lord_raken
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The title says most of it, but I'd also like to know how they compare and what important things should I consider before getting it?
If I liked Amnesia, should I get Punumbra?
- Thread starter lord_raken
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Well, Penumbra: Overture is the first game. It is very, very frustrating, and my game decided to stop working about 95% through for some reason, it was very annoying. Penumbra: Black Plague (sequel) is great, has some nice game mechanics, but it starts off where Overture left off. You should at least try Overture, because it's a good story and important to Black Plague. Black Plague is a must though, and much, much better than Overture.
VictimOfScience
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In short, yes. You should definitely not miss out on the games these guys cut their teeth on. They are some of the most atmospheric games you will ever play.
Katamariguy
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Though why someone would like getting scared shitless is beyond me.
MultiVaC
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The short answer is yes, you should get Penumbra. It's brilliantly scary and atmospheric in the same way as Amnesia, although not quite as intense.
As for the differences, there are a few big ones. Penumbra is a lot more puzzle focused; there are longer, more difficult, and more complex puzzles. Your mileage may vary depending on how much you enjoy adventure game puzzle, but these are some of the best ones I can recently remember playing. I feel like this is one of the only areas that Penumbra is better than Amnesia, but someone who wishes that the puzzles would just get out of the way for more scare scenes might feel the opposite. I thought they were really enjoyable and great for the pacing. Also, Penumbra: Overture has some combat. It's crappy and hurts the scare factor. This is where Frictional learned that their games fare much better without any combat at all, and in Black Plague they get rid of it. The other differences mostly stylistic ones; the setting in Penumbra is a lot more modern and not quite so dark. The graphics are worse, of course. But they are great games, I would recommend them to anyone, especially someone who likes Amnesia.
Oh, and Penumbra: Requiem can't really be considered a real part of the series. It's more like a collection of deleted scenes; puzzles that they cut out the actual games for various reasons, strung together sort of randomly without a real story. There are some cool and clever puzzles, but also some weird and nonsensical ones, and it's not really scary at all. It's sort of fun as long as you don't go in expecting an actual third chapter (the ending of Black Plague doesn't leave you really needing one, either). I don't think it's even sold separately from the others, anyway, so it's just sort of a bonus if you want to try it out.
As for the differences, there are a few big ones. Penumbra is a lot more puzzle focused; there are longer, more difficult, and more complex puzzles. Your mileage may vary depending on how much you enjoy adventure game puzzle, but these are some of the best ones I can recently remember playing. I feel like this is one of the only areas that Penumbra is better than Amnesia, but someone who wishes that the puzzles would just get out of the way for more scare scenes might feel the opposite. I thought they were really enjoyable and great for the pacing. Also, Penumbra: Overture has some combat. It's crappy and hurts the scare factor. This is where Frictional learned that their games fare much better without any combat at all, and in Black Plague they get rid of it. The other differences mostly stylistic ones; the setting in Penumbra is a lot more modern and not quite so dark. The graphics are worse, of course. But they are great games, I would recommend them to anyone, especially someone who likes Amnesia.
Oh, and Penumbra: Requiem can't really be considered a real part of the series. It's more like a collection of deleted scenes; puzzles that they cut out the actual games for various reasons, strung together sort of randomly without a real story. There are some cool and clever puzzles, but also some weird and nonsensical ones, and it's not really scary at all. It's sort of fun as long as you don't go in expecting an actual third chapter (the ending of Black Plague doesn't leave you really needing one, either). I don't think it's even sold separately from the others, anyway, so it's just sort of a bonus if you want to try it out.
lord_raken
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Great advice. I'm buying it now.
For most of my life I've avoided any sort of scary movie or book. Once, in Santa Fe, I was told some pretty harmless ghost stories, but even so I could not walk down a dark hallway for a year after that... That was how sensitive I was to anything scary. Since then I've thoroughly enjoyed Silence of the Lambs, what I consider to be a truly frightening movie because there have been real people like Buffalo Bill and Hannibal Lector.
Amnesia did something entirely different to me. It was the atmosphere. The Experience is unlike anything I have ever felt. I was constantly experiencing between fear, suspense and then wonder at just how masterfully Frictional crafted Amnesia.
The game is frightening, suspenseful, and even horrifying as you realize what you (Daniel) have done. Some might find it strange, but Amnesia is beautiful.
For most of my life I've avoided any sort of scary movie or book. Once, in Santa Fe, I was told some pretty harmless ghost stories, but even so I could not walk down a dark hallway for a year after that... That was how sensitive I was to anything scary. Since then I've thoroughly enjoyed Silence of the Lambs, what I consider to be a truly frightening movie because there have been real people like Buffalo Bill and Hannibal Lector.
Amnesia did something entirely different to me. It was the atmosphere. The Experience is unlike anything I have ever felt. I was constantly experiencing between fear, suspense and then wonder at just how masterfully Frictional crafted Amnesia.
The game is frightening, suspenseful, and even horrifying as you realize what you (Daniel) have done. Some might find it strange, but Amnesia is beautiful.
Danimal
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Probably better than a constant life of "Oh hey, Grey's Anatomy is on."
Paulaner
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Penumbra is more primitive and has a lot of flaws, but it's still much scarier than many other triple A games. If you want to be scared, and you don't care too much about flaws and glitches, every Frictional game is your cup of tea. Those guys really know what "survival horror" means.
D
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still need to finish black plague =s
soo damn scary D=
soo damn scary D=
Sheepo
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Hmm, can't say I loved Amnesia or Penumbra as much as everybody else. There's something about the horror in it that gets pretty old to me. It's never not scary, but once I've actually been killed by one of the dogs, worms, or humanoid monsters once, they just never intimidate me as much when they were all but unkowns. If they could find some means to enhance the core experience of avoiding these baddies and making it less likely that you ever encounter them (while not making you, as the player, aware of it), the game would be much more horrifying. As it is, the games excel at the unique and specialized scares. In PO, when you're in that generator room that was shaking because of the worm (though not after the worm had killed me three times) and in ADD (haha) when you're being chased by the water monster, I was pissing in my pants. I'm not keen on puzzle solving gameplay, and some of the ones in these games are living hell for someone like me. Other than that, the only flaws are storytelling, because looking at papers that all look exactly the same and separate you from the game you're playing, that is the opposite of immersive. The stories themselves, especially the endings, are pretty weak. But yeah, this is probably the best horror overall you can experience through games. If you liked ADD, I think it's hard to argue not getting the Penumbras.
lord_raken
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I finished Overture and I really enjoyed it. It was fun but not nearly as scary as Amnesia. The Dogs were more frustrating than freighting, and once I figured out how to kill them they were, at most, an inconvenience. The spiders were pretty freaky. The story was good. It has a much broader and less personal story than Amnesia and therefore lost some engagement. I was thinking about the organization that ran the mine and dig site more than the story of Philip. But I still loved it. Thinking about Red still makes me feel lonely, and guilty. I must say, Red was the most wonderful and most horrifying part of Overture.
I've started Black plague and it is MUCH more frightening. The monsters are (were) human and their voices are all the more terrifying because of it. The environment is much more immersive and the back story is more disturbing. Realizing that what happened in the Overture was just the outer shell of the real story is disquieting. I'm still pretty early in the game. A Dr. just changed into a creature. One moment he was a rational human and then he was a monster. Listening to his humanity be ripped away was by far the most frightening thing in Black Plague, but the dream the reminds me of Red is the most painful.
I've started Black plague and it is MUCH more frightening. The monsters are (were) human and their voices are all the more terrifying because of it. The environment is much more immersive and the back story is more disturbing. Realizing that what happened in the Overture was just the outer shell of the real story is disquieting. I'm still pretty early in the game. A Dr. just changed into a creature. One moment he was a rational human and then he was a monster. Listening to his humanity be ripped away was by far the most frightening thing in Black Plague, but the dream the reminds me of Red is the most painful.
Wanted Bob
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I'm glad you made it through all of them, I loved all of those games as well.
I still say that the scariest part of the Penumbra series was the room with the black light in Overture. Freaked the hell out of me.
I still say that the scariest part of the Penumbra series was the room with the black light in Overture. Freaked the hell out of me.
D
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Oh god i remember aboslutely ****ting myself at that bit!!! D=
Anthraxxx
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Wanted Bob
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God that brings back terrifying memories. Worst scare in that game is still in the sewers IMO.
lord_raken
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I just finished black plague.
I HATED THE ENDING! GOD DAMN IT! Does it not let me chose? Why could I not chose to give the Tuurngaite the peace it desire?! WHY?
I feel sick. The fact that is was just another test doesn't make the fact of his choice any better.
I HATED THE ENDING! GOD DAMN IT! Does it not let me chose? Why could I not chose to give the Tuurngaite the peace it desire?! WHY?
I feel sick. The fact that is was just another test doesn't make the fact of his choice any better.
Paulaner
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Big discount on Amnesia, and it's part of an indie games pack. For that price, you are stealing one of the best survival horror games in gaming history.
morgs
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Spoiler alert.
