Limbo (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
common sense media says
Arresting imagery of an afterworld creates interactive art.
parents & educators say
- 71% say violence is an issue
- 29% say there are positive messages
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Limbo is a very difficult puzzle platformer with mature themes and a surprising amount of gore, considering it’s rendered completely in greyscale. Though open to interpretation, the general consensus is that the story explores the notion of purgatory. Players don’t engage in combat, but rather try to keep their hero safe from myriad dangers, including huge arachnids and spiky traps. It’s clearly a game designed for older players, though mature teens may be able to extract meaning from the intense imagery.
Educational value:
This is an entertainment game.
Positive role models:
The nameless -- and likely deceased -- boy who is the game’s protagonist is presumably good, though even that is left up to speculation since he never speaks or interacts with anyone. At the very least he must be remarkably clever to solve the game’s dozens of puzzles.
Ease of play:
Players use only the thumbstick and two buttons, but achieving proper timing for jumps can be challenging and the puzzles are often devilishly difficult. Many players will likely need to look for help from friends, family, or a game guide.
Violence:
There is no combat in this game, but the protagonist, a boy, encounters traps set by mysterious strangers as well as huge deadly spiders he must avoid. Death scenes are surprisingly gruesome, considering the entire game is rendered in grainy black-and-white silhouettes. Expect to see our young hero decapitated by bear traps and impaled on long spikes, as well as the bodies of other boys locked in cages and hanging from ropes. There are no screams, but black fluid can be seen pumping from our protagonist’s small corpse. The gore can be switched off in the settings menu so that the screen turns black whenever the boy is about to die.
Sex:
Not applicable.
Language:
Not applicable.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Not applicable.
More on Limbo
Screenshots
Review It
Based on 7 parent & educator reviews:
- 71% say violence is an issue
- 29% say there are positive messages
- 29% say it's educational
Most useful reviews by all members
Myth1322
parent of 17 year old
parent of 17 year old
Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens
This is an amazing visual game great for people who love plat-formers, but i do not recommend it to anyone 14 and under due to the graphic deaths scene that the player must go through.
It is a game meant for adults and older teens 15 and up not for you 10 year old looking for a fun game to run around in
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Tom_Gamer_Tom
adult
adult
Its funny how people don't complain about MW2 yet they complain about this.
This game is clearly violent yes, But its just a black figure getting decapitated in no detail at all. I see worse violence in Littlebigplanet for god's sake. Its not really bad at all even though the decapitation etc makes it violent. As i've said in past reviews. Its like a kids game compared to some PS3 games I've played.
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BlueCastle
kid, 10 years old
kid, 10 years old
fun
blood shows deathtraps or monsters
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actingtiger10
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
This is one of my all time favorites. This game is very violent for a T rated game. DEFINITELY look in to it before your kid plays it. The main character (a little boy.) goes through very many deaths. If you play it, you will see some gory stuff. In this game, you have to pull a giant spiders leg off, and lure what looks like children to they're deaths. The traps can get pretty gory. You will see the main character's head and other body parts get cut off. Though there is a gore filter, so that makes it suitable for anyone who won't mind the creepy mood and atmosphere of the game. This game is also very hard to play. The puzzles are very hard and require a great lot of thinking. Overall, probably the goriest T rated game made, but I didn't use the gore filter.
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MaccMike
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
Dang...
....dis game looks sick
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WhipItMan
parent of 4 year old
parent of 4 year old
Awesome game for all
This is an awesome puzzle game. It can help develop a child's problem solving abilities and such.
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back2schoolboo
parent of 10 and 15 year old
parent of 10 and 15 year old
Awful game should be rated M
It's a really bad game and very graphic. A young boy gets decapitated and limbs fall off. Should be rated M.
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bite
parent of 18 year old
parent of 18 year old
dare get it?
wat the crap goryest t game ever made dont let ure kid get i it i dont care if they get it burn their eyes out
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Lukepi
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
A great, dark, violent game.
This game is very fun to play. the challenging puzzles are great, the gameplay is solid, the black and white graphics are gorgeous. The only problem is that this game is exceedingly violent. If you could see everything instead of just shadows, the game would definitly be rated M. I mean, how many times do you see a young boy getting decapitated by a bear trap?
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Roshai
adult
adult
Limbo, the artwork for teens
This game in my opinion is a brilliant piece of artwork, but as we all have seen in the past. Artwork is not always appreciated by people who are quite sensitive to shocking things. This game is best suited for young teens ranging from the ages of 14 and any age above that. The violence may be disturbing for anyone below that age. Even though there is no color (except black and white) and the "graphics" aren't realistic in the least. The idea of an 8 year old kid getting impaled by a bear trap or giant spider is quite a disturbing thought. For example: my 8 year old sister has watched the lord of the rings trilogy and did not become frightened at all, but when she saw our 8 year old hero get cut in-half by a bear trap she almost started to cry and it had an immediate effect on her witch I did not expect (I really didn't know she was gonna get scared, sorry) So this game is quite the shocker for younger kids but is the perfect buy for anyone from the age of 14 and higher if they love puzzles. This game also might be stimulating seeing that some of the puzzles are quite the challenge and can help a teen develop their problem solving skills witch might come in handy seeing that we live in a problem filled world. The games controls prove no problem and are easy to use. The games positive message can be interpreted in different ways but the most common one is that you never leave a sibling on their own no matter what and that love for one another(the boy for his sister) will prevail the over the forces of evil. This game is a sure 10 out of 10, a brilliant piece of art.
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OHBULLDAWG92
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
Great puzzle game.
This game is real gruesome. A scary storyline isn't good for young viewers. With gore filter on, it's on for 10+. With gore filter off, it's on for 12+.
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weenie-hut-juniors
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Interesting
This game is very quiet. No music, some sound effects. It's a tad violent but it's all black and white with very little detail. Little kids may find the game scary, because it has creepy atmosphere. But more so in the beginning, after you get used to it. It's not like, jump out at you scary. This game has many puzzles as to how to reach the next point. It can be quite difficult at times but very rewarding when you reach the next chapter. The game overall is very tame and no real action is involved. Only adventure. The violence may only seem shocking the first couple of time that you die, but after a while, you get used to it. I think only really sensitive people would react badly to the game. Even so, violence can be turned off in settings.
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