Review Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two Developer: Hothead Games Publisher: Greenhouse Interactive Genre: RPG/Adventure Release Date: October 2008 Platform: (Version Reviewed) Review by Ray Ivey December 12, 2008		Buy this game at Trade for this game at:

The wonderfully talented maniacs at Penny Arcade and Hothead Games understand a very important principle: Bad taste, when applied with wit and humor, can be wildly entertaining. This axiom is on full display in the efficiently titled “Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two.”

As the title implies, this is the second installment of their RPG/Adventure hybrid franchise, and it continues the story begun in the first volume, which was released this past May.

Tycho,Gabe, and the player character are once again delving into a mysterious and wildly hazardous invasion of hostile, fruit-loving robots, large and small.

As the game is a continuation of the earlier episode, there are no significant changes in style or game mechanics. But considering how good the first episode was, that’s perfectly fine.

Each of the three characters has a single weapon (fists, a gun, and a hoe) that can each be upgraded twice. Combat is the same hybrid dynamic turn-based affair. And as before, the simplicity of the combat belies a very decent amount of strategical finesse that the player can employ. Attacks can be blocked and even counterattacked by well timed responses. Players can choose between using inventory items (for buffing, debuffing, or even attacking), simple attacks, advanced attacks and combo attacks. Feedback during battles gives information on a foe’s strengths and weaknesses.

In the first game you mainly battled hobos, clowns and mimes. In Episode 2, it’s stuffy rich people, mad scientists, spiders and lunatics. The combat is so much fun that it’s easy to enjoy combing the game’s environments looking for fights.

And are those environments attractive! True to its cartoon roots, the game has a gorgeous cell-shaded faux-2D look that is consistenly engaging and stylish. The character models of both friend and foe are full of visual panache and fun. Playing the game is like watching your favorite demented comic book come to life.

The game’s sound design is superior as well. Sound effects not only add to the atmosphere of the proceedings, but give valuable aural signals about battle events.

Special mention must be made of the superb score by Jeff Tymoschuk. It richly underpins the delicious melodramatic atmosphere of the game.

There is no voice acting in the game. This is a canny artistic decision, because it also fits in with the nature of the Penny Arcade comic. When you read the webcomic, you don’t get voices, so it sort of feels right that you don’t in the game.

Okay back to the bad taste. This game has to have the most entertaining use of coarse language I’ve ever encountered in a game. Not only are the characters entertainingly foul-mouthed, but so are the descriptions the game gives you of environmental objects and even the feedback during battles. The first time the “F word” was splashed across the screen in gigantic letters to signal a dangerous battle, I laughed so hard I squirted milk out of my nose. And, uh, I wasn’t drinking milk at the time.

In every department On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode Two displays that all-important yet seldom encountered virtue: polish. The game is short, appeals to a very specific audience, and shines like an evil black diamond. It is highly recommended.

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

If you liked this game, then Play: the new Sam and Max episodes Watch: The First Men in the Moon Read: anything by Bruce Sterling or Neal Stephenson

System Requirements (PC):

• Windows® 2000/XP/VistaTM with latest updates
• Pentium® III, AMDAthlonTM 1.0 GHz or better
• ATI RadeonTM 9500 or better, NVIDIA GeForceTM FX 5200 or better, Intel® GMA 950 or better with 64 MB of video memory (shared or dedicated)*
• 512 MB of available system memory
• OS-supported keyboard and mouse OS-supported sound card
• 350 MB of available hard drive space
• One-time Internet connection required to activate

*video cards require latest drivers supporting OpenGL

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.