Kicking off this year’s annual Summer of Arcade comes the award-winning puzzle-platformer, Limbo – an extraordinary little title from Danish developer, PlayDead Studios. Following the likes of Braid and Lucidity on XBLA, Limbo succeeds in all the right places – but does its distinct art style and clever puzzles make it worthy of a place on your digital shelf? Hit the jump and dive in as we give our verdict on a journey through hell’s edge.

Entering Limbo

In Limbo the player assumes the role of a nameless young boy who is uncertain of his sister’s fate and so enters Limbo setting forth on a journey of unproportional magnitude. Unfortunately, unless you’ve read the game’s description, the game does very little to remind you what the hell’s happening (no pun intended) and why you are where you are.

Despite the lack of narrative, Limbo impressively manages to build a strong connection with the player from the start, without sparing even as much as a word. For some strange reason the hope of finding something, anything even, will keep the player ploughing on until the very end.

Don't let Limbo's simple controls fool you - Major Nelson

Good Old Puzzles and Platforming

A simple control scheme (above) has you at one with the game from the minute you start, after all PlayDead aren’t about to lose you here. Instead the game’s puzzles offer up the real challenge and intend to keep, frustrate and kill – over and over again. Adopting a trial-and-error approach, the game requires patience and experimentation – and lots of it. You’ll fail countless of times only to pick yourself up again and give it one last go.

When you’re not solving the game’s mind-bending puzzles, you’ll likely be hurdling death pits and bear traps. The platforming elements require precise button presses at times; gaps can just about be jumped and boulders just about avoided – it all comes down to timing. Both elements of the game work in tandem and create a fantastic gameplay experience for the player – one not to be missed.

Damn those onlookers!

Watch Out

From the minute you wake you’re instantly thrown onto this roller coaster ride through Limbo. The game doesn’t let up and you always feel like dangers lurk right around the corner. Set pieces are woven into the game beautifully and you soon begin to learn it’s never a good sign when quiet turns to silence – which usually means you’re about to die.

The game can be completed in five to six hours depending on the gamer’s puzzle solving abilities, though I’ve heard it’s been beaten in less. Retailing for 1200 MS Points (£10/$15) it doesn’t exactly scream value for money, there’s not much replayability unless you’re an achievement whore and even then the online leaderboard lacks key stats rendering the game useless after completion – fortunately this is the game’s only drawback.

Not for Kids

In case you haven’t noticed, Limbo is stunning! It’s dreary grey visuals and stark black silhouettes tear through the screen and encapsulate you within its hauntingly beautiful world almost immediately – though that’s not to say it’s all pretty.

The game doesn’t shy from being gruesome and after your first bear trap you’ll soon realise how messy it all gets thanks to Limbo’s brilliant physics limb-chopping engine. Bodies decorate the forest halls while whirring buzz saws keep you back, ready to decapitate in a heartbeat. Disturbing but yet so peaceful, Limbo triumphantly succeeds at creating a sick beauty.

The game also does a great job of placing you in between objects and elements that make up the world, layered objects stand above and below the two-dimensional plane making the player feel truly trapped, and escape that much more necessary.

Subtle grainy flickers fill the screen and monochrome styled visuals lend to the game’s dark atmospheric mood, an air of eeriness sets the stage and ambient noise in place of a soundtrack help craft Limbo into what it is – a truly breathtaking assault on the senses, an assault you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

Worth the Experience?

Limbo’s one of those rare gems that comes along to shake up gaming once in a while, a glimpse into a truly untouched world and a reminder that video games are just as much as an art form as any other medium. It tells a tale without words, and that speaks volumes in itself.

Ever found yourself on the fence about buying a new game? This should get you off it! Watch the opening minutes of Limbo after the break.

One of the more quieter announcements this afternoon was that Limbo, a game I’ve had my eye on for a while now, would be here just in time for this year’s annual Xbox Live Summer of Arcade.

In Limbo the player assumes the role of a young boy, uncertain of his sister’s fate he enters “Limbo” and sets off on a journey of unproportional magnitude through a hauntingly beautiful world. Check out the game’s trailer after the break.

Limbo will be available via Xbox Live Arcade this July launching alongside Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Lara Croft and the Guardian of the Light and Monday Night Combat as part of Xbox Live’s Summer of Arcade.

The Blur Multiplayer Demo, previously an early exclusive to beta players, is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for the rest of us mere mortals. For those that missed out on the beta the first time around, you no longer have an excuse. What are you waiting for?

Two generations ago the spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark was arguably the best shooter to have ever graced the consoles. Bursting with so much content at the time, it required a compulsory memory upgrade if you intended on playing the full game. Ten years on and 4J Studios, the team behind the XBLA Banjo remakes have worked their magic and given Perfect Dark the treatment it so rightly deserved. Times have changed though, we no longer need four controllers or a big enough TV to accommodate split screen, and rounding up four friends for a good old fragfest is a thing of the past. With almost a decade in between the remake and its original launch on the N64, does this classic stand the test of time?

The Name’s Dark, Joanna Dark

Set in 2023 you take control of Carrington Institute’s top agent, Joanna Dark, as she attempts to stop a conspiracy by rival corporation DataDyne in the midst of an interstellar war between two races. Sound crazy? It is, and to be honest it’s hard to take the story seriously when you tie in the production values of a game that’s essentially ten years old. You’ll travel to various locales and meet some truly wacky characters on the way. Throw in some impressive gadgetry and the fact that in no time the bullets start flying and well… that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?

Reinvention Not Necessary

Unless you’ve made it your mission to avoid first-person shooters in the last decade, the first thing you’ll notice right off the bat is how dated the game’s mechanics feel. Precision is off when judged by today’s standards and it’s where Perfect Dark begins to show its age – though that’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable. The game’s just as fun and rewarding as it was many years ago, despite the dated engine and finicky aiming. On the plus side, the control scheme has been carried across wonderfully and feels right at home on the 360. Best of all it plays like it was made with dual analogs in mind, while the thoughtful addition of familiar button configurations: “Spartan” and “Duty Calls”, are a nice touch for the gamer that doesn’t like to stray too far from home.

Who'd have thought playing a ten year old FPS would feel so natural.

There’s a wide variety of weapons available, and almost every single one is bundled with a secondary fire mode. The Laptop Gun for example works well on its own as every assault rifle should, but when doubled up as a deployed sentry gun, say at the entrance of a soon to be opened door, well… you get where I’m going. You’ll get a kick out of seeing enemies react to well placed gunshots, and shooting guns out of said enemies’ hands never gets old. Despite it’s age, the game’s mechanics hold up marvelously and make for some truly enjoyable moments.

Ahead of it’s Time

4J Studios have done the game proud; fans of the original will be happy to know the game has been left practically untouched, albeit the visual facelift. One problem with the 2000 release were the occasional slowdowns, even with double its original memory, the N64 had a hard time keeping up when the screen eventually got crowded. While the remake runs better than ever at 60 FPS and gets rid of these problems for the most part, I did run into the odd hiccup now and again. Not something you expect from a console two generations younger.

The single player boasts seventeen missions, each with a set amount of objectives to complete. Three difficulty types are available from the jump (Agent, Special Agent, Perfect Agent), and a fourth (Perfect Dark) when unlocked. Pushing up the difficulty setting of course improves the rate at which enemies deal damage, but also gives you more objectives on missions providing for a fuller game experience. Playing the game on a lower difficulty can be a missed opportunity, leaving loads of room for error and easily mowed down enemies in your wake.

The mission variety provides a nice change of pace, some levels have you disguising to get through the front door unnoticed, a welcome break from the usual running and gunning. There’s also the odd optional way of completing a mission; choosing a particular exit on some missions affect your starting place in the next. These little touches go a long way and are very rewarding, especially with a game this old.

The odd stealth mission provides a nice change of pace.

The maze-like level design soon becomes confusing, and due to the repeating hallways you could’ve sworn to have already walked that oh-so-familiar route. Coupled with the fact that there’s hardly any direction whatsoever, and it’s not hard to become lost within a level full of dead ends and locked doors. You’ll often find yourself failing key objectives resulting in an abortion of the mission and tears of frustration, though once the routes are learned you’ll have a blast running back through them trying to score your best time for the online leaderboards. The enemy AI is hilarious to watch, they seem set on staying true to their initial decision and once a target is sighted they never seem to follow it; even if you’ve since moved, allowing for some easy take downs.

Swimming in different modes, the fun doesn’t stop there with Perfect Dark. Online and offline co-op is available if you wish to play through the campaign with a friend, and Counter Operative makes for some interesting match-ups. The latter sees one player as Joanna while another spawns and continuously respawns as the enemy in attempt to stop her finishing the level. An interesting twist on things and a personal favourite, I find it surprising that after all this time it hasn’t been adopted into more modern shooters. It’s an enjoyable option for those willing to try something different, and the predictable AI is soon balanced when you match up against an equally skilled opponent.

Those sleepless nights are back!

Finally, the mode everyone wants to hear about, the endlessly customisable super-duper Combat Simulator (aka the Multiplayer or the reason I lost a lot of sleep as a lad). Jammed with options there’s six multiplayer game modes, sixteen maps and 43 weapons including some classic throwbacks from GoldenEye 007. In addition to the game’s split screen, Rare and 4J Studios have taken the fragfest online and as nostalgic as four-player split screen is, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I never could stand the player that continuously kept glued to my screen, working out my whereabouts on the map. Overflowing with options the multiplayer component is as fun and frantic as ever, and for only 800 Microsoft Points you’d be hard pressed to find a deal like this elsewhere.

More Than Just A Lick of Paint

4J Studios have done a tremendous job as expected and have given Perfect Dark the same high-end treatment that has graced the Banjo remakes. Running at a full 60 FPS, Joanna’s been given a full makeover and while these aren’t the greatest by today’s standards, fans of the original will appreciate the visual upgrade; especially when standing side by side with its N64 counterpart. Mouths are still inanimate; instead, characters will shake their fists at one another and the voice acting will leave even the sternest cringing. All in all you have to commend 4J Studios for the work done here, Joanna’s never looked this good and it’s probably the only reason to keep that N64 in the attic.

Still Perfect?

Let’s face it, this was made for the person who remembers Perfect Dark and fans of the original will be all over this. Newcomers to the game should feel free to jump in with both feet, while running on old source it’s still oozing with charm and can be appreciated by most for what it achieved so long ago. As far as console shooters were concerned back then, GoldenEye set the bar, Perfect Dark perfected it and this XBLA remake is possibly the best way to relive this timeless classic.

Ever found yourself on the fence about buying a new game? This should get you off it! Watch the opening minutes of Perfect Dark after the break.

Looking back at our video archives, here’s a game that due to my forgetful mind never made the front page. Joe Danger, by Hello Games puts you in the shoes of the former as the world’s most dangerous and determined stuntman. Check out some old but thrilling footage and an interview from last year’s Eurogamer Expo after the break.

Here’s some footage of the game in action at the show. Ever wanted to create your own Evel Knievel-inspired stunts? Look no further and consider that wish granted.

Bouncing from boulder to boulder and ramp to ramp feels just as fun as it looks. Easy enough to pick up and play, it will require some skill to wrack up those combos and go for the high score. Jump in at any time to the game’s fully customisable level editor or race against your friends in the multiplayer mode, battling online or off.

“Joe Danger aims to recreate the childish joy of the first time you took a toy motorbike, doused it in lighter fluid, lit it, and launched it at high speed over your carefully constructed ramp out a second story window, while all the kids in the neighbourhood cheered below.”

Not something I can personally relate to, but what the hey? And not to be mistaken for a watered-down Trials HD clone (as we learn), the game, whilst still challenging tends to lend itself to be more fun, rather than frustrating. Coming in the form of a digital download we’re likely to see it appear on XBLA, PSN and PC – if not all three, at least one.

From what we’ve seen the game looks great and can’t be far off a release, hopefully Spring or “as soon as it feels right” according to the publisher. Check out their website for updates or stalk them on Twitter, we hear it’s the norm nowadays.

It’s official. Project Needlemouse (like predicted) turned out to be Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 to be specific was revealed by GameSpot early this morning along with its first real trailer. Hit the jump for more details and of course the trailer.

While only revealing five seconds from the hedgehogs latest adventure, the franchise is sure to return to its roots. What makes this announcement even more interesting is the fact that the Sonic is going episodic, with the first episode hitting PSN, WiiWare & XBLA this summer. Picking up where the Mega Drive/Genesis series left off and taking place right after Sonic & Knuckles, the game will feature traditional game mechanics like Power Sneakers and an all new “powerful” Homing Attack.

Online leaderboards will be incorporated into the title and motion controls thrown into the PlayStation 3 and Wii versions. How? I’m not exactly sure, but I guess we’ll see how it all works soon enough.

On a side note, scanning through the trailer revealed a locked image next to the downloadable platforms, similar locked images appear throughout the games official site hiding hidden content. An iPhone release? A Sega comeback? Dreamcast 2 *fingers crossed*? I’m sure they said that ship had sailed and I’m probably thinking way too hard here. In the meantime we’ll keep you up to date with all the news on Project Needlemouse Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

It’s also worth noting that some more concept art was revealed yesterday (gallery below), as well as some possible intro music to accompany it. More news is planned to surface in the coming days.

UPDATE: Apparently the hidden platform was indeed the iPhone, also what’s up with the Ashlee Simpson connection?

The rejected Goldeneye sequel for the N64 would later become Perfect Dark, the critically acclaimed success that kept me and my best friend up, night after night. While a remake of the classic Goldeneye 007 is now a mere pipe dream, this my friend is no fantasy.

Rare have opened the floodgates this week by releasing a batch of new screens from the XBLA remake of Perfect Dark and have set in motion tongues wagging across the world. Sadly the game won’t be available until early 2010, which is understandable by the sheer amount of work the team at Rare and 4J Studios have put into these glorious HD remakes (comparison gallery below). Can you believe it’s nearly been 10 years since we first laid eyes on Miss Joanna Dark?

We’ve just got hold of the first screens from Capcom’s high definition remake of Final Fight. Part of a double-pack, including the fantasy beat ‘em up Magic Sword will hit XBLA and PSN in April. Similar to Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, you’ll be able to switch between different visual modes. So whether you like your games in a cabinet, classic, crispy or smooth. If you’re the HD snob type or just looking for a bit of nostalgia, you can all start your drooling in the gallery below.