Inside Review (CindyK_JA)
After spending 13 hours 'Inside,' I am not quite sure what to think. On the surface, this is a side-scrolling platform game with some complex puzzles and some very interesting mechanics. The artwork is desolate and dark and you are constantly evading death (which comes in multiple forms... dogs, siren/mermaids, people, guns, falling, etc.).
You guide a small boy through a multi-layered maze-like environment that includes outdoors, indoors, rural, urban, underwater, below ground, etc. Along the way you use boxes, carts, and 'mindless' entities to help clear your path.
The game saves regularly so progress is not usually lost when you die or decide to take a break. Achievements are awarded for finding and unplugging 'dome' structures which are generally reached by detouring off the main path. If you miss one, you can easily return to a previous scene without disrupting your primary game. 100% is achieved well before the actual end of the story. Once you have earned 100%, you have the option of completing the main story, looping back for an alternate ending, or just quitting. The last section of the game involves controlling a rolling ball of flesh and a box of fire which becomes quite tricky. After many tries, I have yet to be successful in completing these final moments.
For those who have played LIMBO, INSIDE is physically easier (i.e., less precision/timing required) but more challenging in terms of some pretty complicated puzzle solutions. I am not sure what to say about the story. Towards the end, the boy transitions to breathe underwater and to control the 'mindless' entities without technology. And, then there is the huge ball of flesh with multiple arms and legs (Yikes!). While I suspect that the developers are telling a story with meaning, I admit that it escaped me entirely. There are a couple of interpretations posted on the Steam forum which are interesting to read.
Overall, I recommend this to those with patience and who do not mind platforming and watching a child die in multiple ways. It is an interesting game that is worth your time. If you discover the hidden meaning, please be sure to share it with those of us who are less intuitive!