Despite its short length, Penumbra: Overture has just enough substance to give you nightmares.
Overture is a kind of game that is best played in the dark in order to truly appreciate the true horror and helplessness that pervades throughout the game. This is a survival-horror game that definitely places great emphasis on both the "survival" and "horror" part, as every waking moment is spent exploiting the weakness of both the human body and the human psyche.
Graphics - 7/10: The graphics are about what you would expected from a game of this caliber. You'll not find too much detail in the graphics, and there isn't too much variety in the ways of scenery. However, there is a particular "graininess" in the graphics which really adds to the overall dark and dank atmosphere.
Controls - 8/10: The game has your "WASD" movement system, typical in every FPS. However, you also make use of the "Q" and "E" keys to lean left and right, useful for looking around corners for baddies without being too conspicuous. One of the game's major strong points is its physics engine. A lot of the actions you perform in the game basically imitates what you would do in real life. You'll come across several objects such as desk drawers and lockers. Using your mouse, you have to grab the drawer and pull it open. Combat is a bit clunky, however. Again, you imitate real life in that you literally have to "swing" your weapons. Only use combat as an ultimate last resort.
Game play - 9/10: A good majority of the game play is spent evading baddies and trying to stay alive while at the same time solving puzzles. The game has an interesting "hiding" system, as well. You will have to use nearly every object in your environment to keep out of the sights of baddies. One of the major points of the game is to emphasize human frailty, so Philip is a very vulnerable character to damage and death. The puzzles in the game make for a challenge as well. You'll have to read instruction manuals to operate equipment, find keys, decipher pass codes, and perform some environmental manipulation in order to progress. Another interesting thing is that you cannot save your game via menu. There are several saving points scattered throughout the game, as well as particular "auto-save" moments. Because of the scarcity of save points, you are forced to exercise more caution, which can really add to the adrenaline rush.
Story - 10/10: You're not given much of a back-story at the beginning other than the mysterious letter, but everything starts to unfold as you progress further in the game. To keep it generally spoiler-free, you'll pick up various diaries, notes, and other articles explaining the history and the more recent events of the hell you're trapped in.
Sound - 10/10: The sound is definitely one of the game's major strong points. The game is riddled with ambient sounds. The doors and drawers that you interact with will creek and moan. Every single little thump and bump will keep you on the edge. Disembodied whispers will float to your ears, abrupt crashing noises will make your heart skip a beat. Finally, you'll "encounter" an interesting character simply known as Red, a man who speaks in metaphors, early on in the game. While there isn't much dialogue in this game, the voice-acting done behind Red's voice is nothing short of brilliant. Just hearing the energy and frantic tone of inflection behind his voice will make you wonder, exactly what horrors has he faced?
Technical Issues/Bugs - 9/10: The game runs smoothly and is generally bug-free. However, I did encounter one game-crashing bug towards the end of the game. I purchased the game via Steam, and the bug was actually a result of an automatic update that Steam downloaded for the game right after installation. A simple re-install with automatic updating turned off fixed the problem. Keep that in mind if you buy this game through Steam!
Overall score - 9/10: Overture is definitely one of the most scariest games that I have ever played. The only major complaint that I have lodged against it is its short length. I finished the game in a matter of 5-6 hours. Another minor complaint is that the "hiding" system is a bit flawed and can be easily exploited if you know what you're doing.
Despite these and other smaller shortcomings, this game is one prime example of "Quality over Quantity". It definitely packs enough substance to give a good scare and play on a person's mind. It's already given me a great scare. Hopefully, it will deliver the same justice to you.