Penumbra: Black Plague

[Cavalry]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/849/849196p1.html


Looks really cool.

also on Mac

no console version, you PC guys get everything...

Perhaps the best part about Black Plague is, quite simply, that the puzzles generally make sense. Use a lighter on a barrel of oil to set it on fire. Put a coin in a pop machine to get a can. Soak a cloth in alcohol to make if flammable. I'm getting pretty fed up with adventure games that try to tell a story, but then fracture all sense of pacing and continuity by forcing you to spend hours running between locales, trying to figure out how dials in one room are affected by punching keypads and manipulating jigsaw puzzles in another. As you sneak your way toward uncovering the Shelter's true nature and what lies beyond, you might get tripped up here and there by puzzles, but even if you're stumped the eventual solution won't strike you as unintuitive for the sake of padding gameplay hours. One issue with making the puzzles more comprehensive is, by the end, it feels as though not enough was done with the physics-focused adventure to really stand out, or really wow you. Some of the puzzles are fairly pedestrian and tend to repeat themselves, the valves and switches in particular. Even so, it's a far less frustrating experience than with more traditional point-and-click adventure games.

 

[Dekstar]

Loved the penumbra demo, and thought it both ran well on my old 9800 pro, and had quite a lot of depth and originality. One of few adventure horror games that I've ever liked playing.

I will be buying this.

 

[VictimOfScience]

Yup, excited here too as adventure games will always be my ultimate fav. Graphics and even physics be damned, if a game has a good story and great puzzles, I am in with both feet.

 

[Stigmata]

I played the demo of Penumbra: Overture and it scared the shit out of me. I had to turn the lights on and I didn't even see a monster.

I'd be more apt to buy this game if I knew I could finish it

 

[Dekstar]

I played the demo of Penumbra: Overture and it scared the shit out of me. I had to turn the lights on and I didn't even see a monster.

I'd be more apt to buy this game if I knew I could finish it

Haha yeah the atmosphere is just intense. In the demo you see the flying monster and in game everything slows down and gets more intense, and it made me feel that way too. I was so psyched to kick it's ass, before I realised I had no weapons.

Ultimate favourite moment of that demo for me was when I had to run away from the flying thing. I legged it into a room and shut the door as fast as I could. I used the physics to move an object in the way of the door, and just sat there. I started searching draws and whatnot for those light things when I heard knocking on the door. I turned round, and waited, thinking "man it's gonna get bored soon". Then suddenly the damn thing knocked the entire door off it's hinges! I shat myself.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Haha yeah the atmosphere is just intense. In the demo you see the flying monster and in game everything slows down and gets more intense, and it made me feel that way too. I was so psyched to kick it's ass, before I realised I had no weapons.

Ultimate favourite moment of that demo for me was when I had to run away from the flying thing. I legged it into a room and shut the door as fast as I could. I used the physics to move an object in the way of the door, and just sat there. I started searching draws and whatnot for those light things when I heard knocking on the door. I turned round, and waited, thinking "man it's gonna get bored soon". Then suddenly the damn thing knocked the entire door off it's hinges! I shat myself.

Totally felt the same way the first time. The second time you see one of those however, it wasnt very scary for me, as it slowly slithered along the floor towards me (glitch probably).

 

[Gargantou]

You really need to have played the first episode(Commercial) of Penumbra to understand the story, but it is a good game, I recommend everyone to buy the actual game It's quite unique.

AND, it's developed by SWEDES which makes it AWESOME.

 

[redruM]

Instead of just clicking on a drawer, though, you click a button to grab on, then actually have to mimic a pulling motion with the mouse (or move backwards while holding on) to open it. With valves you actually have to make a circular motion, with levers you have to pull them down, and with doors you have to push them open like you would in real life (meaning push on the outer edge of the door, not the hinges, dummy).

This sounds really cool, although I wonder if it won't get kinda irritating to have to do these motions every time I open a door/closet/anything.

 

[Dekstar]

This sounds really cool, although I wonder if it won't get kinda irritating to have to do these motions every time I open a door/closet/anything.

Nah I think it just adds to the immersion. You can open a door a little bit at a time to see if there are any enemies and whatnot.