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Penumbra: Overture - Out Today!
Stolls
Brave Corporate LogoChicago, ILRegistered User regular
Brave Corporate LogoChicago, ILRegistered User regular
What is Penumbra: Overture?
Penumbra: Overture is a first-person adventure/horror title from Frictional Games that uses a unique interface and physics engine, relying on mouse movements to replicate in-game actions. Through use of the mouse, the player physically moves, drags and swings items, opens and closes doors, and performs other actions to solve puzzles and evade or defeat enemies.
Doesn’t sound particularly new.
And yet it is. The player uses the mouse to, say, grab onto a box or a door handle, and then moves the mouse to drag or push it accordingly. Weapons and tools are handled in the same fashion, by clicking and swinging from left-to-right or back-to-front. Objects have relatively realistic weights, and puzzles play heavily into the physics engine. That lever or valve handle won’t spin by itself with the push of a button, and that door will only close behind you – separating you from the thing that’s chasing you – if you pull it shut.
Okay, I’ll bite. So what’s the story?
Rudimentary at this point. Philip’s father ran out on the family some time ago, and only recently did Philip discover his father left some things for him in a safe-deposit box. Despite instructions from his father that the contents of the box be burned, Philip succumbs to curiosity and sets out in search of an abandoned complex beneath the ice fields of Greenland. What he finds inside will blah blah et cetera, they haven’t exactly explained that part yet. Know that creepy evil stuff is going on down there, and half the fun will be exploring in the process of finding out what kind of creepy evil stuff.
Isn’t there an old demo of this out already? Why the post?
Glad you asked. There is indeed a playable demo from last year featuring the game’s interface and an early build of one area of the complex. That demo is available here:
http://frictionalgames.com/penumbradownload/
But, there is a new demo that more closely reflects the final product, and includes drastic improvements to the engine, story and interface. The demo begins on the ship ferrying Philip to his destination, and it can be found here:
http://www.penumbra-overture.com/demo.php
Wait a minute, that link says “episode oneâ€. Is this another one of those episodic thingies I keep hearing bad things about?
This, I’m not sure about. I can say it would severely bum me out if each ‘episode’ was not reasonably self-contained and released in a timely fashion. However, the full version of episode one will be available March 30, so we’ll see for ourselves fairly soon.
All right, enough talk. Let’s see this game in action.
Pics and videos available here:
http://www.penumbra-overture.com/media.php
Wait a minute, I see monsters there. The first demo didn’t give you any real means of defense. Has this changed?
There are weapons and environmental objects you can use to defend yourself; the demo features a hammer and several heavy objects that can be thrown to stun, injure or even kill monsters. Stealth will be a viable option, as monsters can be distracted by thrown objects or bait, or even trapped with doors and such. It is not known if there are any other weapons or firearms. A short video detailing enemy interaction can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dHDqlcX7FU
Okay, I’m sold. Where do I get it?
While it may take longer to reach shelves stateside (Gamestop lists it as 5/01), it is available for digital distribution right this second for a cool $19.99:
http://www.penumbra-overture.com/buy.php
---
I only recently became aware of the second demo’s existence, though I’ve been anticipating the release since I learned Penumbra was going to become a full game. Now I’m no newcomer to survival horror and its ilk, but I confess that even the initial demo got under my skin in record time. Throw in fairly logical puzzles and an interface that just feels right, and I was hooked. The second demo is a marked improvement, and if it’s any indication of what Overture will look like, then we’re in for one hell of a ride.
Anybody else looking forward to this one?
Penumbra: Overture is a first-person adventure/horror title from Frictional Games that uses a unique interface and physics engine, relying on mouse movements to replicate in-game actions. Through use of the mouse, the player physically moves, drags and swings items, opens and closes doors, and performs other actions to solve puzzles and evade or defeat enemies.
Doesn’t sound particularly new.
And yet it is. The player uses the mouse to, say, grab onto a box or a door handle, and then moves the mouse to drag or push it accordingly. Weapons and tools are handled in the same fashion, by clicking and swinging from left-to-right or back-to-front. Objects have relatively realistic weights, and puzzles play heavily into the physics engine. That lever or valve handle won’t spin by itself with the push of a button, and that door will only close behind you – separating you from the thing that’s chasing you – if you pull it shut.
Okay, I’ll bite. So what’s the story?
Rudimentary at this point. Philip’s father ran out on the family some time ago, and only recently did Philip discover his father left some things for him in a safe-deposit box. Despite instructions from his father that the contents of the box be burned, Philip succumbs to curiosity and sets out in search of an abandoned complex beneath the ice fields of Greenland. What he finds inside will blah blah et cetera, they haven’t exactly explained that part yet. Know that creepy evil stuff is going on down there, and half the fun will be exploring in the process of finding out what kind of creepy evil stuff.
Isn’t there an old demo of this out already? Why the post?
Glad you asked. There is indeed a playable demo from last year featuring the game’s interface and an early build of one area of the complex. That demo is available here:
http://frictionalgames.com/penumbradownload/
But, there is a new demo that more closely reflects the final product, and includes drastic improvements to the engine, story and interface. The demo begins on the ship ferrying Philip to his destination, and it can be found here:
http://www.penumbra-overture.com/demo.php
Wait a minute, that link says “episode oneâ€. Is this another one of those episodic thingies I keep hearing bad things about?
This, I’m not sure about. I can say it would severely bum me out if each ‘episode’ was not reasonably self-contained and released in a timely fashion. However, the full version of episode one will be available March 30, so we’ll see for ourselves fairly soon.
All right, enough talk. Let’s see this game in action.
Pics and videos available here:
http://www.penumbra-overture.com/media.php
Wait a minute, I see monsters there. The first demo didn’t give you any real means of defense. Has this changed?
There are weapons and environmental objects you can use to defend yourself; the demo features a hammer and several heavy objects that can be thrown to stun, injure or even kill monsters. Stealth will be a viable option, as monsters can be distracted by thrown objects or bait, or even trapped with doors and such. It is not known if there are any other weapons or firearms. A short video detailing enemy interaction can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dHDqlcX7FU
Okay, I’m sold. Where do I get it?
While it may take longer to reach shelves stateside (Gamestop lists it as 5/01), it is available for digital distribution right this second for a cool $19.99:
http://www.penumbra-overture.com/buy.php
---
I only recently became aware of the second demo’s existence, though I’ve been anticipating the release since I learned Penumbra was going to become a full game. Now I’m no newcomer to survival horror and its ilk, but I confess that even the initial demo got under my skin in record time. Throw in fairly logical puzzles and an interface that just feels right, and I was hooked. The second demo is a marked improvement, and if it’s any indication of what Overture will look like, then we’re in for one hell of a ride.
Anybody else looking forward to this one?
kstolls on Twitch, streaming weekends at 9pm CST!
Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
Stolls on
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me, the demo was lovely.
its funny, I would say its more atmospheric than anything else. In the demo at least, the monset designs werent fantastic, but everything leading up to the monsters was lovely.
Agreed. Monsters and stuff tended to be creepy more because there were few practical ways to deal with them, rather than because of what they were. The atmosphere and setup, however, were brilliant, and it pleases me to no end to see that weapons are integrated into the engine like I hoped they would.
Also, Cherrn: it "says" around 8 hours for the first episode, which could easily be a gross exaggeration. I'm picking it up the second it's out, so I'll post as soon as I have a better idea myself. Confidence is high that it will be awesome in multiple ways.
Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
Just got it today, currently about two hours in; spent a good half-hour messing around with the enemy dogs and the various ways to evade or kill them. I'll say right up front that this is not a combat-heavy game, but it's very possible to take down the dogs. So far I've been able to throw stuff at them, run up and hit them (predictably, it is very hard to hit a dog with a melee weapon as it's lunging for you), or blow up a gas canister to take 'em out. The engine takes some getting used to, but considering you're playing a Silent Hill-type protagonist - a generic fellow who's not really accustomed to beating monsters to death - it works well for the most part. It can be difficult to drop a dog by just hacking at it, for instance, but if you peg it with a rock and knock it down first, you'll have time to get in close and attack.
Not that this is always practical, especially in the dark when you can't be sure where your enemy is coming from. Fortunately, stealth is handled capably, with a subtle blue tint ala Chronices of Riddick to indicate when you're successfully hidden from view. As shown in the video in the OP, you can decoy the dogs with rations or throw objects to distract them. If they're close by and make eye contact with you, your character will start to lose his nerve and eventually become too nervous to stay hidden. You can lean around walls and cover to take a look around, and there is a subtle change in music to indicate an enemy is nearby.
Everything else is as it was with the demo. What little voice acting there has been so far has been passable; the graphics are nice, but there are some lighting issues (nothing worse than your average first-person game, with some surfaces reflecting light a little too well). The physics engine and interface are the real stars here. Objects have a believable feeling of weight, and can be used in several ways. Barrels and boxes can be pushed to block doors, empty crates can be filled and rendered immobile... in one section I used spare 2x4s to build a crude ramp over an electrified barrier, though it's also possible to just stack boxes and jump over it. In some cases you have to move the item in question around until it 'hooks' onto where it's meant to go, in others you can just stack them however you like.
The story seems to be par the course, though it hasn't been explained yet which particular sci-fi/horror cliche we're going through. It is, however, very atmospheric. Suffice it to say I felt genuine apprehension at climbing into a narrow crawlspace filled with cobwebs, and revulsion at what I would find down there. Progression has been linear so far, with little backtracking, and the auto-saves seem convenient enough as they're placed.
I'm guessing that ultimately Penumbra won't be a great game... but it will be a very crafty and memorable one. If we can judge a game by the first couple hours, then it doesn't disappoint and they've got my money for the next episodes. Time will tell if that is the case.
Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
Just finished; clocked in at just under 7 hours, so it's not too far off the advertised 8. Of course I slowed down at some parts, namely to experiment with the AI and physics, but there were other parts I ran through quickly or figured out the puzzle beforehand.
On the default difficulty, combat wasn't a problem, and I could handle any single opponent without difficulty; I even learned to time a weapon strike to cut down a dog as it attacked me, so it can be done, though it's still tricky. Two or more, however, easily overwhelmed me, and dogs were smart enough to break away and howl to alert others in the area, if there were any. The spiders were slightly simpler to handle, since the flashlight scares them back, but since they don't retreat after attacking they can actually be more dangerous once they get in close. In groups, they tended to be more puzzle-based, like blocking off a passage with a boulder or collapsing something behind you to stall their pursuit.
There are plenty of physics-based puzzles, but it's important to remember A) what you have in your inventory, and
The game doesn't have much in the way of 'jump' moments, and typically you'll know when you're about to be attacked before you actually see anything. It does, however, create a really unsettling atmosphere, both in general and during specific scenes. Despite the relative ease of combat, you never really shake the feeling of vulnerability, and there are some truly creepy and disturbing moments, especially towards the end when you start to get an idea of what's been happening here. We're not talking Silent Hill level of fucked-uppedness (to use the technical term), but somehow it all seems more visceral and unsettling here.
Mild plot pseudo-spoilers:
Seriously shocking spoiler, I am not exaggerating, you have been warned:
Bottom line here is I'm in it for the rest of the way, and intend to pick up the next chapters as soon as they're out. Overture isn't an A-list game - fine manipulation of objects is a little wonky, monsters too predictable, and the story so far isn't much different than what we've all seen before - but it is, as I said before, memorable, and it looks like Frictional has it in them to keep the plot interesting. A worthy investment if you're looking for something new from the adventure genre, with a tasty horror/sci-fi flavor. Otherwise, consider waiting for the full series before checking it out.
Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=18697
Anyhow, fantastic game IMO, can't wait for the full linux version and more episodes.