Limbus Company Review

Summary

The video script offers an in-depth review of 'Limbus Company', a free-to-play gacha RPG with a unique literary twist. The game, developed by the Korean indie studio ProjectMoon, features a story-rich, oppressive world with characters inspired by global literature. Despite its engaging narrative and innovative approach, the game's gacha mechanics and slow-paced progression may not appeal to all players. The reviewer suggests trying the game for its low entry cost but advises waiting for further reviews to gauge long-term engagement.

Takeaways

• 🎮 'Limbus Company' is a free-to-play gacha RPG with a strong emphasis on story and lore.
• 🚌 The game's hub is a bus that metaphorically consumes people, setting a dark and oppressive tone.
• 🎭 It features characters inspired by global literature, using these references to anchor its fantastical setting.
• 📚 The game is developed by ProjectMoon, known for 'Lobotomy Corporation' and 'Library of Ruina', inheriting a fanbase from these previous titles.
• 🤔 'Limbus Company' may not be approachable for everyone due to its complex mechanics and steep learning curve.
• 🔮 The game's world is filled with sentient pests and insects, creating an urban hellscape divided among corporations.
• 💥 Combat in 'Limbus Company' is turn-based with a focus on chaining attacks for bonuses, but it lacks strategic depth during fights.
• 🕒 Progression is gated by timed currency, which may slow down the pace of the game, especially after the initial hours.
• 🎲 The game's tutorial is confusing, and players are advised to consult community guides for better understanding.
• 📈 The story unfolds in small increments, requiring a long-term commitment that may not suit all players.
• 📖 For those interested in the game's literary references and postmodern themes, it offers a unique and academic experience.

Q & A

What is the game 'Limbus Company' and what is its unique feature?

Limbus Company is a free-to-play gacha RPG with a strong emphasis on story and lore. Its unique feature is its hub, a bus that metaphorically consumes people to fuel its tours through a hellish setting.

What is the controversy surrounding 'Limbus Company'?

The controversy lies in its free-to-play gacha structure, which may not align well with the game's story focus, potentially making it difficult to recommend to all types of players.

Who is the target audience for 'Limbus Company'?

The game is developed for a specific kind of person who embraces a progression system that unfolds over weeks or months rather than days.

What is the connection between 'Limbus Company' and the studio ProjectMoon?

Limbus Company is developed by ProjectMoon, a Korean indie studio known for creating well-received games like Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina.

How does 'Limbus Company' utilize literature to enhance its gameplay?

The game borrows globally identifiable characters from epic poetry and novels, using these references to ground its otherworldly premise and define characters' personalities, designs, and special attacks.

What is the player's initial experience when starting 'Limbus Company'?

The game is not approachable for new players; it drops them into a complex world filled with sentient pests and insects without a gentle introduction to its mechanics.

How does the game 'Limbus Company' handle its combat system?

The combat system in Limbus Company is turn-based with a focus on chaining together attacks of shared affinities for damage bonuses and ultimate abilities, but with automated target selection and random elements that reduce player control.

What is the significance of the character Faust in 'Limbus Company'?

Faust is a character who saves the protagonist, Dante, from certain death, playing a significant role in the narrative and possibly foreshadowing future events.

How does 'Limbus Company' compare to traditional gacha games in terms of story delivery?

Unlike many gacha games, Limbus Company places a heavy emphasis on story and lore, offering a narrative experience that unfolds over time, similar to a live service game.

What are the gameplay mechanics that make 'Limbus Company' feel like an autobattler?

The game's combat system, with its automated target selection and reliance on pre-fight decisions, coupled with an auto-resolve combat button, gives it an autobattler feel despite requiring player input.

What is the reviewer's final stance on recommending 'Limbus Company'?

The reviewer suggests trying the game due to its low entry cost but advises potential players to wait for further reviews to understand if it's a long-term commitment they are willing to make.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 'Limbus Company': A Controversial Gacha RPG with Literary Depth

The script introduces 'Limbus Company', a free-to-play gacha RPG with a unique premise and a surprising amount of positive reception. The game's setting is a bus that metaphorically consumes people, serving as a hub in an oppressive world. Despite its intriguing story and lore, the game's free-to-play model may not suit everyone, as it caters to players who enjoy long-term progression over weeks or months. The game is developed by ProjectMoon, known for previous successful titles, and it's not approachable for newcomers due to its complex world-building and terminology. The protagonist, Dante, is saved by Faust, and the script hints at a connection with globally recognizable characters from literature, which serves as an anchor for the game's otherworldly narrative. The game is described as an academic, postmodern take on anime body horror, which may appeal to a niche audience.

05:04

📚 The Literary and Gameplay Challenges of 'Limbus Company'

This paragraph delves into the gameplay mechanics and narrative structure of 'Limbus Company', highlighting the game's serviceable but flashy combat system with automated target selection and random power shifts. The tutorial is criticized for being confusing, and the suggestion is made to consult community guides for better understanding. The game's story delivery is at odds with the traditional gaming experience, as it requires daily engagement for incremental story progression, which may not suit all players. The author expresses a conflicted recommendation due to the game's grind and the need for long-term commitment. The comparison is made to the literary classics that inspire the game, suggesting that while 'Limbus Company' offers depth, it lacks the finality and satisfaction of a completed book. The narrative is intentionally slow, and the game's live service nature means it may never provide a conclusive end, which is a point of consideration for potential players.

Keywords

💡Limbus Company

Limbus Company is the central subject of the video, referring to a free-to-play gacha RPG game with a strong narrative focus. The game is described as having a unique and controversial structure, which is both its strength and a potential barrier to recommendation. It is mentioned as being developed by a Korean indie studio known for its previous well-received games.

💡Gacha

Gacha refers to a mechanic in video games where players obtain virtual items or characters by spending in-game currency, often acquired through random draws. In the context of the video, Limbus Company's gacha system is controversial because it ties the game's progression to this random element, which may not align with the game's story focus.

💡Turn-based combat

Turn-based combat is a type of gameplay where characters take turns to perform actions, often seen in strategy and role-playing games. The video mentions that Limbus Company features slick turn-based combat animations, which is one of the aspects that attracted the viewer to try the game.

💡Metaphorical hell

Metaphorical hell is a concept used in the game to describe its oppressive and dystopian world. The video describes the game's hub as a bus that resembles a train, which consumes people to fuel its tours through this metaphorical hell, setting the dark and surreal tone of the game's environment.

💡ProjectMoon

ProjectMoon is the Korean indie studio responsible for developing Limbus Company. The studio has a reputation for creating games with deep narratives and unique gameplay mechanics. The video credits the studio's pedigree as a reason for Limbus Company's initial positive reception.

💡Sentient humanlike-pests

Sentient humanlike-pests are creatures within the game's world that exhibit human-like characteristics. The video uses this term to describe the inhabitants of the game's urban hellscape, contributing to the game's otherworldly and eerie atmosphere.

💡Auto-resolve combat

Auto-resolve combat is a feature in some games that allows battles to be played out automatically, based on the characters' attributes and the player's strategy. The video critiques the auto-resolve feature in Limbus Company for not being fully effective due to the need to manually click every turn, which diminishes its intended convenience.

💡Live service narrative

A live service narrative refers to a storytelling approach where the narrative is continually updated and expanded over time, often in online games. The video discusses the challenges of a live service narrative in Limbus Company, suggesting that the slow progression of the story may not be satisfying for all players.

💡Postmodernism

Postmodernism is a philosophical movement characterized by skepticism, relativism, and a general distrust of grand theories and ideologies. The video describes Limbus Company as having a postmodern approach, using characters and themes from various literary works to create a unique and complex narrative.

💡Anime body horror

Anime body horror refers to a subgenre of anime that features grotesque and disturbing depictions of the human body. The video mentions this term to describe the game's visual style, which combines elements of traditional anime with body horror to create a distinctive and unsettling aesthetic.

💡Autobattler

An autobattler is a type of game where the battles are fought automatically based on the player's setup, without the need for manual input during the fight. The video suggests that Limbus Company's combat system feels like an autobattler, as the player's decisions before the fight have a greater impact than the choices made during it.

Highlights

The game 'Limbus Company' has received a surprising amount of positive reviews for a free-to-play game with no major IP backing.

It features a unique game hub, a bus that metaphorically consumes people to fuel its tours through a hellish setting.

The game has a consistent voice and an oppressive world view, presented through its core cast.

Limbus Company's free-to-play gacha structure may not align well with its story-focused nature.

The game is tailored for players who are comfortable with long-term progression over weeks or months.

Limbus Company is developed by the Korean indie studio behind well-received games Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina.

The game is not approachable and expects players to be prepared for its complex world and terminology.

A character named Faust saves the protagonist, Dante, setting the stage for potential regret later in the story.

The game uses globally recognizable characters from literature to anchor its otherworldly premise.

Characters' personalities, designs, and special attacks are influenced by their literary namesakes.

The game's cast and story are likened to feminist re-interpretations of Greek Mythology found in bookstores.

Limbus Company offers an 'academic' experience, blending postmodernism with anime body horror.

The game's combat system is criticized for not being enticing and possibly not the best fit for its story focus.

The game's districts are divided into chapters with linear paths of missions and story sequences.

Progression in Limbus Company is gated by timed currency, affecting the pace of story consumption.

The game's tutorial is difficult to understand and overwhelms new players with mechanics.

Limbus Company's story structure may not suit players looking for a quick completion experience.

The game is a commitment, with complex upgrades, progression, and literary depth demanding a lot from players.

The game's live service narrative requires a slow-paced story that may never end satisfyingly.

Players are encouraged to try Limbus Company due to its low entry cost, but should consider the long-term commitment.

For a more comprehensive understanding, players are advised to consult community guides before playing.

Transcripts

I had next to no frame of reference when I downloaded ‘Limbus Company’ on its release

earlier this week.

Trailers demonstrated some slick turn based combat animations and it had a shocking amount

of positive reviews for a game that seemingly came out of nowhere… for the low price of

free I checked it out to see what all the fuss was about.

And on the other side of about 10 hours I totally see what the fuss was about.

It has some really crazy ideas: the games hub is this bus that looks like a train that

eats people to fuel it’s tours deep through metaphorical hell.

It has this really consistent voice as it shows you its oppressive world through the

perspective of its core cast but at the same time it doesn’t exactly tee itself up to

be really easy to recommend.

Because ultimately all of the good about Limbus Company is tied up in its controversial free

to play gacha structure that may not be an excellent fit for the games story focus.

This game was developed for a very specific kind of person, one who embraces the broad

strokes of their progression being made in weeks or months instead of days; I don’t

suspect I’ve got that many more stops left before I decide to end my journey, but damn

if I’m not glad I got on the bus.

Limbus Company calls itself a ‘Vicious Sin-resonating RPG’, but if you’re looking for something

a little more comprehensible its a free to play gacha RPG with a large emphasis on story

and lore.

If you’re wondering how a title with those attributes was able to come out of the gate

without being tied to a major IP and somehow able to avoid complete lambasting…

it’s probably thanks to its studio pedigree.

Limbus Company inherited existing fans by virtue of ProjectMoon… the Korean based

indie studio responsible for Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina… two games that were

incredibly well received though regrettably ones I haven’t played personally.

And that was very apparent the second I booted the game up: if there’s one thing Limbus

Company isn’t, it’s approachable.

It dumps you into it’s world filled with sentient humanlike- pests and insects trying

to carve out a life in it’s urban hellscape where blocks and districts are territory divided

among corporations and in universe terms get thrown around at a frequency that expects

you’ve come in prepared.

What ended up being my liferaft and how I eventually did grow to love this kind of weird

story is from an area I could not have predicted.

Early on my clock faced protagonist was saved from certain death by a woman named Faust…

we’re probably going to regret that later.

Then it was revealed that our player character is named Dante and as the rest of the cast

rolled in it dawned on me what I was actually playing.

Because in place of where a big budget license would be to carry the gacha and collection

systems is instead replaced by literature…

borrowing on globally identifiable characters from epic poetry and novels.

I’d be lying if I said I knew who everyone was but it uses these references to great

effect, acting as this anchor to ground its otherwise otherworldly premise.

Certain characters not only have their personality defined by their namesake but also their designs

and their special attacks.

I may not have ever finished Moby Dick but damnit if I’m not here for anime girl Ishmael.

The end result is that we get a cast and story that’s kind of like the video game equivalent

of that section in barnes and noble with all the feminist re-interpretations of Greek Mythology…

except we’re not limited to a particular pantheon here.

It’s a lit class lesson on postmodernism viewed through the lens of anime body horror

and I kind of live for it.

Out of all the games I’ve experienced that have an autoplay button, this is probably

the most ‘academic’?

If that sounds appealing to you then you owe it to yourself to give this one a try.

But I’m kind of stuck in that ‘give it a try’ level of recommendation rather than

it being something I can say with my whole chest… largely because of the gameplay and

structure.

Yes, Limbus Company is a gacha and the UI doesn’t try to hide that it was built for

mobile parity.

It feels stupid to review a gacha and then criticize it for being a gacha, but I don’t

think that’s the entirety of my problem.

It’s mainly that I don’t think the combat that’s at the core of this gacha is all

that enticing and I’m also not entirely sure that this genre is a good home for the

story focused experience that Limbus Company so obviously is.

The different districts of the city are divided into different chapters, each one broken down

into a linear path of simple combat missions and story sequences that eventually culminate

into a chapter ending dungeon that acts as an almost miniature roguelike within itself.

The missions themselves are gated by timed currency which, to be fair, wasn’t even

a major factor until somewhere around the 7 hour mark for me… with the steady level

ups that come with early progression letting you make serious headway in the story without

the need to wait til the next day.

But I wouldn’t suggest that Limbus Company is respectful of your time… most of these

encounters are pretty explicitly retreads of defeating the same basic enemies over and

over with little in the way of strategic diversity until you hit the chapter ending boss fights.

Read any guide and you’ll be sure to find that there is a tremendous amount of decision-making

going on here but so much of it is pre-fight decision making about who you’re bringing

to make the best synergies.

Once you’re actually in that fight you’re kind of just selecting between one of two

attacks at a time on this chain at the bottom of your screen.

The idea is that your party is fighting simultaneously and chaining together attacks of shared affinities

can lead to both damage bonuses as well as points to stockpile towards ultimate abilities.

It’s serviceable and damn is it flashy when it resolves all at once, but two major attributes

are out of your control:

Target selection is automated so you can’t do much in the way of prioritizing who to

kill first, and coin flips on each clash represent pretty dramatic shifts in power.

Most of the time my battles weren’t won and lost by the decisions I made within them

but the decisions I made before them, in my experience, a well prepared and selected unit

will almost always win regardless of what buttons you hit… and the inverse is also

true.

It makes you wonder why they didn’t just go all the way and make this an autobattler

because that’s kind of what it feels like, albeit one where you need to go through the

motions anyway.

There is an auto-resolve combat button that you can unlock for repeat plays through particular

missions, but its one that needs to be manually clicked every single turn defeating much of

its purpose in the first place.

It doesn’t help that the tutorial is nigh incomprehensible and frontloads you with all

mechanics before you’ve had the chance to understand the basics: do yourself a favor,

if you’re thinking about giving this one a download, go and review one of the community

made guides online first, they were an instrumental tool for me getting myself acclimated to the

moment to moment.

But really its the story structure that I think is most incompatible with how I normally

consume games: because what’s here is good and what I’ve experienced I liked, but signing

on day after day to get tiny morsels of story is just not what I’m looking to do.

Obviously I did not ‘finish’ this game because it’s not really a game that can

be finished in the conventional sense, it’s something that ProjectMoon is no doubt hoping

you’ll be coming back to for hopefully years to come… and while I liked what I saw, I

don’t think I’ll be going back.

The 10 hour mark was my exit point because it’s where I started getting the most pushback

in terms of grind requirement to get the next small morsel of story… and if I wanted to

commit another 10 hours it makes me wonder if that wouldn’t just be better spent playing

its predecessors that you can just pay money for or maybe even committing some time to

the literary classics from which it pulls.

I can recommend it’s something you try given the low stakes of its lack of entry cost…

but if you’re really looking to see if this is something you can commit to long term,

I’d say you probably gotta wait for a second round of reviews about a month or two from

now.

Because much like the literary classics from which it pulls, experiencing Limbus Company

is a commitment.

Both the complexity of its upgrades and progression and the literary depth from which it pulls

demand a lot from you; and if you’re like me you’ll almost certainly need to resort

to outside help.

But unlike the literary classics, there’s no final page.

The demands of a live service narrative focused gacha game require a story that’s intentionally

slow to get through and may never end satisfyingly.

Though I enjoyed the time I did spend with it, part of me wishes it was a book you could

close…

rather than deciding when you want to walk away from it.