INSIDE Reviews
While it doesn't stray far from the template Limbo set, Inside is a gorgeous, beautifully directed puzzle platformer that you'll want to see through to the end.
Inside is very much a near-perfect follow up to 2010's excellent Limbo. The game has the same dark, malevolent feel, and it expands on its predecessor's puzzle platforming in new and interesting ways. It does have a few of the same faults, such as a short runtime, and the overall experience isn't quite as blissfully satisfying, but Inside is a great game from start to finish.
Inside is a grimly beautiful platform-puzzler that, while brief, is packed full of jaw-dropping highlights. While its dark tone won't be for everyone, it's all been executed brilliantly, with gently taxing physics-based conundrums woven into a haunting wordless narrative.
Inside delights from start to finish. Don't miss out on what will surely be one of the best games of this generation.
Inside won’t be for everyone, and likely will never carry the prestige that Limbo garnered years ago. However, it is a game made for those able to appreciate the nuance and artistry behind game design and building atmosphere. Though short, Inside is an amazing one-sitting gameplay experience for enthusiasts and indie-lovers that frankly should not be missed, no matter where you play it.
Clearly others are adoring this, so read around. I certainly will be now to try to work out what on Earth was going on last week. But I completely didn’t get this. It has a few decent puzzles, all of them boringly repeated. It looks lovely, when it remembers to, but mostly doesn’t.
It should go without saying that Inside is an easy choice for anybody who enjoyed Limbo. At its most basic, Playdead’s newest presentation is a continuation of its prior work – a macabre puzzle-platformer with a gloomy visual style and forsaking atmosphere. Beyond that, however, Inside is so much more…
Playdead's brilliant and evocative sophomore effort is solid proof that 2010's Limbo was no fluke
The game is a procession of stately, grim exclamation marks. It is visionary art.
Unsettling, atmospheric, and gorgeous, 'Inside' is the indie sleeper you need to know
Don’t expect Inside to deviate much from start to finish, but you’ll find that it doesn’t need to. If you liked Limbo (or even if you didn’t, maybe?), or found yourself piqued just a little by what you’ve seen of Inside, then go snatch it up. It’s a rabbit hole that you’ll find comfort in diving into.
Inside is an incredible sophomore swing from Playdead, as the atmosphere, aesthetic and gameplay meld into one glorious experience that demands attention. Don’t read about it, don’t seek more, don’t ask questions — just clear your afternoon schedule and experience it.
I simply cannot write about some of Inside's most hauntingly memorable scenes and most diabolical puzzles without ruining the magic – so I won't. Fans of Limbo should know that they're in for a treat with Inside, and if you're new to Play Dead's brand of Lynchian puzzle games, know that Inside is a unique, 4-6 hour experience that'll change your perception of what a puzzle platformer should aspire to.
Six years after the deliciously dark Limbo, developer Playdead returns to Xbox and PC with another meticulously muted platformer about a boy on the run
While it results in brevity, there isn’t an ounce of fat here. Inside is a game to be devoured in one or two sittings, then, but its impact will be something to savour.
Carefully crafted and tuned to perfection, Inside may not last long but will live in your memory for a lifetime. You’d be a fool to miss it.
After Limbo, PlayDead returns in the most beautiful way possible with a dark and cold narrative with a controlled rhythm from beginning to end. Inside seems to surpass its predecessor on all points, from the technique to the depth of its theme that will invite each player to question himself and build his own theory.
Review in French | Read full review
You have to be in the right soul to play Inside. It takes a good breath before the dive, the silence and the predisposition not to ask too many questions about what will happen around our fearful protagonist. As was the case in Limbo, here too we are facing a journey to freedom and it is inevitable to see immediately the points of contact between the two games; however, step by step the similarities thin and Inside's identity emerges in all its arrogance, until it sublimates in the final lysegic.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With minimal tricks, Playdead not only manages to hold us to a stranglehold, but also joins the crowd of developers who want to say something for real.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Inside is a game that has to be experienced first-hand to be understood and I’d urge everyone to play it. At three to four hours it is on the short side, but thanks to the thought provoking and surprising story, tight gameplay and exceptional sound and visual design, Inside will leave a long lasting impression that will more than make it worth its price tag.