Inside

THOUGHTS

Having been on a bit of a kick with regards to shorter, story driven games recently the games of Playdead seemed like a great call. This also seems like a good time to mention that I haven't had any past experience with them, notably their critically acclaimed first game Limbo. Inside does an excellent job drawing you in from the bat, with next to no lead-in time with the atmosphere clear and present from the first frame. This is exceedingly important in a game of this length and you very quickly get a handle on how the game wants you to proceed, the rules of the world and the motions and actions you'll be going through - particularly in regards to the trial and error nature of encounters. 

Rather than continue down the broader track, I'm just going to rip the bandaid off now. I didn't see what the fuss was about with Inside. More specifically I didn't understand the gushing torrent of critical praise that was lavished upon this game when it was released, calling it a masterpiece and one of the highpoints of gaming history. It just wasn't there for me. Without delving into spoiler territory too heavily (as certain moments of this game do have genuine shock value, and much of the importance you place on certain moments will almost certainly determine your personal outlook on the game's value), the game leads up to a crescendo that it seems to think allows any flaws to be overriden. The issue here is clarity and focus — while the game has the latter in certain elements and the former is not always needed to a strong degree; there's ambiguity and there's obtuse writing and structure. This game falls into the latter. 

The encounters are incredibly limited, even for such a short game. The game expects you to fail multiple times and the puzzle solving is incredibly simple. While the art style and atmosphere are wonderful there's only so far that can carry a game with such simple, repetitive mechanics and gameplay, especially with little payoff in regards to story. Without denigrating those who did love this game I wonder if there's a sense of unwarranted importance placed upon this game for the somewhat experimental terrain it navigates and the oppressive atmosphere (which is definitely its greatest success for mine). Uncharted territory and bold efforts are great but do not deserve praise simply for existing. The experience as a whole feels unfulfilling and surprisingly vapid given the presentation. 

Plus/Minus

+ Wonderful art, fluid animation

+ Oozes with moody atmosphere, fantastic realisation of an oppressive world

+ A couple of memorable sequences

- Unfulfilling narrative arc

- Reliance on trial and error gameplay

- Lack of diversity in mechanics and scenarios

- Does not capitalise on potential developed through world-building 

Overall

Obviously many people have bought into this game and treat the payoff as a sufficient end to what little narrative there is. It just wasn't enough for me. This struck me as more of an interesting experiment in mood and tone rather than some sort of masterpiece of game design. It's too fundamentally flawed to allow unfulfilled potential and tired gameplay to be fully forgiven for the sake of artistic intent and an impressive atmosphere. I'd still recommend it as it's a very short game and it is striking, but with real reservations and a recommendation those going into it temper expectations heavily. Joseph Anderson did a wonderful video piece that mirrors many of my thoughts and I'd highly recommend it to those looking for a deeper look into the flaws I've briefly gone over here. 

6/10

Technical Stuff: Played on a PS4. Copy purchased by author. One full playthrough and a bit of tinkering, approximately 4 hours spent.