We recently played “Inside” for the Game Pass Forever segment of the Outside is Overrated podcast. Playdead’s 2D puzzle platformer is a critical darling, ranging from 87-93 on Metacritic depending on the platform. In this post, you’ll find the Inside Game explained.
Read on for the explanation, or check out the Game Pass Forever segment:
“Inside” is a great game. Is it a must-play? It was for me, but maybe not for you. If you enjoy environmental puzzles and stories that can jump way over the top, you could love this indie gem. If your interest is primarily shooters and/or non-stop action you can probably sit this one out.
Core Gameplay Loop
In essence, you play as a young boy moving from left to right. You’re trying to get inside a facility housing a sinister project. Along the way you will face lethal humans, dogs and merpeople intent on stymying your progress. If you survive and solve all the environmental puzzles, you are treated to one of the most bizarre endings in video games.
In addition to your odyssey there are secrets scattered across the boards and a hidden ending to unlock. “Inside” has a unique checkpoint system, allowing you to drop back to past areas to hunt for collectibles. It’s also handy to see just how many checkpoints you have left in the game.
“Inside” is a short experience. A typical player can beat it in three to five hours. Looking at my save file I spent six hours with the game, primarily trying to finish the story with minimal backtracking for secrets.
Environmental Puzzles
Your journey is frequently held up by environmental puzzles. These can range from flipping switches to mind-controlling clones to manipulate the environment. Puzzles vary in difficulty, but I managed to beat the game without looking up any solutions.
The game also uses a generous checkpoint system, so even if you are facing an extremely lethal puzzle you never lose too much progress. That said, I still found one puzzle with a merperson vexing. Essentially, you need to use an automated hook to lure the monster away from the switch you need to activate. I saw all the tools required to complete the puzzle, but it took a number of attempts to finally click.
One way the game helps keep frustration in check is making sure you always have all the tools needed to complete the puzzle at hand. This is not a 90s adventure game, you won’t need to carry an item from an early cornfield to the end of the game for a specific puzzle. You will always have the tools to advance, it’s just a matter of figuring out how they should interact.
Inside Game Ending
While many of the environmental puzzles are extremely clever, the true star of this game is the ending.
— SPOILER ALERT—
After spending most of the game trekking to the right as the boy, you finally get into the facility. You work your way into an aquatic holding chamber housing a horrific blob of human matter. It has arms and legs sticking out all over the place. You dive into the middle of the mass and from then on you play as the blob.
The game gets more chaotic in blob mode. You still have some environmental puzzles to solve, but you’re also crashing through walls, busting through office windows and working your way to a peaceful place in the sun.
The game ends abruptly. After busting out of the facility, you roll down a hill and find yourself on a sunny beach. You can’t move, there is a long pause and eventually the credits roll.
What is the Point?
Normally I wouldn’t spoil the ending of a game. “Inside,” is a little bit different. I don’t think the point of this experience is the journey, or the ending, but rather our interpretation of the ending. What’s the point? Why do we care about having the “Inside” game explained?
The experience is open to interpretation. First off, there is the ethical nature of how we treat perceived lesser beings. It looks like the game is based around a weird cloning experiment. You frequently put on a mind control helmet and direct clones to solve puzzles.
Throughout the journey, people are trying to capture you. If they do, it’s a brutal end. Dogs will chase you down and literally tear you apart. At first I was shocked by the brutality. Then I started to get desensitized to it. Finally, when I realized I was part of a shared genetic matter, it made slightly more sense. Where do we draw the line of humanity and determine what are lesser beings?
In this instance, our avatar was the boy. If he’s responding to our inputs, he’s essentially us, right? So if he’s a clone, what does that make us? And what happens when the boy dies over and over again? Are those additional clones, each one trying to make it a step further than their predecessor?
Then there is the issue of control. Are we truly controlling the boy, or are we the disgusting blob bringing him forward to do our bidding? If that’s the case, are we ready and willing to sacrifice our kin? Also, how did he get out and get so far away?
“Inside” Gets Overrated
“Inside” is a short, quirky puzzle game that will likely stick with you after the credits roll. I enjoyed the exploration, jumping in a sub and the chaotic ending. It’s a bite-sized experience that anyone should be able to fit in, no matter how busy life is.
I played primarily on the Xbox Series X and cloud-based on the Steam Deck. I did not encounter any bugs or technical hiccups. The save file transferred seamlessly between the systems, as well as PC.
The Good
- Puzzles are fun, interesting and rarely frustrating
- Bite-sized experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome
- Thought-proving story stays with you after the game
- Forgiving checkpoint system and ability to jump back for collectibles
- Smash through walls with a submarine
- Unique art style
The Bad
- Brutality of deaths was jarring at first
The Verdict
“Inside” is a great game. Is it a must-play? It was for me, but maybe not for you. If you enjoy environmental puzzles and stories that can jump way over the top, you could love this indie gem. If your interest is primarily shooters and/or non-stop action you can probably sit this one out.
It’s an interesting option to pass the controller with a partner, as you only use the d-pad and two buttons.
Tom Awesome’s Review Score: 9.5
Learn more about the Outside is Overrated podcast.