The Little Boy

Limbo was a really fun game to play! Though simple and somewhat abstract in its design, it is sophisticated in its game execution. At first I was on the main screen for awhile before I noticed that there was a little boy (I thought it was still loading). Then I pushed the arrow keys and saw him rise from the bushes. I found out how to use the rest of the controls in the settings when you hit "esc." The setting is rather dark and dim, simulating soft and harsh textures of the environment from obstacle to obstacle that the little boy faces on his journey. This creates depth and represents a kind of realism. Through that type of realism and the character of the silhouette boy, it creates an uncanny world that the player feels connected to through the interaction that the boy makes. He struggles through obstacles as we can see through his humanistic movements, from pulling, pushing, climbing and jumping, and dying. This semblance to human movement makes the player attribute emotions of sympathy and empathy to the character, even though it is merely a silhouette of a small boy with bright eyes. Because of this, I felt super accomplished and gratified whenever I went through the multiple obstacles because I felt like I helped the boy on whatever destination he is trying to get to. The sound is pretty quiet, you only hear the rustling of his feet and natural sounds of water splashing, snapping booby traps, rolling boulders, etc. This adds to the sense of mystery and overall atmosphere of the game. The fact that the game is so mysterious and dark with no dialogue (so far) and no real instruction as to how to control the boy at first, enables the player to feel more engaged in it.I felt determined to go through the game to find out what it all leads to and if anything would reveal the story behind the little boy.