Limbo Review (PS4)

Playdead's critically acclaimed Limbo has been slowly creeping onto just about every platform on the planet since its original release in 2010. Now, a whopping five years after its inaugural outing, the experience has lurched its way onto the PlayStation 4.

You play as an unnamed boy on the edge of Hell – the title is taken from the Latin word 'limbus', which means 'edge' – searching for his missing sister. You begin the game in a forest-esque environment that eventually begins to blend with more mechanical elements, before ending up almost exclusively inside what might be the heart of a dark, rundown city.

Boasting an upscaled 1080p resolution – the title was native 720p back in the day, even on the PC – the game certainly looks better than it's ever looked. There is a downside to this, however. Indeed, aside from the upscaled resolution, there are no other changes, aside from the fact that it can now be played on the PS4.

By this token, the game is one of the more barebones next-gen ports so far. It shares more in common with Thomas Was Alone and Hotline Miami – two untouched titles made available via cross-buy – as opposed to a meatier upgrade, like The Last of Us Remastered.

The fact that this version isn't cross-buy compatible – and actually the third time that it's launched on PlayStation platforms – is a bit of shame, then. And this is furthered by the fact that it can be beaten in two or so hours, making it a steep investment if you've already experienced it a couple of times before.

Of course, if you haven't completed it, then you absolutely should. Even five years later, the game's monochromatic colour scheme and extremely moody environments offer a feast for the eyes. The game's use of out-of-focus background objects give the whole affair a hazy, dreamlike – nightmare, really – feel. And, of course, the puzzles are brilliantly designed, and still feel as fresh as ever today.

We'd also be remiss to ignore the ambient score, which shows an impressive amount of restraint on the composer's part. There are no jittering violins when creepy enemies make their presence known for instance, but the audio work is still menacing, as you're chased by lurching arachnids and other such nasties.