Penumbra will draw you in and toy with you in ways other horror games can't. A truly fantastic survival horror game.
http://www.hamst3r.com/article/57/thoughts-on-the-penumbra-series
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Thoughts on Penumbra: Black Plague & Penumbra: Overture
I just finished playing Penumbra: Black Plague, the final chapter in the Penumbra series made by Frictional Games.
One word summary: Awesome.
At least…90% awesome. There were a few sections in Black Plague that I could have done without, but overall the game was fantastic. The game is short, but it's short like Portal, meaning that the four hours one spends in the game are the best 4 hours ever. Sadly though this is the end of the series. Black Plague is no longer part of a trilogy as originally planned…
Black Plague was going to be the middle chapter in a trilogy of horror games, but due to unstated reasons Black Plague became the second and last game in the Penumbra series. I'm assuming the reasons are financial due to the game being made by a small independent developer for the niche Survival Horror market and as a PC exclusive release. I think it's pretty clear that the odds were not in the developer's favor.
But from this developer has come a truly magnificent entry in to the history books of Survival Horror games.
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The main innovation of the Penumbra series is the unique way that you manipulate objects in the game. In most games, to open a door you simply press a key or click a button and the door opens. When you open a door in Penumbra you have a lot more control over how you do it. Think of the mouse cursor as your on-screen hand, which isn't difficult in the game as your cursor is actually shaped like a hand. Using this hand you grab the door and then push or pull it in the direction you want it to move. You can push doors open as fast or as slow as you want. If you right click while holding the door you will throw the door open as fast as possible.
You can use this same technique to open cabinets and drawers, pick up items, throw items, move boxes and to use just about anything else in the game. Both Penumbra games are driven by this concept. You'll use it to solve nearly every puzzle in the two games. The puzzles also have very logical solutions. There are no complex, brain-melting riddles. There's no need to collect prosthetic skin so you can stretch it over a manhole and use it as a trampoline. There are no puzzles that require you to microwave a unicorn statue and then deliver it to a government agent on the moon. All of the puzzles in Penumbra are solved with real-world logic.
For instance one puzzle in Black Plague requires you to open a locked gate. You do this by first locating a bent metal rod and bringing it over to the gate. You have free control over the rotation of item you're carrying, so you need to rotate the metal rod and then wedge it between the gate and the frame. Once the rod's in place you grab the edge of it and pull as hard as you can to snap the lock on the gate. The puzzles do get more complex than this but nothing will have you pulling or your hair trying to figure out what useless junk you need to combine next.
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The amount of immersion gained from this kind of interactivity is astounding – it really helps put you right there in the game and makes it feel even scarier. It would be nice if all games had a play mechanic that felt so natural. No more, "press the use key" to pick an item up. If you want to pick up the item you just click on it and you've picked it up! It's such a simple mechanism but it works well and I can't think of any other games that have it.
Both games have well written and at times very funny scripts. In both games after about an hour of mucking around on your own you finally find some companionship in a disembodied voice. In Overture a character starts talking to you over a radio that you find and in Black Plague a different individual is apparently located inside of your head. Not to give too much away I'll stop there. This method of delivery works very well in the game and does not feel like a cop-out as it does in some games.
Another way that Black Plague differs from Overture is in the combat. Black Plague doesn't have any. There are still enemies, but this time around it's best if you just run away from them and find some other way to outwit them that doesn't require direct confrontation. Black Plague does still have the occasional enemy encounter but they are resolved through the use of your environment rather than trying to clumsily swing a pick axe at them as they tear you to bits.
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The graphics in the Penumbra series can be best described as dated. The graphics aren't anywhere near those in Crysis. What they are though is effective and that's good enough. The lighting and atmosphere is what really saves the graphics. The lighting is great, at least what of it is there to be great, as the game is also very dark. You do carry a Flashlight, a glow-stick and some road flares, but when there are enemies lurking around the last thing you want to do is alert them to where you are by shining a light in their direction.
The music in both Penumbra games is very fitting and helps to create an atmosphere of tension and constant danger. Every area seems to have it's own unique creepy music too, which is a nice touch. In Black Plague as you enter the dog kennel area, a familiar cue from Overture fades in, getting right under the skin of anyone who's played Penumbra: Overture. Another bonus is that the music is easily accessible in the game directories as OGG files for those who want to listen to the quality themes some more.
Overall, Penumbra: Overture and Penumbra: Black Plague are very good games. Black Plague is a decidedly better game with it's more puzzle oriented focus and more interesting environments, but I do feel that Overture has the more interesting and amusing acquaintance named Red. Red is a good guy if not a bit neurotic. He's a very lovable and helpful character, guiding you throughout the game. Clarence on the other hand can be down right cruel and manipulative. Clarence also always refers to you as, "Monkey". Both characters are interesting and add a lot of depth and emotion to the Penumbra games.
If you love scary games, Penumbra is an excellent choice. Penumbra will draw you in and toy with you in ways other horror games simply can't.
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