Innovative controls and an incredibly scary atmosphere leaves you thirsting for Episode 2.
By the end of the episode, you'll be dying to try the next, as it ends in a cliffhanger-manner that works perfectly. Of course, that is if you've dared to continue on after the first rendezvous with one of the ugly creatures you'll be facing.
The game can feel a bit "enclosed", a bit narrow as you always find yourself running around the same kinds of tunnels most of the game. However, the great atmosphere of the game will make sure you rarely think of the bad sides to the game. You just want to stay alive. Penumbra is shortly described this way: You'll be running around picking up notes, evading (or killing, if you please) nasty creatures, and solving puzzles to get to the next location - for a reason that is far from apparent (at least from the beginning). Sounds familiar? Well, the story of the game, initially, isn't really so original, but you'll come across some new pieces of the story later, that reveal that not everything is as it should (well nothing is), and at the same time, there's no great Alien/Nazi-leader who wants to destroy our beloved Tellus or anything. The story is, like in Half-Life, quite subtle from the start. You enter the world with only a few clues, and as time goes by, the story wraps around you more and more.
The game's visuals are very good. Some might say that the graphics are a bit dated, but I can't really see that. Sure, it's not Crysis, but it's more than what you need for such a game.
The sound do the game justice, to say the least. You've got a creepy soundtrack running in the background, and the sound-effects themselves are just as unfriendly.
Two main factors that separates this game from the masses, are the highly innovative controls, and the interface. You play the game with a first-person perspective. However, there is no HUD. All you have to guide you with, are the effects shown when you are hidden or take damage (much like in Chronicles of Riddick). Also, the controls are really cool (but you have to get used to them). For example, you don't open a door with the E-button or F-button or whatever. You do it by walking up to the door, holding down the left mouse button, and dragging your mouse in one or another direction. That way, you slowly open or close doors. The same goes for levers, drawers, chests... and the combat system.
To use a melee-weapon, you hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the left or right to get a charge, and then pull the mouse fast back to it's original position to swing the weapon. Sometimes, this system can feel a bit annoying an unnecessary for some, since it's hard to control the camera as you're swinging around with your weapon, and most enemies are smaller than you (so you have to aim downwards as they close in) - but you'll get the hang of it eventually. When you do get the hang of it, the satisfaction after a successful kill is worth the effort. For those who never seem to get the hang of it, there's usually another way to get rid of enemies (either by sneaking around or luring them into all sorts of deathtraps).
All in all, Penumbra Overture's first episode is an incredibly intriguing piece of game-history, and everyone with the patience - and nerves - to complete it, will literally be thirsting for the next episode. So, if you're a fan of the REALLY scary games, and perhaps want something a bit more "point-and-click"-like than DOOM 3 and FEAR, you should definitely check out Penumbra, as it is a great game, with LOTS of potential. I am dying to see how the developers have pulled the second episode off, as the first episode ends in such a way that you know ANYTHING could happen next.