Playdead's INSIDE in IOS

★★★★★

★★★★★ Beautiful, but short.

This game was so bizarre, and so beautifully rendered. It was very fun, but very short. I’m used to putting some time into games, so I can enjoy a campaign over several weeks or months, but I finished Inside in two sessions, in about 2-3 hours, total. I’m not the kind of gamer to replay games, and this title has little to no replay value. There is only one mode, and one difficulty setting. The puzzles are relatively easy to solve. I only found myself stuck twice, and each time only for a few minutes. I used a Steelseries Nimbus controller, but without that the controls would’ve been frustrating. You swipe left and right to move (like a virtual stick) but to jump you have to swipe up, and to interact with objects you tap/hold. This scheme seems simple enough, until you reach a part where a precision jump is required, or you must interact with an object in a precise time frame. Pros: good graphics and sound, unique environments, puzzle are fun to solve, intriguing story/feel. Cons: Very short for a $7 game, touch controls can be mildly frustrating, (SPOILER ALERT) No dialog or backstory and inconclusive ending. If you were hoping the intriguing setting would be explained in the end, you’ll be let down.

★★★★★ Amazing game worth every penny

I played the demo a while back, and fell in love instantly. I finally bought the game on my phone, played it all the way through, loved it so much that I turned around and bought it and replayed the whole thing all over again on my ps4. I can honestly say this may be one of my favorite mini games yet. I’m sad each time when it ends that there is not more of it for me to play, because I feel as if I would enjoy playing more of this game even passed its end. I’m a little bit disappointed that some things weren’t fully explained by the end, however it was still unbelievable enjoyable to play all the way through. I would love to see a second one maybe from a different characters perspective going through other areas of this world, especially since it’s easy to see that the setting it’s in is huge as it is. I’m sure there could be a whole other game in this same world, where you don’t even see the same areas as this, and also a different outcome in the end. Either way, I love the creators of this game, and have already even before this game, with of course games like Limbo. And they’ve done it once again. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

★★★★★ People need to stop asking for so much from the developers

First of all, why would people ask for a game to be free? If their game was free, how are the game developers supposed to get money? Like an earlier post said and I quote, “you don’t just go to GameStop and ask for a GTA 6 game for free.” That’s just dumb. Whenever an app is free, you’ll always expect either loads of ads, in-app purchases, or a free trial. You didn’t ask for Hello Neighbor to be free, did you??? So stop asking such stupid questions. Also, whenever I see a one star rating, I read their review, and realize that all of the reviews have one thing in common, I get upset. That’s because all of those reviews have stupid reasons. One of the reviews said “I can’t believe a game like this on the App Store” because of “adults and dogs hunting children.” Then if that’s the case, go to Hello Neighbor and say the same exact thing. Then explain why this game has an editors choice award on it. I haven’t even bought the game yet, and I already think it’s amazing. Another thing people said was “it’s too hard.” Okay, what do you think it was supposed to be… easy!!?? Of course it’s supposed to be difficult.

★★★★★ Beautiful yet...

Stunning artwork. Great gameplay. However, having played through (full game) multiple times, I’m left feeling it’s just too short. The puzzles are challenging but I’m wanting more. If anything, that’s a testament to the quality of the game. I want to play more. That said, while there is a heavily implied story there also isn’t a story. You don’t learn anything more of what’s happening from when you begin to when you finish. I haven’t completed all the challenges (and I’m experiencing bugs where finding them does not update/honor having completed/found them), so maybe there is a sense of finality in doing so but I’m left wanting more. Either more gameplay or more of an answer as to why/what you experience through the character matters in terms of story. I feel I can rationalize what happens in the end by my own interpretation (and maybe this is intended) but ultimately I’m left with questions that are less the result of a story open to interpretation and more a feeling of why/how does what I’ve experienced result in something conclusive? Not going to get my hopes up but would love to see an update that offers expansion on the backstory of the world you experience in game.

★★★★★ ABSOLUTELY worth the buy!

I just finished Inside after about 3-4 days of light/moderate play. Some people have said about 3 hours play time but I would say it’s more like 4-5 altogether depending on how many times you die or how long a puzzle takes you to solve. Probably like 3 hours if you use a walkthrough the entire game, don’t take the time to get ALL the secrets and just rush through it (which would ruin the game I think). I used a walkthrough on a few puzzles if I had tried over 10 times on my own and just couldn’t understand. But I mostly tried really hard to figure them out on my own, it was much more exciting without the walkthrough. The graphics, sound effects and design of the game are fantastic. Yes, the gameplay is similar to Limbo but Limbo was much more bland than Inside IMO. I got bored with Limbo quickly but Inside was MUCH more captivating. It was hard to put it down. I found myself saying one more check point, one more puzzle. The devs did an absolutely stunning job. The story and ending could be left to your imagination...I really hope there is sequel. Great job!

★★★★★ Worth every penny

In this game, you start out as a little boy who climbs into the woods at the middle of the night. You must run through the forest while avoiding being captured my mysterious people in masks. You head on in a strange adventure that challenges your thinking. this game’s experience is beyond words. the atmosphere and lack of any explanation leaves the ending up to the player’s interpretation. the gameplay is very fluid, smooth and without flaw. This is one of the best games I have ever played, and I do not regret buying it. The puzzles are challenging yet entertaining and quite simple. The mystery and intrigue of this game really makes you feel involved in playing it. I am very impressed with the graphics and the game’s design along with the gameplay. I definitely recommend playing this game. It takes a few hours to complete, given if you struggle on a few of the puzzles. The sound design and music make the experience almost perfect. it is pretty much 2 dimensional, but it does have a 3d twist to it. I genuinely enjoyed playing this.

★★★★★ Cool, yet overpriced.

This was a pretty cool game. Nice graphics, but I was more intrigued by the grimness of the demo. I was hooked and needing more after the first encounter. It gets tougher as you progress, and you’ll run into the “this is impossible” scenarios, but trial and error and decent problem solving skills will get you through it. I played for 3 days. Maybe 15 minutes the first day, 3 hours or so the second day, and 1 hour the third day until it was complete. There are so many unanswered questions. The key question being what the hell is going on??! It’s a terrible feeling to watch a show or movie, read a book, or play a game and, at the end, be left clueless. A short comic at the end showing what happened to get to the game’s present would have been perfect. Even with that though, the ending needs to be cleared up somehow. I feel like I enjoyed playing through it all so much and wanting to know the end game so badly, only to get to the end and be let down. An editor said “the game was meant to be experienced and not understood” but who wants to NOT understand something after playing through it for all that time AND spending a meal worth of money for it?? I feel very let down.