october means a month of horror games

[dsheinem]

Here's the URL to my intro post:

http://www.rfgeneration.com/blogs/Ack/

Good stuff Ack, I'll try to keep an eye on it - maybe you could link it in your sig?

[Ack]

I like to think I'm not that pathetic.

Deep down inside you know you love dating-sims, we all do.

As for the adventure games, what's pathetic about those?

Oh, that was primarily about the dating sims, nothing pathetic about adventure games.

Here's the URL to my intro post:

http://www.rfgeneration.com/blogs/Ack/

Good stuff Ack, I'll try to keep an eye on it - maybe you could link it in your sig?

Yeah, that's a good idea. Thank chief, I'll do that.

[MrPopo]

I like to think I'm not that pathetic.

Apparently a lot of Konami devs are into the dating games. So obviously they can't be bad.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

I like to think I'm not that pathetic.

Apparently a lot of Konami devs are into the dating games. So obviously they can't be bad.

Yeah, it's actually a bit of a mixed bag with a bunch of good ones and ton of bad ones from everything I've seen. Plus as an EVA fan I pledge to one day play through Girlfriend of Steel and the other EVA dating sims.

[nickfil]

how odd that a horror game thread turned into a dating sim thread.

It would be cool to have a best game romances feature for valentines day.

[noiseredux]

when I was little I used to watch the Zelda cartoon all the time and it would really piss me off that she was such a c-tease. I mean dude would risk his life and she'd never just kiss him.

[Ack]

Interesting. I appear to have mixed up yesterday and today, so we'll be doing yesterday's game.

Penumbra: Overture



"Set in the year 2000 Penumbra: Overture follows Philip, a thirty-year-old physicist whose last living relative, his mother, dies. After receiving a mysterious letter from his supposedly dead father, Philip follows a series of clues that lead him to Greenland. The harsh cold forces him to take shelter in an abandoned mine. Unfortunately, the mine's entrance collapses as he enters it, and he is forced to move deeper inside. Within the mine, Philip begins receiving radio messages from Tom "Red" Redwood, a man driven insane by cabin fever. Red promises that if he is found, he will give Philip answers. The game follows Philip as he descends deeper into the mines in search of Red while unraveling the secrets of the mine's previous and current inhabitants."



This is an interesting mix of first person adventure gameplay. I'd say shooter, but there aren't any guns, so don't get your hopes up. There are some melee weapons, and you can throw things at critters, but beyond that...good luck. The combat system is probably the worst part of the game. But hey, you're really supposed to be relying on stealth anyway(like in Siren), and combat was never the emphasis of the title.

Mostly you will have to find and examine items and use them to solve puzzles to advance deeper into the mine. The game's quite dark, so spotting things may get a bit difficult. Plus, since you're spending so much time at the background, you're more than likely going to see some of the disturbing imagery that Penumbra is well known for. There are some unpleasant things down in this mineshaft, after all.



I suppose I should warn you guys about a few things. First off, this is an indie game, so there's not much in the way of tech support. I've noticed a few complaints about this, and I think it's perfectly understandable since some folks have had problems, so you've been warned.

I should also note that it controls like an FPS, so you'll be using the WASD keys to move. The controls are a point of contention, and most of the complaints seem to have been coming from point-and-click adventure fans who want to only use the mouse(and there were apparently quite a few who disliked this, judging from the reviews at Amazon.com). Just remember, it's an adventure game that plays like an FPS. If you like FPS games, you shouldn't have too many problems.



The story pulls influences from Lovecraft, so if you're a fan...you get the idea. Also, the storyline is continued in the sequel, Penumbra: Black Plague, so if you really want to know what happens, you'll have to play it too.

Check out the intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDsEQfzv ... re=related

On a fun note, the crowbar in the game has "Freeman" engraved on it.

[Ack]

Ok, a couple of things:

First off, I decided I'd try out Penumbra: Overture after that post, since I've owned it for a few months but hadn't actually tried it yet. So I fired it up and played a little. I see why some folks complain about the controls, but...well, they just don't strike me as being all that bad. Swinging a weapon is probably the most awkward thing, but it's not that bad(actually it's kind of interesting). I do feel the controls aren't the smoothest in the world, but, well...just remember, it plays just like an FPS. WASD moves you, left shift makes you run, left ctrl makes you crouch, and tab is inventory.

Second off, I retooled a little of the post on Silent Hill and added some more personal thoughts on the game(and linked a YouTube clip of the intro), though most of the post is the same, so if you're interested in reading a little more personal insight on the title, feel free to swing on by.

[nickfil]

Ok, a couple of things:

First off, I decided I'd try out Penumbra: Overture after that post, since I've owned it for a few months but hadn't actually tried it yet.

I too have owned it on steam but never installed it. Did you buy it when they offered all three penumbra games for crazy cheap?

I want to install it, but just haven't yet. It is on the backlog. Controls aside, how do you like it so far? It is kinda a weird game and i bought it because it is such a weird concept to grasp; an fps without guns.

[Ack]

Actually I wanted a hard copy, so when they released all three together on one DVD, I picked it up that way.

So far beyond that I'm liking it. I've got questions about where the story is going, and it gives me that great survival horror feeling in my gut whenever I open a door. You know, the "is something about to get me" kind of feel. I also haven't played an adventure game in a while, but the puzzles aren't terribly difficult to figure out, at least not so far. I've only just started, so I figure there will eventually be a few that make me bash my head against walls, but we'll see.

If you've got some spare time, I suggest giving it a shot. I know a couple of guys here have played through at least the first one already.