Title: Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 2
Platform: PS3/360/PC
Platform Reviewed: 360
Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: Hothead Games
MSRP: 1200 points (XBLA) or $14.99/£8.99/€8.99 (Steam and PSN)
Writer: Martin '
lost' Perry
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 2 Review
Penny Arcade fans get their second slice of episodic adventure/RPG fun as the dark tale of New Arcadia continues. Does this new episode build on previous successes or fall flat of expectations?
The first episode of the Penny Arcade Adventures series was greeted with a warm critical and fan response. People enjoyed the combat, had a bit of a laugh and were, in all, delighted by a game some felt may have been overpriced. The second game continues the story and retains the gameplay structure of the first. Undoubtedly this is mere convention when it comes to episodic titles but the move has worked out well for “Episode 2”.
There is a piece of more general praise I'd like to deliver to the game's developers, Hothead, before moving on to the usual dissection of gameplay, presentation, story and all those other bits that make up a game. “Episode 2” has been delivered in a timely fashion but with a serious commitment to bettering
the first attempt. Many gamers are put off by the term “episodic” as it conjures up memories of hefty delays and little effort to improve. These titles are, after all, effectively sequels. Whilst some choose to languish Hothead have treated this second title to the real follow-up treatment.
The best way to experience this improvement is if you play this second game on the same platform as the first. Doing so allows you to carry over your carefully constructed character and well earned levels and provides a genuine feeling of continuity. Newcomers will still be treated to the fantastic character creation tool which allows you to construct your own early 19th century visage and watch him or her frolic in the various animated cutscenes. Not playing as Tycho or Gabe remains a strong point and your involvement in this caper facilitates a lot of the games humor.
It might seem a little obvious to commend those involved in “Episode 2” for managing to make a funny game. It can be assumed that the involvement of Holkins and Krahulik somehow guarantees this quality. History proves otherwise as many a funny individual has failed to transport his comedy into the tricky medium of videogames. South Park, for example, released a game which was only funny if you could find some sort of dark joke in the fact you had paid for the fucker. Here, dialog and visuals come together to create moments of genuine laughter. Discussions of robot genitalia, old fashioned slapstick and references to familiar characters will all have you chuckling. The story of evil Gods and fruit fucking machinations continues and
The gameplay is effectively split into two primary constructs: the adventuring/item hunting that any Sam and Max fan will find familiar and turn-based combat, which has more in common with Pokemon than Final Fantasy. Both sides are well-balanced with neither having any really frustrating habits. In fact the latter facilitates the former in a very pleasing way. More often than not the items which you need to complete your quests are in the possession of the games diverse gallery of rogues. Having to overcome them means that although your exploration is still rewarded with the desired letter or golden key it never just feels as though you were in the right place at the right time. The old adventure game pitfall of turning into more of a very choosy shopping spree than a real escapade is avoided and instead the game delivers a potent mix of fun gameplay elements.
The turn-based combat deserves a little more explanation. Each member of your party has a set of unlockable special attacks, a basic attack and the ability to use various items to sway the odds of battle in your favor as well as several “summon” type support characters. Enemies have weaknesses to exploit whether it be to all basic attacks or just the spikes of your garden rake. Using these weaknesses is the only real way to ensure a timely victory and are not at all obvious. While your opponent is still standing their attacks can be blocked and counterattacked should you press the right trigger (or equivalent) at the right time. This method was criticized in the previous title as few of the attacks had an obvious trigger point. It's now far clearer when an attack should be blocked and therefore the battles feel far fairer. A knock-on effect of this is that returning players may well find the games normal difficulty setting a tad easy but fortunately harder options are available.
A new set of environments have been designed and each area of the new map retains a strong theme across more expansive locations. You will visit each area several times over but new sections are unlocked with increased frequency. To take one specific area as an example “The Cloying Odor Sanitarium” has an outside area, an indoor asylum-themed area and underground dungeons. This sort of variety manages to stave of any
feelings of repetition. “New Arcadia” is given new depth with these new locations and each fits in well with your perception of this world.
The animated cutscenes are greater in number this time around and it remains a joy to see normally static characters come to life. The presentation is strong throughout with close-ups on the necessarily strange character heads completely avoided. Textures, models and interfaces are all to an excellent standard and, despite the alternate universe the game inhabits, capture the essence of Penny Arcade's art style perfectly. Voice actors have been avoided once again other than an ominous narrator. It might actually be interesting to hear the characters speak but perhaps it's more daring a move than the creators are willing to take.
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 2 (that title got in at least once!) is a great game that delivers a weighty amount of gameplay for it's asking price. The game is what many gamers want from XBLA/PSN/Steam games. Digital distribution is used as an outlet for a developer that delivers a contemporary, expansive game that has all the hallmarks of an off-the-shelf title without the huge budget. "Episode 2" builds on everything that made the first game great. Combat and exploration marry extremely well and the hilarious writing and strong art direction all combine to make a game it's creators can be proud of. Oh, and the short prelude for the next episode will have the Penny Arcade hardcore pissing their pants with excitement.
Score: 4 out of 5
The Good- Humor seeps into every aspect of the game and provides a welcome change in tone after a very serious Christmas gaming period.
- The battle system has been refined with blocking less about luck and more about careful enemy observation.
- Delivers an episodic experience like we were all promised back when it was a buzz word.
- Great value for money with a healthy 5-6 hours of gameplay time.
The Bad- It's still really only going to be Penny Arcade fans that get a kick out of a lot of the game as characters aren't given deep enough explanation for newcomers.
- Less new combat content than would have been welcome.
- A puzzling mini-game played about half-way through is a bit of a chore despite the presence of Twisp and Catsby.
The Ugly
