Adding nothing new to the series, Black Plague proves you don't need to evolve in order to surpass your predecessor.
Penumbra: Black Plague picks up where the first installment left people hanging. Philip awakens in a room in which it appears he can't escape. This room works as a great tutorial for people who did not have the pleasure of playing the first game. It's also in this room that returning players will see the core gameplay has not changed at all. For good reason as well...nothing was really wrong with it.
Black Plague sets off to a great start and brings back all the creepy feelings you may have experienced from it's predecessor. In fact, in my opinion this game was much scarier. One of the only changes that was made for this installment was combat and the ability to wield a melee weapon are now gone. This was something that was complained about in the original, so I was happy to see it was completely removed and to be honest...this series does not need combat. The first game tried to encourage using your surroundings as your weapon. Except they forgot or did not realize how easy it was to kill your enemies. For the sequel, some people may or not be happy to hear that combat is not even a part of Black Plague. No more pesky mutts or spiders to deal with. Thank heavens for that!
Much like the first, Black Plague is all about story. Story comes first here and that is a good thing because once you get passed the really innovative physics engine, people will see the gameplay is a bit shallow. Like all the adventure-puzzle type games before it, Black Plague uses randomly placed documents scattered about. I will admit I'm not a fan of having to stop and read a huge document that you could easily get bored with and begin "skimming" them instead of reading and understanding them fully. Sadly this is how most of the game progresses it's story...except they added one interesting mix to it. Throughout the game you are haunted by this voice in your head. His name is Clarence, he is probably one of the creepiest characters you will hear and towards the end of the game, you will laugh at him while feeling even more uncomfortable. So as Philip continues to search for not only his Father, but what exactly his father wanted him to do, Clarence will continually make you see what he wants you to see. This builds a lot of tension since you are never really sure what is real and what is far from reality.
Just like the first game, Black Plague uses it's environment to scare you and I will have to say this game does an even better job of it. There were many parts in the game that I had to stop and realize I was not playing 'Silent Hill'. So be prepared to have that uneasy feeling while playing this sequel.
Graphically, Penumbra: Black Plague looks really nice, I was very shocked to see how realistic everything looked. They did a very good job here and I have to say the lighting and the shadows are the best part of it's appearance.
Black Plague also succeeds in it's sound effects. You will really start to notice how they effect the game when it's time to start "sneaking" around the "infected." Since you can no longer fight, be prepared to begin distracting your enemies so you can move around them.
Although Black Plague has a great appearance and storyline, it does not go without it's fair share of problems. One of the first things you will notice is that...you don't really have to sneak around any of the "infected" you can easily run around there stupid A.I.
The story, although very good; is easy to miss and by the end of the game you'll be asking yourself, "What in the hell is going on!?" You have to read all the documents very well or you might think the ending is very poor. However; if you do manage to understand the depth of the story, you will love the ending just as much as I did.
Puzzles in the game can be pretty tough at times, and I have no problem admitting that I had to look up an FAQ to help me through some of the tougher parts. There are some situations in the game that don't really make much sense and sometimes you have to "trial and error" your way through certain areas and rely on mechanics you never experienced up until that point.
Final Notes:
Penumbra: Black Plague, is a steal at it's bargain price. Even though it lasted only four and a half hours for myself, I feel like it was worth every penny. It's easily one of the scariest games I have played in a while and there are some really tense moments where you might find your hands shaking and the story will keep your wanting more if you can grasp it all. Black Plague is not for everyone and if you're the type of person looking for any type of combat, you may want to pass this one up. Penumbra is all about suspense and tension and let me tell you...it succeeds.