We've reached the second DLC for Atomic Heart, of the four promised, and these DLCs are really important because this game is one of those cases where the game ends, but the story doesn't. And by playing the DLCs, I understand why they exist separately. And by playing the DLC, I understand why they exist separately.
In the first DLC and this second one, called Trapped in Limbo, we see the studio looking for new and creative ways to develop this story. The first DLC, Annihilation Instinct tried to be creative, but in the end it brought a very repetitive experience, despite bringing new weapons, enemies and skills.
In Trapped in Limbo, compared to the first, there are no new features, no new weapons, no new enemies, no new powers, but it still manages to be more inventive and creative than the first expansion. And this time we don't have the problem of repetitiveness.
A platform game
I plunged straight into this DLC, without having seen any kind of trailer, images or anything like that, because this is usually a much more surprising experience, and I even recommend doing this, and not just with games. So, when I got into the game, I got my first surprise: the layout had changed, but so far, no big deal.
Until I actually entered Trapped in Limbo and the first thing I thought was: "WTF?!". Out of nowhere we were in a fantasy world where everything was made of sweets, cookies etc. Although it's pretty crazy, there is an explanation for this, totally related to the ending of the game which, even through this DLC, makes it clear what the real ending is.
When I actually started playing, I was surprised by a totally different and totally unexpected gameplay, basically being a platform game with mechanics very much inspired by games like Mario, Sonic and even Subway Surfers.
Unexpected gameplay
Obviously, that's not what I expected when I entered a first-person shooter like this, and in Trapped in Limbo, the parts where you actually shoot are minimal. The reality is that you can finish this DLC without firing a single shot, but that's not what happened in my playthrough. In fact, you can see all the gameplay on our YouTube.
And if you watch the video, you'll notice that I died and died and died, over and over again, because the game explains what to do, but the learning curve, at least for me, was a bit long. Not that the same will happen to you, because the mechanics aren't difficult in themselves, but they are different from what the game originally brought.
This DLC is divided into a few sessions, basically three types of gameplay. The first is like an infinite slide, where you have to jump from platform to platform, sliding and collecting items.
When it comes to items, there are basically two types: one is more plentiful, similar to an apple, and is used to spin some roulette wheels that can give good rewards and others that aren't so good. The other item is basically a coin used to buy weapons, but it's much harder to collect. However, if you're lucky, you can get weapons from the roulette wheels.
Always up
Another type of gameplay are the literal platform stages, where the aim is to get to the top of that location and return to the real world. In this type of stage, you have to jump from platform to platform, jump over moving bridges, use jumping platforms, giant fans that throw you far away, do climbs and all sorts of things that platform games have.
You can even jump on bricks that release coins with each jump, like a game by a certain short guy with a moustache that we have available on the market. It's a very clear inspiration and the devs aren't afraid to make it explicit. I'm separating these types of sessions just for explanatory purposes, but that doesn't mean that we'll see "phases" in which we'll have both types of gameplay.
Russian Subway Surfers (sensational)
The last type of session we have in the game is basically a form of this famous mobile game, but much more complex and with many new mechanics. And even though it's very different from the other two modes mentioned above, that doesn't mean we won't see a bit of them here in this mode.
And at the end of each session, we have a battle, either against a boss or against hordes of enemies, which serves to crown the experience we've had. After finishing Trapped in Limbo, even though at times I had trouble getting to grips with the mechanics, there's no way I couldn't define it as brilliant.
You can finish it in just over or just under two hours, which is on average what we had in Annihilation Instinct, but the difference in quality is absurd. This is a DLC worth playing, and we still have two more to look forward to - will we finally have an ending to Atomic Heart?
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