Review Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One Developer: Hothead Games Publisher: Greenhouse Interactive Genre: RPG/Adventure Release Date: May 2008 Platform: (Version Reviewed) Review by Ray Ivey July 11, 2008		Buy this game at Trade for this game at:

Following on the heels of the successful episodic series Sam and Max comes On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness, the first episode in a series of games based on the wildly popular online comic “Penny Arcade.”

Considering that the entire point of “Penny Arcade” is to make fun of video games, it’s arguably really brave of them to enter the fray themselves, thereby opening themselves up to the same kind of ridicule they regularly dish out upon others. 

Fortunately for them they were smart enough to team up with Hothead Games, which specializes in episodic content (they are also currently working on Ron Gilbert’s new episodic game DeathSpank). 

The game is an adventure/RPG hybrid, and it’s simply a blast to play.  When the game starts you are asked to create and name a character.  While you don’t get an exhaustive amount of choices, the possible variety isn’t bad.  With your character created and named, you enter into the story, which takes place in the very noirish town of New Arcadia, circa 1922. 

After entering the gameworld a narrator gives you a few tutorial tips on how to move around and interact with objects.   But you’ve no sooner learned to rake your front yard when a giant robot destroys your house!  Wandering around your invaded neighborhood, you begin to learn the rudiments of fighting little alien robots with your trusty rake.  Soon you hook up with two characters from the comic strip, Tycho Brahe and Jonathan “Gabe” Gabriel, founders of the Astounding Developments Detective Agency.

The combat in the game is a hybrid of real-time and turn-based.  Each character has three attacks, which are available when a timer is filled up.  In terms of waiting time, the quickest attack available is to use an item (for buffs, debuffs or even direct attacks), the next is Regular Attack and the longest to fill is each character’s Special Attack (which is controlled by a different mini-game for each character).

Your character’s weapon remains the rake throughout the game.  Tycho uses a gun and Gabe uses his very capable fists.  All weapons are upgradeable, and combos are available when more than one character has his largest timer filled.  You can even learn to block enemy attacks to mitigate damage.  Plus as you progress you’ll learn that different enemies have resistances or weaknesses to certain types of attacks.

It’s quite a fun setup, with plenty to learn, practice and upgrade.  Add to that the fact that you’re fighting fruit-buggering robots, barbershop quartets, hoboes, clowns and mimes, and you’ve got yourself a fun combat system.

Did I mention there’s even a mime boss.

The adventure elements of the game mostly involve talking to characters, exploring, and gathering materials that can helps solve the mysteries of the game.  The story is compact but funny, and the script is irreverent and satirical. 

Speaking of the script.  Despite the fact that this is a “cartoon-based” game, it is definitely NOT for children or anyone who offended by strong language.  For me, the gleefully profane vocabulary used in the game was a highlight, just as it is in the actual comic.

The interface works extremely well, and includes a quest diary.

Not surprisingly, the game is drenched in humor.  It’s all so funny that it eall behooves you to read all of the dialog balloons and narrative descriptions, because they are a riot.

The game is full of fun details.  My favorite is the fact that Tycho is such a bookwoorm, he’s always got a book I his face.  Even during battle, he only puts the gun down to get off a shot with his gun.

The game took me about ten leisurely hours to complete, and leaves me eager for the next installment.  If you save your finished game, I was informed by the game’s publicity department, you can import your developed characters into the next chapter.  Sweet.

Final Grade: A (find out more about our grading system)

If you liked this game, then Play: Psychonauts Watch: Good Omens by Neal Gaiman and Terry Pratchett Read: Any “Penny Arcade” comic

System Requirements:

• System: Pentium® III, AMDAthlonTM 1.0 GHz or equivalent
• RAM: 512 MB
• Video Memory: 64 MB
• Hard Drive Space: 350 MB

This review is copyright Ray Ivey and Just Adventure and may not be republished elsewhere without the express written consent of the author. Republication of said review must also contain a link back to Just Adventure.

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