hours of entertainment, compared to the 3 or 4 you will get
from playing this through the first time.
Hey, so I downloaded the trial last night, I'm running around and I find a boat and go across.... and suddenly I'm stuck with a huge ledge I can't jump over and a boat that won't go back the other way. What gives? Are there a lot of situations where you get stuck like that in the actual game? It was frustrating cause I was trying to get my gf into it and she loved it until that point, and now she'll never play it again haha.
claypoolfan on
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HedgethornAssociate Professor of Historical Hobby HorsesIn the Lions' DenRegistered Userregular
Hey, so I downloaded the trial last night, I'm running around and I find a boat and go across.... and suddenly I'm stuck with a huge ledge I can't jump over and a boat that won't go back the other way. What gives? Are there a lot of situations where you get stuck like that in the actual game? It was frustrating cause I was trying to get my gf into it and she loved it until that point, and now she'll never play it again haha.
heres a hint. Hold down the action button and approach the boat from the right (land) side. you will notice when you grab the handle. then pull it backwards to use as a ramp.
There are one or two moments that might seem frustrating to some, but with the exception of one...okay two puzzles They werent exceptionally difficult.
(The two for me were the minecart, electric floor, and the two huge boxes and the magnets.)
1st death was a stupid mistake..let go of a chain too soon and fell to my death.
next three were on that goddamn 2nd HOTEL sign... fucking sign...
Then I caught a bullet in like.... my pinkie toe, lame. After that I didn't think I was going to be able to do it and almost quit, but I pressed on and didn't die on the last puzzle like I usually do.
Hooray!
Skull2185 on
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
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PaperLuigi44My amazement is at maximum capacity.Registered Userregular
edited July 2010
Hmm, I got to thinking about Limbo theories today.
Specifically about the other children in Limbo. While mxmarks' theory that they're all you is food for thought, I still believe it's a case of Occam's Razor and that they're just other kids stuck in Limbo.
However, the fact that there are no adults in Limbo struck me during this thought process.
Coincidence and we just never saw any? Seperate Limbo for adults? Gonna be on my mind for days.
Hmm, I got to thinking about Limbo theories today.
Specifically about the other children in Limbo. While mxmarks' theory that they're all you is food for thought, I still believe it's a case of Occam's Razor and that they're just other kids stuck in Limbo.
However, the fact that there are no adults in Limbo struck me during this thought process.
Coincidence and we just never saw any? Seperate Limbo for adults? Gonna be on my mind for days.
Those other people in Limbo struck me as adults. I dunno they seemed taller than the kid, so I just assume they're adults. I figure they're dudes who've been stuck there for a while, and maybe driven mad or something.
Skull2185 on
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
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PaperLuigi44My amazement is at maximum capacity.Registered Userregular
Hmm, I got to thinking about Limbo theories today.
Specifically about the other children in Limbo. While mxmarks' theory that they're all you is food for thought, I still believe it's a case of Occam's Razor and that they're just other kids stuck in Limbo.
However, the fact that there are no adults in Limbo struck me during this thought process.
Coincidence and we just never saw any? Seperate Limbo for adults? Gonna be on my mind for days.
Those other people in Limbo struck me as adults. I dunno they seemed taller than the kid, so I just assume they're adults. I figure they're dudes who've been stuck there for a while, and maybe driven mad or something.
Bwuh? I don't want to see the adults in your neighbourhood :P
Seriously though, they seemed like they were just a few years older than the Boy to me.
*sigh* the '1200 points is too much' argument again...
Seriously...i mean thats like two trips to taco bell. One if you get the Bel Grande Chupacabra.
its one trip to the movies for usually less then 2 hours of entertainment, compared to the 3 or 4 you will get
from playing this through the first time.
This has nothing to do with whether or not Limbo is worth $15, but rather all the silly price comparisons that come up when someone says x game isn't worth y dollars.
Comparing it to food would only be valid if you were able to eat XBLA games.
Comparing it to going to the movies is also kinda silly, though much less silly that the food thing. Sure, Limbo is much cheaper than taking my wife to the movies, but that's not the only way to watch movies. For the price of Limbo, I could rent 14 movies from the Red Box. That's at least 20 hours of entertainment right there, dog!
Saying a 4 hour game isn't worth $15 is a perfectly fucking valid opinion. Stop telling these people they aren't allowed to say that and still go to Taco Bell afterward.
The games 12 bucks not 15, but lets go with that.
by your same math, 4 hours of game is not equal to 15 bucks.
Yet a regular priced disc game costs 60 bucks, and very few of them give you more then 16 hours worth of game.
So your undercutting the average value per dollar if you compare small games to big games. Thus, the idea of value per dollar is bullshit. So you have to instead go by fun and gameplay. was it worth 12 bucks to you?
Why is it that his sister doesn't have the "light in her eyes"? In fact, no one does in Limbo except for the protagonist. My theory is that the boy is searching for his sister but doesn't realize he is dead. His sister is actually still alive and visiting where he died (or maybe his grave) when he finally reaches her, and she sits upright because she feels the presense nearby.
The games 12 bucks not 15, but lets go with that.
by your same math, 4 hours of game is not equal to 15 bucks.
Yet a regular priced disc game costs 60 bucks, and very few of them give you more then 16 hours worth of game.
So your undercutting the average value per dollar if you compare small games to big games. Thus, the idea of value per dollar is bullshit. So you have to instead go by fun and gameplay. was it worth 12 bucks to you?
1200 points =/= 1200 pennies. The game is $15.
Secondly, I specifically said that I was not saying Limbo was or was not worth $15, but rather pointing out how silly these comparisons are.
Thirdly, if someone wants to equate time spent with a game as the main decider of value, that is their prerogative and it's completely valid.
Fourthly, while disc-based games often launch at $60, they tend to drop in price quite a bit as they age. Look at how many 3 year old XBLA games are still being sold for the same number of points as when first released. I recently purchased a used copy of Infamous for $15. The game is a year old. Limbo will probably still be 1200 next summer.
Dirty on
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PaperLuigi44My amazement is at maximum capacity.Registered Userregular
Why is it that his sister doesn't have the "light in her eyes"? In fact, no one does in Limbo except for the protagonist. My theory is that the boy is searching for his sister but doesn't realize he is dead. His sister is actually still alive and visiting where he died (or maybe his grave) when he finally reaches her, and she sits upright because she feels the presense nearby.
Interesting, but there are two sets of fly swarms on the title screen.
Why is it that his sister doesn't have the "light in her eyes"? In fact, no one does in Limbo except for the protagonist. My theory is that the boy is searching for his sister but doesn't realize he is dead. His sister is actually still alive and visiting where he died (or maybe his grave) when he finally reaches her, and she sits upright because she feels the presense nearby.
Interesting, but there are two sets of fly swarms on the title screen.
I am not biting on this whole 'it's SO DEEP' stuff, but if I were to, I'd agree with you here. :P
All price discussions are a tad silly as what something is 'worth' as an entertainment piece is an entirely subjective value anyway. It's worth what you'll pay for it. If what you've heard says to you that you might feel it's overpriced then you'll wait for the inevitable sale in around a year's time. If after buying it at full price (or even sale price) you feel you didn't get your monies worth, then, well, tough shit really. Them's the breaks in the non-transferable, non-refundable digital download business model.
Besides, I remember when games used to be $70 new. That was in the U.S., during the reign of the SNES, and a lot of those games were just as short, if not moreso. My friend picked up X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse for about $70 when it debuted, and that only takes about an hour an a half to beat, tops. Granted, we got more out of our games in them days, but I can never complain about paying just $15 for a fully-realized game. That's just a great deal IMHO.
Besides, I remember when games used to be $70 new. That was in the U.S., during the reign of the SNES, and a lot of those games were just as short, if not moreso. My friend picked up X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse for about $70 when it debuted, and that only takes about an hour an a half to beat, tops. Granted, we got more out of our games in them days, but I can never complain about paying just $15 for a fully-realized game. That's just a great deal IMHO.
Amen. And you can get the equiv of those old Nintendo games or better in the Indie channel for $1. We've got it good if you ask me. Games have never been cheaper.
Limbo was like fudge. It was so rich that you only needed a small piece.
Besides, I remember when games used to be $70 new. That was in the U.S., during the reign of the SNES, and a lot of those games were just as short, if not moreso. My friend picked up X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse for about $70 when it debuted, and that only takes about an hour an a half to beat, tops. Granted, we got more out of our games in them days, but I can never complain about paying just $15 for a fully-realized game. That's just a great deal IMHO.
Amen. And you can get the equiv of those old Nintendo games or better in the Indie channel for $1. We've got it good if you ask me. Games have never been cheaper.
Limbo was like fudge. It was so rich that you only needed a small piece.
*sigh* the '1200 points is too much' argument again...
Seriously...i mean thats like two trips to taco bell. One if you get the Bel Grande Chupacabra.
its one trip to the movies for usually less then 2 hours of entertainment, compared to the 3 or 4 you will get
from playing this through the first time.
Compare it to other games. $15 is a lot for 3-4 hours.
This is not a fair comparison, but I think Shadow Complex is a much better value IF I had to decide between them. That being said, I would have gladly paid twice the price for either of the games.
Posts
Yeah. I guess. Or...
But with the game being so intentionally vague, there's absolutely no way to know. Fun to talk and think about though.
After playing all weekend I've managed to beat the game with 11 deaths. Its the last few puzzles that get me...
Also, I spent like.. an hour and a half trying to figure out how to get past the roof slope just after the zip-line towards the end of the game. I just thought it was a sign saying "Go that way!"
The trickiest parts to avoid death, even when you know what to do, are:
Any part involving moving saws
The final portion where gravity changes constantly and jumps need to be timed accordingly
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thought that the same thing about that sign after sliding down the roof.
As for the trickier parts
The timed gravity deal at the end of the game, I'm sure everyone knows this, but you can hear the timer in the background. Its pretty muffled for some reason but you can time your jumps off of that.
Marvelous game nonetheless. I hate to bring up this comparison, but Limbo basically sidestepped everything I disliked about Braid. Especially in the way gameplay and narrative are intermingled.
this game is INFINITELY less annoying than braid since all those time based puzzles really can make you feel dumb in braid. i also feel like this game was less 'artsy' and was a more focused effort. the controls, the sound, the setting, they all coalesce into one great game. i feel like the slow pacing works in concert with the puzzles and enemies to create a sense of foreboding. i much preferred playing the game not knowing what was coming next, my uncertainty at times the only thing keeping me alive. braid did not much in the way of setting a tone or create an atmosphere. it was basically well painted mario with time puzzles and then an odd story tossed in to the mix.
and so can we STOP comparing them already?
I'm all for pondering the meaning and all that... but give me something to ponder...
Neveeeeerrrrrrr
1) Boy relives his childhood. Children can be cruel, mean, vicious.
2) Boy fights and defeats his childhood fears (The spider)
3) Boy is old enough to recognize the world around him...his house, falling apart around him, along with the idea of HOTEL's, suggests that he did not have a happy childhood, perhaphs his parents were divorced, or traveled constantly. The loss of control via the brain slugs gives emphesis to this.
4) Boy is old enough to work. It is a confusing place, fraught with obsticles dispite his physical age, he still thinks of himself as young, so hes still a child in limbo. Boy overcomes obsticles, becomes overconfident.
4) Gets drunk with his sister...the world begins to go out of his control. before he always had buttons to press, or levers to pull to gain some kind of control. At the end, the world does what it wants to do, and he has to simply go along with it.
5) The accident. Him and his sister die. He was driving. He is responsible. He is in limbo because he cannot forgive himself for causing his sisters death. Until he can accept it, he is trapped.
the anti-theories:
I disagree with the 'fell out of a treehouse' idea. What would a child know of factories and work? Why would they be integrated into the childs memories? Why would he even be in limbo, if they had died innocently? Limbo is a place, much like purgatory where a pennance is being paid. Did he push his sister? maybe but why is he dead as well?
it is fucking awesome looking.
This month was the first time ive ever bought a 4k point card and i might need more.
Deathspank
Puzzlequest 2
Limbo
Lara Croft
Castlevania
Might get monday night fight as well
However, I haven't bought a boxed title in a couple months now. Not even sure if I plan too soon.
Ophidian Wars: Opac's Journey
JEALLLLLLLLLOUS!
The only problem I have with the game is the fact it was 1200 points. I almost never have enough money to spend 1200 points on a game, and this is a great game, but it only took like 3-4 hours to beat and there is zero reasons to play this game again, so I kind of feel a little ripped off. If the game was only 800 points, I would be happy... But when it only takes 3 and a half hours to beat a game, 1200 points for it is just a little too expensive.
The ending to Limbo was pretty cool though.
Seriously...i mean thats like two trips to taco bell. One if you get the Bel Grande Chupacabra.
its one trip to the movies for usually less then 2 hours of entertainment, compared to the 3 or 4 you will get
from playing this through the first time.
There's a handle on the boat.
There are one or two moments that might seem frustrating to some, but with the exception of one...okay two puzzles They werent exceptionally difficult.
(The two for me were the minecart, electric floor, and the two huge boxes and the magnets.)
Beat'd with exactly five deaths, yesssssssss
1st death was a stupid mistake..let go of a chain too soon and fell to my death.
next three were on that goddamn 2nd HOTEL sign... fucking sign...
Then I caught a bullet in like.... my pinkie toe, lame. After that I didn't think I was going to be able to do it and almost quit, but I pressed on and didn't die on the last puzzle like I usually do.
Hooray!
However, the fact that there are no adults in Limbo struck me during this thought process.
Coincidence and we just never saw any? Seperate Limbo for adults? Gonna be on my mind for days.
Seriously though, they seemed like they were just a few years older than the Boy to me.
This has nothing to do with whether or not Limbo is worth $15, but rather all the silly price comparisons that come up when someone says x game isn't worth y dollars.
Comparing it to food would only be valid if you were able to eat XBLA games.
Comparing it to going to the movies is also kinda silly, though much less silly that the food thing. Sure, Limbo is much cheaper than taking my wife to the movies, but that's not the only way to watch movies. For the price of Limbo, I could rent 14 movies from the Red Box. That's at least 20 hours of entertainment right there, dog!
Saying a 4 hour game isn't worth $15 is a perfectly fucking valid opinion. Stop telling these people they aren't allowed to say that and still go to Taco Bell afterward.
by your same math, 4 hours of game is not equal to 15 bucks.
Yet a regular priced disc game costs 60 bucks, and very few of them give you more then 16 hours worth of game.
So your undercutting the average value per dollar if you compare small games to big games. Thus, the idea of value per dollar is bullshit. So you have to instead go by fun and gameplay. was it worth 12 bucks to you?
azith, where are you getting it being 12 dollars?
1200 points =/= 1200 pennies. The game is $15.
Secondly, I specifically said that I was not saying Limbo was or was not worth $15, but rather pointing out how silly these comparisons are.
Thirdly, if someone wants to equate time spent with a game as the main decider of value, that is their prerogative and it's completely valid.
Fourthly, while disc-based games often launch at $60, they tend to drop in price quite a bit as they age. Look at how many 3 year old XBLA games are still being sold for the same number of points as when first released. I recently purchased a used copy of Infamous for $15. The game is a year old. Limbo will probably still be 1200 next summer.
I am not biting on this whole 'it's SO DEEP' stuff, but if I were to, I'd agree with you here. :P
Ophidian Wars: Opac's Journey
Amen. And you can get the equiv of those old Nintendo games or better in the Indie channel for $1.
Limbo was like fudge. It was so rich that you only needed a small piece.
Best metaphor ever?
Ophidian Wars: Opac's Journey
No because now I'm hungry.
Compare it to other games. $15 is a lot for 3-4 hours.
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