Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness

"This game is awesome, as long as you know what you're buying."

Well, if you're reading reviews about this game, hopefully you already know what Penny Arcade is. It's an online comic with no particular theme aside from a general fondness for video games, pen-and-paper games, and just gamery in general. And violence. And Pac-Man watches. Assuming that you're familiar with Penny Arcade, you should have a fair idea of what to expect from this game: a strange adventure with outlandish and inappropriate humor. Now I'm going to break the game down for you and tell you whether or not it works. Actually, I'll tell you the second part now: It works.

Sound: 6/10
The sound is a mixed bag. Sometimes it's perfectly-suited to the setting, other times it's carnival-themed cacophony. The beginning of the game also features some voice-acting in the form of narration, but you'll experience less of this after the game's "intro" area. Overall, it wouldn't kill you to play this game with the sound off.

Gameplay: 7/10
Precipice plays like... well, it plays like Septerra Core. Since I think I'm the only person who played Septerra Core, it's sort of like a simplified point-and-click adventure where walking into anything aggressive-looking will initiate combat. Clicking on items with which you can interact will either result in an item being picked up, or in a dialogue menu where you can choose which course of action to take. Unfortunately there seems to be only one possible approach to each situation, so choosing not to perform a given action will just lead either to clever banter or to you simply having to click on the object again. The puzzle elements therefore are not particularly complex and the storyline does not branch. Just think of it as an older game. As for combat, it's real-time and can get somewhat hectic. Each person in your party fills an action meter at a rate dictated by their speed. As the action meter fills, it will first make available the option to use an item. After being allowed to fill further, the option to attack is made available. Finally, when the meter is full, special attacks become available. Your enemies have their own invisible meters, and will attack you from time to time as you wait for yours to fill. Victory in some of the tougher battles will mean knowing when to act quickly by using items to attack or to weaken your enemies, and when to wait until your special attacks are available. You will also meet support characters who can take some of the pressure off of you in battle as they have their own action meters which fill over the course of multiple battles. Finally, battles are made more engaging by action and mini-game elements. In order for your special attacks to be fully effective, you must succeed at a small task, such as pressing the buttons displayed on the screen or hitting the spacebar at the appropriate moment. There is also an element which Mario RPGers will be familiar with; when your enemies attack, by hitting the spacebar at the right time you can block, partially block, or even dodge and counter an attack. During the most hectic battles this will be difficult but by keeping your wits about you, you should be able to survive any battle while sustaining only minimal damage.

Graphics: Amazing/10
Look, I've played Crysis on the highest settings. I know what "realistic" looks like in video game terms, and it's pretty cool. But the comic/cartoon graphics in Precipice are some of the most eye-pleasing I've ever encountered, and impressed me far more than those titles which demand a top-of-the-line system to play. Before gameplay starts, you will design a cartoony 3D character based on a small set of options for the nose, eyes, clothes, and so forth. After you confirm your character, the introduction begins with what is essentially an animated Penny Arcade comic featuring a comicized (comicified?) version of the character you just designed. As I'm writing this I realize that it doesn't sound particularly impressive, but my heart actually did a little dance when I saw it. As for the world in which this game takes place, it's equally impressive. If you take a look at the old concept art for this game drawn up by Penny Arcade's artist in 2006, you'll realize that it was pretty much just animated and inserted into the game. Everything in this game looks like it belongs in a Penny Arcade strip, which is great if you dig Gabe's artistic style like I do. But hey, if you don't dig that style, then... I'm sorry?

Penny Arcadeness: Just Right/10
If you're buying this game, it's probably because you like Penny Arcade, so you should know what to expect as far as its sense of humor goes. It's sometimes twisted, generally geeky and always politically incorrect. This game is a perfect representation of the sense of humor in Penny Arcade. Although the game takes place in 1922, it features oldschool versions of Tycho and Gabe who are just like the ones in the modern comic, or rather, just like the ones in the comic would want to be. Tycho has a Doctorate in Apocalyptics and applies his knowledge of the supernatural (as well as his trusted tommy gun) to any challenges which arise during the course of the game. Gabe is, well, an angry idiot, but he specializes in punching devils. As the new arrival, you choose how your character (mine was named Carl) will interact with these strange, strange men. At least, in the context of a game where you have no real choice but to save the world with them, you choose how you will interact. I found the game pretty funny overall, with some downright hilarious moments. But what I especially appreciated was the subtlety of the inside jokes. They're there, giving us long-time Penny Arcade fans a little 'clin d'oeil,' but there's never a "you had to be there" moment. For example, combat begins with a "Roll For Initiative" which many will recognize from Tycho's legendary battle with the animated remains of their old friend Jim, who met his tragic end in the mess of wires behind Gabe and Tycho's television set. On the other hand, a non-Penny Arcade fan will simply recognize the roll as something which happens at the beginning of battle in any game even remotely inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. In the background of one game area is a familiar restaurant called Wang's, and the game's robotic enemies should need no introduction to a Penny Arcade fan. None of these elements from the comic would give a newcomer to the series the impression that they were being punished for not having read up, or even the impression that they'd missed anything, but they should hopefully bring a smile to the faces of PA veterans.

Value: Hmm.
This game is going for $19.95, but I think the word has gotten out by now that the game isn't very long. I think it takes between 5 and 7 hours for most people to complete, which obviously is not very long. But on the other hand, a lot of games go for twice that price and aren't necessarily twice as long. Also, by buying this game you're sending the message that the Penny Arcade team is onto something and should continue to make games in the future, which may even become cheaper since the groundwork has already been done. So for me the small price was easily worth it, but if you're still considering it you'll just have to figure out for yourself whether a short but funny game is worth paying $20 for. But as long as you know Penny Arcade, and you know what you're getting into, I can almost guarantee that you'll love this game for those few short hours.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/29/08

Game Release: Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness (US, 05/21/08)