by Jonah Bowman
“INSIDE” is an immersive and tense game.
Before I get into this particular review, I want to let you know that I am going to be a bit less specific, because I feel you should go experience the game for yourself and I do not want to spoil, nor ruin the experience of the game for anyone.
In the game you play as a little boy exploring a post-apocalyptic world where people have been turned into shells of themselves. They are only able to move when controlled by others, walking with their heads sagging, looking lifeless.
“INSIDE” is atmospheric with little music, with constant environmental sounds such as water dripping, the lifeless people marching, cars with searchlights driving by, or dogs growling.
The gameplay is simple using only the left stick for movement and the engage button for dragging boxes, pulling levers to activate elevators or open doors, and working with buttons to make the water level rise or fall for a certain area.
The player solves all sorts of puzzles as they walk farther to the right of the screen to advance towards the next area. Some puzzles are as simple as ripping wooden planks nailed over a door in order to pass through. Others are solved by using a helmet the boy puts on to control the lifeless people, making them move things, pull levers, or stand on pressure plates that are out of the reach for the boy. The player must avoid chasing dogs, and searchlights that if you walk into them you get tazed, among other things that I won’t spoil.
There are also certain areas where you must swim. Swimming adds the intensity to the game. You can only be underwater for a short amount of time before you run out of air. There are areas where you must swim under something to get to the other side, or so a searchlight does not spot you then barely resurface in time.
The game itself is short. It can be finished in about three and a half hours, which if you’re going to play this game, I would highly recommend completing it in one sitting. Every moment of this game had me on edge, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
I have never played a game that so immersive that I couldn’t put the controller down until I completed the game. I was hooked from the first five minutes. I kept wondering where the story was going and what would happen next. “INSIDE” is more an experience than a game.
Some of the puzzles can take a while to figure out. So, if you are not a big fan of puzzle games, “INSIDE” might not be right for you. I’m not usually big on puzzle games myself, but I would highly recommend giving it a try, even if just for the experience. The game is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One for $19.99.