Penumbra: Overture
Preview
Horror in a new light
by zr122
previewed on PC
Another fantastic game doomed to obscurity?
Once in a while, there comes a game so original, so unbelievably unique that it instantly sparks a revolution among gamers across the globe. These games inspire those great up-till-5-in-the-morning gaming binges that we all know and love so much.
The latest game to hopefully achieve that level of fanaticism is Penumbra: Overture, a trilogy of games being released in episodes, much like the vaunted Half-Life 2. While this does cut down play-time for each episode, it allows the creators to put more effort into the actual gameplay and puzzles than if all the content was forced into one cohesive whole.
You control Philip, a young man who loses his mother and then receives a mysterious package from his father. This in itself would not be so strange until you learn that the father left before Philip was born and that the man is dead. Intrigued by the package, Philip follows in his father?s footsteps which leads him to Greenland and a mysterious metal hatch leading underground.
Built from the ground up to be a completely unique experience
Penumbra: Overture has been made to deliver a first-of-its-kind game, and the preview version certainly goes far towards establishing the truth of that statement. While some of the more basic techniques look and feel familiar, that is only because they are the standard controls used for all PC games. For example, using the WASD keys to move, and the mouse to look around, while the space bar causes Philip to jump. But there the similarities with the tried and true formulas end.
Interaction with the environment in Penumbra: Overture will likely be the defining attribute of this game. The actions you can take during the game are the closest thing to natural that you will have ever seen in any game. It really heightens the overall feeling of the game when drawers are opened by pulling the mouse outwards or pulling lids off of barrels and opening doors the same way.
The weapons and battle systems are just as interactive, requiring certain movements in order to use whatever weapon you have equipped. The preview shows Philip using a hammer, but that in and of itself is unique enough to fit into the game. After cocking the hammer by holding the left mouse button, you must move the mouse forward to instigate the attack. Quite a change from clicking the left mouse button right?
Turn off the lights, crank up the volume, and prepare to get scared out of your mind
The horror genre was made for this game, and this game alone. The demo has several special effects that will startle even the most steadfast gamers. The music is deceptively calm at times, and beautifully repugnant at others. The soundtrack merges seamlessly with the sound effects without forcing the player to adjust volume controls.
The sound effects go a long way to creating the right setting, from the creaking of doors on rusty hinges to sudden bursts of sound coming from all directions, causing you to look frantically around in case you need to defend yourself.
As with the majority of games that are being released lately, Penumbra: Overture requires the most current video card updates you can get. Your computer won?t even be able to start the game without the required patches and upgraded versions, so make sure that you download what you can before purchasing the game; it is only $19.99 (or equivalents in other countries), but without the necessary video support, it is money down the drain.
'If fate frowns, we all perish'
Penumbra: Overture does have to overcome one very important obstacle if it wishes to rise in the ranks of the greatest games of all time; having been created by a brand new company with no status in the market. Publisher Frictional Games is pushing Penumbra: Overture as its first game, and the one that will create that level of acclaim that Frictional needs in order to become a larger power in the industry.
There should be no doubt in your mind that Penumbra: Overture will be the game to buy if you are a fan of horror games. While it is a bit depressing that the separate episodes do not link up, but act as independent games, it does not look as if that will compromise overall gameplay. The promising preview version looks very promising; here's to hoping that Frictional Games can keep those promises.
