Developer Playdead announced it will release its critically-acclaimed platformer, Inside, on August 23 for PlayStation 4. Initially launched as Xbox One and Windows PC title, Inside is considered as the follow-up to Playdead's Limbo, which was launched in 2010.
Inside's PS4 trailer shows the game's main character falling into an abyss while little creatures are surrounding him. The game is a 3D side-scroller that puts players in the shoes of a young boy in a monochromatic landscape.
Playdead's upcoming game encourages players to solve mind-bending puzzles. It is visually similar to Limbo, with muted color pallet and minimalist art design.
It is interesting to know that Playdead ported Inside to PlayStation 4 quickly. Limbo was launched in July 2010 and was a timed-exclusive on Xbox One for a year, before it landed on PC and PS3. On the contrary, Inside's Xbox One exclusivity only lasted for two months.
A review from Telegraph says Inside is an excellent demonstration of a minimalist video game. It can immediately convey the terror of being in pursued even though players don't know exactly what's going on in the game's oppressive environment.
The controls are very basic in Inside. Players just have to concentrate on three things: grabbing, jumping and running.
Inside is a puzzle game at its core. Players are free to experiment on each of puzzle's elements. Game developers toy with concepts of gravity, stealth, waters, crates and contraptions. The game's puzzles are strictly linear and push players to think really hard.
It is unlikely players will pass any of Inside's puzzles without knowing what they did to solve it, which makes the game more satisfying.
Furthermore, the game has an innovative physics engine. Each animation has momentum and weight that feels good and reliable. Every stumble, panicked run animation and death is perfectly created by Playdead's robust procedural animation system.
According to Nick Robinson of Polygon, the final act of Inside is one of the craziest things that he saw in a video game. He added that the game ends in an immensely satisfying way.
Overall, Inside has hauntingly, beautiful animation. It is also filled with jaw-dropping moments that are superbly crafted. The game can be finished in one or two sittings, but its impact will be something to savor.
Watch Inside's PlayStation 4 trailer below. Stay tuned to Gospel Herald for more tech news.
