Inside
A Game Review
By Elliot Burns
Inside is an indie videogame developed and produced by the company Playdead, it is the second rendition of their puzzle-based, platformer style of game design. It builds upon what it's critically acclaimed predecessor “Limbo” achieved, stellar level design, beautiful animations and a dark, ambiguous narrative that never fails to capture the thoughts and imagination of its players.
The phenomenal attention to detail when it comes to the animation within the game is instantly captivating and compliments the simplistic control scheme as the player spends almost no time having to learn how to control the character but rather allows players to focus on how seamlessly he traverses the environment. This element of ease when it comes to accessibility encourages a wide range of players of different skill levels and interests to be able to adapt with no issues and immediately be immersed in the world.
Although there are no specific intervals that occur throughout the game, the player will notice both subtle and clear changes in the environment which act as progressive reminders. These work at keeping the player engaged and constantly rewards them with more insight and mystery into the world and story. For example an abandoned farm that you encounter early in the game forces players to speculate on what events led to that grim scene with dead animals laying all over the place, and these pieces of the story only ever serve to add more mystery and intrigue to the player's own theories and ideas.
As mentioned before, the game tells a dark and ambiguous narrative that never truly explains everything but at the same time gives the player enough information to derive their own meaning and conclusion from the events. Inside, as well as Limbo, are both forms of a very rare medium of video game storytelling. That of which features no dialogue, no concrete expositional details such as time or location and no identifiable traits with any character featured in the game. But while this would traditionally leave a narrative with too little elements to draw a satisfying story out of, Playdead has managed to utilise the elements it does choose to use such as animation, sound design, art direction and environmental creation so skillfully and passionately, that the game is able to powerfully express story elements in ways that have never been done before in any form of media entertainment. The creators of the game intentionally force the player to use their imagination to fill in gaps and to create meaning in a somewhat discordant series of events.
Unfortunately with the game relying heavily on player interpretation, it means that the fairly hefty price of $19.99 can be a firm deterrent when “casual” gamers decide to take a look at the store page, as they don't know specifically what they will receive with their money other than puzzles which is expressed in the description. It’s no secret that Playdead strive to deliver new experiences to long-term gamers, which means having to step outside the comfort zone of general appeal and earn respect and satisfaction from the players that do decide to purchase the game. This shows how the team at Playdead really are focused on passionately creating video games that people will enjoy and remember rather than seeking commercial success.
It goes without saying that this makes Inside a true testament to videogame storytelling by employing methods and techniques that are not yet fully recognised in the industry. Delivering a new, fresh experience that is guaranteed to inspire and entertain both avid and casual gamers.