Chris’s Top Ten Videogames of 2016: #6
Inside
Developer: Playdead
Publisher: Playdead
PS4, Xbox One, PC
It’s difficult to write about Inside for a couple of reasons. The first being that I don’t want to spoil anything that happens, as it is an experience that is probably best enjoyed knowing nothing about it. The second reason being that if I’m completely honest, I don’t know what the hell it’s all about!
Inside is a side scrolling puzzle platform game made by the people who created Limbo. If you’ve played Limbo then Inside shares a number of similarities such as the dark subject matter, a child in danger, simple yet clever puzzles and horrible deaths that make you wince.
You play as a boy about 11 or 12 years old who is on the run from unknown forces that have no hesitation in killing you. There is no dialogue or explanation about who you are running from or why you are being chased, which adds to the frantic nature of your journey.
There are many things that impressed me about Inside including the amazing sound design. The sound effects in general are superb and Inside probably has some of the scariest dogs since Resident Evil. Although the soundtrack is minimal it reminded me of John Carpenter’s The Thing scored by Ennio Morricone. It is extremely intense with a sense of dread and foreboding which creates an incredible atmosphere.
The animation of the boy is stunning with every stumble and trip looking superb and most importantly, believable. Despite not seeing any facial animation you genuinely care for the boy and feel his fear, especially as you hear his frantic breathing whilst he is being relentlessly pursued.
As I mentioned earlier, Inside doesn’t pull its punches in terms of death and it can be extremely uncomfortable viewing as you watch a child being harmed. It isn’t graphic or gratuitous like Mortal Kombat, which revels in its ridiculous over the top violence, but, it is probably more shocking as you are ruthlessly and brutally killed.
Inside is an incredibly atmospheric game filled with chilling moments. It isn’t necessarily enjoyable in the traditional sense of a video game but, it is utterly compelling and will leave you thinking about it for a very long time.
Review by Chris (co-host of 60 Minutes With and The Same Coin).
