Limbus Company Review
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🎮 '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.
📚 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Limbus Company
💡Gacha
💡Turn-based combat
💡Metaphorical hell
💡ProjectMoon
💡Sentient humanlike-pests
💡Auto-resolve combat
💡Live service narrative
💡Postmodernism
💡Anime body horror
💡Autobattler
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.
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)