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Playdead's INSIDE spoiler thread.
- Thread starter whatevermort
- Start date
I don't know about linking any metaphors since I'm not really a story focused gamer, but I have a couple of conflicting theories as to the role of the boy, the mind control machines, and the blob. Granted there are various ways to take each scenario and multiple branching paths with each. And with only one playthrough, I may be reinterpreting events wrong or missing things.
1. The blob is controlling the boy to help it escape. The blob is controlling all of the general population, hence the 4 connected devices. It's a tortured soul, as noted by the amount of bodys and limbs it is comprised of and just wants to be free from the shackles the scientists have created.
Once the blob is freed, you can hear people and people help you because they are no longer under its control. That's why some people help you. Maybe they innately know that you were the thing controlling them, and they want you to escape so they can also be free.
When I entered the blob lab, I initially thought I had to stay out of sight of the people there, because they seemed to be more like the enemies, and unlike the normal people under the systems control. However, they didn't care about my presence, so they were probably just mindless lackeys working in the facility.
Maybe the blob chose the boy for some latent ability the boy possesses. Maybe the boy isn't the first one to make it to the blob, also represented by the countless limbs in the blob, but the first to successfully free it.
2. A rogue scientist is controlling the boy to destroy the blob. The blob was an experiment that went too far. Because of it freewill and humanity have suffered. The scientist may not have the means to free the blob, but the boy does, so using his knowledge from working with the corporation of scientists, he builds a console outside in the country (under the cornfield) to control the boy.
3, Maybe the blob is controlling a 2nd party who's controlling the boy for the same purposes.
Everything kind of reminds me of The Matrix, or the stories of Nikola Tesla destroying some of his most dangerous creations, or Oppenheimer regretting making the atomic bomb. Some of the themes remind me a bit of my favorite band, Rush, too.
I also enjoy the theory of social media and its addictiveness. Everyone is plugged into this mind-numbing entity, living in this Orwellian, bleak world. They're just trudging their way through existence without ever really living.
1. The blob is controlling the boy to help it escape. The blob is controlling all of the general population, hence the 4 connected devices. It's a tortured soul, as noted by the amount of bodys and limbs it is comprised of and just wants to be free from the shackles the scientists have created.
Once the blob is freed, you can hear people and people help you because they are no longer under its control. That's why some people help you. Maybe they innately know that you were the thing controlling them, and they want you to escape so they can also be free.
When I entered the blob lab, I initially thought I had to stay out of sight of the people there, because they seemed to be more like the enemies, and unlike the normal people under the systems control. However, they didn't care about my presence, so they were probably just mindless lackeys working in the facility.
Maybe the blob chose the boy for some latent ability the boy possesses. Maybe the boy isn't the first one to make it to the blob, also represented by the countless limbs in the blob, but the first to successfully free it.
2. A rogue scientist is controlling the boy to destroy the blob. The blob was an experiment that went too far. Because of it freewill and humanity have suffered. The scientist may not have the means to free the blob, but the boy does, so using his knowledge from working with the corporation of scientists, he builds a console outside in the country (under the cornfield) to control the boy.
3, Maybe the blob is controlling a 2nd party who's controlling the boy for the same purposes.
Everything kind of reminds me of The Matrix, or the stories of Nikola Tesla destroying some of his most dangerous creations, or Oppenheimer regretting making the atomic bomb. Some of the themes remind me a bit of my favorite band, Rush, too.
I also enjoy the theory of social media and its addictiveness. Everyone is plugged into this mind-numbing entity, living in this Orwellian, bleak world. They're just trudging their way through existence without ever really living.
I think they're "helping" you at the end to re-capture you. At one point they all bait you into that chamber and lock you in near the end.
I do need to play the whole ending again, because the whole time I was more awestruck and preoccupied with what the hell I was and what I was doing than what was going on around me.
There is an E where that big Tank that connects all the yellow wires are. The letters and numbers must be significant!
Iva Demilcol
Member
Yes, that's what I was talking about yesterday in the previous page. People watching the blob, totally unafraid of it. Pretty creepy.
And, is it the blob? I think it looked more like the mermaid kids. (Is the photograph at the right side, right?)
wesleyshark
Banned
Agreed. There's a sentience there, unlike the slaves
More_Badass
Member
A fate worse than death
Felt like people was waiting for the blob, as I said, kinda like in a theatre, it's very weird.
About the photos at the right side, I'm pretty sure it's the blob.
QuantumSquid
Member
As someone who hasn't played the game and isn't planning on playing it either...
stumbling in here and seeing this blob shit is freaking me the fuck out.
I cannot fucking imagine how people who thought this was just gonna be another pretentious little indie game reacted when they got to the ending. Absolutely insane.
stumbling in here and seeing this blob shit is freaking me the fuck out.
I cannot fucking imagine how people who thought this was just gonna be another pretentious little indie game reacted when they got to the ending. Absolutely insane.
gotstrangepowers
Banned
Wow!! This will definitely be in my 2016 top ten.
Fried Food
Banned
I'd like to think that people who thought that way, had their minds changed about 5 mins into the game.
As to the museum like exhibit of the mountain (notably not the internals of the complex), I'll suggest that the mountain itself was somehow built over the complex, or rebuilt after an initial accident.
I have just finished this for the first time, but I look forward to diving back in with all these new ideas
I have just finished this for the first time, but I look forward to diving back in with all these new ideas
What. The. Fuck.
Just finished not sure what to think, that twist was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen though.
I honestly thought it would have ended darker than that though when I opened the door to the boiler I thought the game wanted me to get in and end that thing's suffering.
Just finished not sure what to think, that twist was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen though.
I honestly thought it would have ended darker than that though when I opened the door to the boiler I thought the game wanted me to get in and end that thing's suffering.
Savinowned
Member
Man, I wish I didn't have nearly every gaming journalist hype the last 20 minutes so damn much. I was definitely surprised but I expected to experience some Prestige level twist or something.
Please don't get me wrong, it was an excellent game; I just feel that the beginning of the game (especially when you first get the mind control thing) was much more tense and crazy.
Maybe my problem is the lack of a clear resolution, but that is sort of the point of this game isn't it?
Please don't get me wrong, it was an excellent game; I just feel that the beginning of the game (especially when you first get the mind control thing) was much more tense and crazy.
Maybe my problem is the lack of a clear resolution, but that is sort of the point of this game isn't it?
blame space
Banned
the ending of this game was really good.
my favorite part was after you turned into the flesh blob.. after the first puzzle involving the pushy blocks.. you enter a big lecture hall and they're toying with you like a human plays with a cat. I wanted that pushy box so bad.. then the floor opened up..
I feel like there's a lot here without much explanation, which is exactly the kind of story I like in games. there are a lot of fun parallels between the kid and the player, the player and the zombie proxies, and even the player and the developers here.
there's a moment about 3/4ths through. it's after water turns upside down and you are controlling the just-freed zombies down a hospital hallway towards a multi level elevator puzzle. you lead them towards a big chasm and use them to cross to the other side. after you're safely across they lemming off down the elevator shaft. I think the room after that, overlooking a big view of a far off doorway, is one of the best in the game. it's basically an office, with a few computers and a clock on the wall ticking away.
i thought for a minute that was the end of the game. you lead a bunch of people down an elevator shaft and now you're stuck in a corporate prison for the rest of your life -- game design.
my favorite part was after you turned into the flesh blob.. after the first puzzle involving the pushy blocks.. you enter a big lecture hall and they're toying with you like a human plays with a cat. I wanted that pushy box so bad.. then the floor opened up..
I feel like there's a lot here without much explanation, which is exactly the kind of story I like in games. there are a lot of fun parallels between the kid and the player, the player and the zombie proxies, and even the player and the developers here.
there's a moment about 3/4ths through. it's after water turns upside down and you are controlling the just-freed zombies down a hospital hallway towards a multi level elevator puzzle. you lead them towards a big chasm and use them to cross to the other side. after you're safely across they lemming off down the elevator shaft. I think the room after that, overlooking a big view of a far off doorway, is one of the best in the game. it's basically an office, with a few computers and a clock on the wall ticking away.
i thought for a minute that was the end of the game. you lead a bunch of people down an elevator shaft and now you're stuck in a corporate prison for the rest of your life -- game design.
blame space
Banned
yeah I loved this kind of stuff! game played perfectly with player expectations and had many moments that left me trying to tie things together.. even if they don't get explicit explanations, they are still worthwhile gameplay experiences.
the best entertainment has the perfect amount of ambiguity and calculated design.. just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat and thinking.
blame space
Banned
do you guys think the girl drowned the kid and he entered purgatory or something? if only that metal walkway wasn't so decrepit.
supernormal
Member
To me it didn't have anything to do with hype. I actually thought the ending was the weakest part. By ending I mean the whole blob sequence (though I actually do like the last bit when you break out into the woods again). I think really has to do with the person. Many people like it because of the actual tech, how the blob moves, the destruction, etc. A lot of people think the sound blast part is the best. In my opinion the ending was a big shift in tone, and it felt more like a tacked on spectacle.
I recently beat Limbo again and I like that ending better, though I liked Inside more overall.
More_Badass
Member
I'd play a whole game with that thing. It was so satisfying and odd to control
It also worked as a satisfying tonal shift. Like you spent the entire game on edge, tense, chest tight, fearful, fleeing for your life, and now the tables are turned, as you're the monster rampaging through areas that you had cautiously crept through, now in a mouth-agape satisfaction
Almost like the Dusk Till Dawn of video games
supernormal
Member
I definitely think that's what they were going for. Some sort of release where you can go all out. In my case I was playing that section thinking "really!? That's what they went for?"
I think it would've helped if the blob sequence was shorter, like if it ended abruptly while you well still tryna figure out what was going on and stumbling around uncontrollably. The fact that they had you doing puzzles as that thing sort of took away from impact that you're this freak accident gone wrong and nobody knows what to do about it.
More_Badass
Member
I do agree with that. The best part was when you were just tearing through the place, using your weight and limbs to smash through walls and tear through doors. The pacing dropped when you had to play catch with yourself or push buttons.
Although those were still cool due to the animations of the arms
Iva Demilcol
Member
I didn't like the blob part because I thought it was unfair to the boy to end up like that (I think I mentioned that earlier in this thread) but I always react this way when something bad happens to most protagonists at the end of some games (like in the souls series, for example).
By my second playthrough I came to accept that the boy was not exactly an innocent character trapped in a messed up place like in Limbo, but that the boy's objective was to take control of the blob. That was his reason to be and we helped him to achieve that.
I wonder if there's more hidden stuff in this game there's a place where you can go behind some crates and you're out of sight. I tried to see if there was something to interact with but no, it was nothing.
blame space
Banned
what was with all the video tapes laying around? footage of test subjects? thought it was cool because you don't see tapes often they're kinda forgotten.
LukasTaves
Member
Dunno about that, when you are freeing the blob from the helmets the arms try to grab you and the boy resists it, even when he is finally grabbed he fights trying to escape.
Iva Demilcol
Member
Yes, I've discussed about that earlier too: I think the boy is programmed to do something, but I also think that it's almost subliminal. I believe the boy has an objective he's not aware of, and that's why you (as the boy) can choose to disconnect yourself by destroying the orbs/collectibles that are scattered around the whole game.
More_Badass
Member
It's been noted that Inside and Limbo seem to have more connections than just gameplay and tone. There's a theory that some of the tech in Inside's world might be reverse engineered from Limbo. I.e. the white brain worms and mind control. In that water's case, it's the gravity switches from Limbo put to practical use
That wasn't a tail. That was a white worm, still wriggling in the dirt when you remove it. Notice how the pig instantly becomes docile when you remove it, as if the parasite was making it aggressive towards you
Chip N Chance
Member
Yeah, the worms that controls minds once attached to a host was immediately noticeable as something from the Limbo universe. It was also the only time i felt a connection between the two worlds. Also does anybody have any theories for the secret ending underneath the cornfield? Does he just cut the power off to the entire facility, completely by passing the adventure/story? Sort of like Far Cry 4?
Such a trip of a game.
Such a trip of a game.
Is there any significance to the one light being on after you get all 13 orbs (and the last one, ofc)
edit: ok, there's a door there...mmm
WTF. when you open the door and go to the end you unplug a huge computer that has one of those mind control hats and the game ends.
edit: wow, it's literally on the first page. throw me in the furnace.
edit: ok, there's a door there...mmm
WTF. when you open the door and go to the end you unplug a huge computer that has one of those mind control hats and the game ends.
edit: wow, it's literally on the first page. throw me in the furnace.
Mr. Lemming
Member
The ending was very cathartic. Heck I think I want a game where you are a Katamari Legion gathering bodies and getting larger and larger.
That said I think Limbo was a better game.
One thing I don't understand what was different about dying to the mermaid in that specific corridor versus dying at any other point in the game.
That said I think Limbo was a better game.
One thing I don't understand what was different about dying to the mermaid in that specific corridor versus dying at any other point in the game.
blame space
Banned
did she connect something to you on the way down? that whole sequence was beautiful.
I didn't really get what was up with that flashlight reviving you after you drowned to death. Nobody else knew about the immortality-beam? Maybe the girl bathed in it first?
Basically enjoyed it. Some clever puzzles, cool art style, some strong imagery. Some really lame imagery, too, tho. The very ending shot of the blob dead on the beach was annoying.
Basically enjoyed it. Some clever puzzles, cool art style, some strong imagery. Some really lame imagery, too, tho. The very ending shot of the blob dead on the beach was annoying.
The flashlight didn't revive him, he got plugged into a long orange cable on the way down with a flashing light on it.
Hibiki Kurosawa
Member
Finally found all those secrets. Now to figure out what the hell to do at the second one now that the light is on and the switch makes noises.
Feels good to figure this shit out on my own.
Feels good to figure this shit out on my own.
speedomodel
Member
What in the actual fuck did I just play.
Game of the year. Holy shit that was haunting...
Game of the year. Holy shit that was haunting...
My friend and I spoke about this game a bit today. I don't know how many of our notions have been covered and I won't hit them all, but the real eye opener was when I said, "I wonder... what if you DIDN'T kill the "president" of the company?"
Sure enough, we played that section to find you do not need to kill him. I wonder... if it is possible to go through the game to the portions where you potentially killed someone (or died yourself) and not hurt anyone. Seems odd, but for one of our theories, it could make a difference.
For me, after the onset of "This feels like ET!" I definitely started getting a feeling a little similar to genetic purging. A bit similar to "Casshern" or WWII cleansing. I also wondered if the kid is controlled by the glob and not necessarily the player. Well, don't want to jump into that yet. Gotta read some of the other theories to see what others thought for sure!
This game was better than I hoped for sure.
Sure enough, we played that section to find you do not need to kill him. I wonder... if it is possible to go through the game to the portions where you potentially killed someone (or died yourself) and not hurt anyone. Seems odd, but for one of our theories, it could make a difference.
For me, after the onset of "This feels like ET!" I definitely started getting a feeling a little similar to genetic purging. A bit similar to "Casshern" or WWII cleansing. I also wondered if the kid is controlled by the glob and not necessarily the player. Well, don't want to jump into that yet. Gotta read some of the other theories to see what others thought for sure!
This game was better than I hoped for sure.
