Penumbra: Black Plague

[SplaTtzZ]

Well I remember seeing a post ages ago about Penumbra: Overture on these forums so i decided to download and play it; and except for a few bugs I actually quite liked it. Recently the developers released the sequel, Black Plague, which i finished recently and i have to say I'm quite impressed and would recommend it to anyone who liked the first. Some of the coolest aspects i thought were the fact that this is a game with no weapons, basically you spend your entire time hiding from enemies or running away which can actually be quite nerve-wracking. There are some scripted moments where enemies will pop out in areas you assume are safe and you have to scramble madly to runaway or find a way to use your environment to kill them. I thought it was refreshing change of pace from 'scary' games like doom or quake in which you can just shoot everything.

 

Another area that was fun were the puzzles in the game, unfortunately these weren't the real brain-benders like in some other games (think Monkey Island or Day of the Tentacle) but put me more in mind of Call of Cthulhu; they made you think a little but weren't especially hard. Often they required manipulating the environment and using common sense. Later in the game you actually start hearing a voice who manipulates your environment for you ; sometimes this can be quite scary.

I thought the graphics for Black Plague were excellent, the environments look realistic and the new lighting effects are good. The enemies look quite creepy but there isn't much variety and I think they could have been made more scary. The sound is quite good also with creepy ambient noises that might make you look into the shadows or behind you for enemies however IMO voice acting needed a bit of work.

 

About the only problems I had with the game were it's length (max. around 8 -10 hours) and the fact that there was not much variety amongst enemies. There are also a whole host of gameplay effects, similar to Call of Cthulhu, that could have really fleshed out the gameplay and made the game that much more scary.

 

Overall but, if you consider that there were only like 5 people dedicated full-time to making this indie game, then it really is a sterling achievement; I found it to be innovative and compelling.

Edited February 19, 2008 by SplaTtzZ

[Unstoppable]

This game is creepy (first one). Thing is I got into the locker room and I had no idea what to do. I think the developers made it a bit too hard to start off because all I had was a flare and no where to go. That's why I never continued and uninstalled.

 

Not a good way to generate interest in your game by making it too complicated.

[New Horizon]

So much for being unstoppable. lol

 

I didn't find it too hard at all. You should give it another try. It's quite amazing.

[jdude]

I wanted to play this, but the textures have this weird glitch to them with my gpu

[SplaTtzZ]

That's too bad man, good luck if you get it working; it's certainly a different game to others out there. In the first game i thought the combat had really shoddy mechanics; nevertheless i basically ended up ambushing and killing all the dogs that would patrol a given area which made the game pretty easy. In Black Plague you don't have that option, all you can really do is chuck random junk at your enemies which does nothing. This makes some situations quite frightening and tense, and even navigating the central hubs to different areas can be scary because some AI patrols change. i just wish the enemies were a tad faster and did more damage, then people would really crap themselves...

Edited February 19, 2008 by SplaTtzZ

[STiFU]

I recently tried Episode one and I am quite enthusiastic over it. Didn't finish it yet though, because I don't have time for playing at the moment, so don't spoil it for me!!

[Tels]

Finished the (very short demo) and liked it, so I bought all three titles for Linux plus "download again" option for 22 € - a steal

 

But so far the download shop didn't respond (well, now at least it says "order processing can take some time"). Just hope I didn't accidentily bought it twice

 

Edit:

 

Meh, the page from the online shop I landed at says:

 

Please wait while your order is processed...

 

Order processing typically occurs in seconds, but can take up to two minutes,

depending on your payment method.

 

There are no links, no info, it won't reload and I can't download the game. Bah

 

Edit #2:

 

Their forum says "invalid forum". Uh, that doesn't sound reliable to me

 

http://frictionalgames.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=19

 

Nevermind, got the email, happy downloading

[AluminumHaste]

This game is creepy (first one). Thing is I got into the locker room and I had no idea what to do. I think the developers made it a bit too hard to start off because all I had was a flare and no where to go. That's why I never continued and uninstalled.

 

Not a good way to generate interest in your game by making it too complicated.

 

Damned if they do, damned if they don't lol.

[SneaksieDave]

 

I just watched a video where you're supposed to (I think) replace a refrigeration unit of a conduit or something, by jamming a cold can of soda in there.

Not sure I would have ever thought to do that.

 

Anyway, still looks yummy.

 

 

Edit: I guess that's a spoiler... fixed.

[Komag]

About the only problems I had with the game were it's length (max. around 8 -10 hours)...

 

This actually is somewhat of a plus in my book. I just don't have lots of hours to pour into a game - I'd prefer the 10 hour range with good quality over a 40 hour game of only slightly good quality (or with the really good parts spread between lots of average parts)

[Tels]

What really kills that game for me is the zombie dogs You can't outrun them, you can't fight them (the fighting controls are the most crap ones I ever saw) except when you are on top of a crate, which feels cheating because they can't reach you, and you can't even look at them....

 

It is not that I don't like difficult situations or games, it is just like that everything is basically an empty level where you can run around and solve puzzles, and then *whamm* 3 seconds later you died from the two (!) bites of the dog that you run into.... Having to reply parts of each level just to die at the very same spot (because nothing you try actually works) is very very frustrating. Each death breaks immersion...

 

There are entire features in the game (like

relighting petrol lamps, the beef jerky, the flashlight, the stick of dynamite, the cherry bombs

) that I never used (except to try them out) and it looks like you don't even really need them, anyway.

 

 

However, long stretches of the game are really fun and creepy - until you run into the next dog

[Mortem Desino]

Once I got a pickaxe, I just punched a bunch of holes into the damn dogs. Screw sneaking around them, I want to make sure they'll never bother me again. I eventually got into a rhythm that dogs couldn't hurt me if I snuck up to them and took the first swing.

[Arcturus]

However, long stretches of the game are really fun and creepy - until you run into the next dog

 

You can throw heavy things at them untill they die. I think I used rocks in early part of the game and gas cylinders later.

[Tels]

Once I got a pickaxe, I just punched a bunch of holes into the damn dogs. Screw sneaking around them, I want to make sure they'll never bother me again. I eventually got into a rhythm that dogs couldn't hurt me if I snuck up to them and took the first swing.

 

I never managed this, thanx to the crappy combat system

 

Throwing heavy things at them left them unimpressed, they still kill me with two bites. Maybe shouldn't have choose "hard"

[HMart]

I never managed this, thanx to the crappy combat system

 

Throwing heavy things at them left them unimpressed, they still kill me with two bites. Maybe shouldn't have choose "hard"

 

You can kill them and very easily, so easily that the game becomes less frightening. You just need to make them fall one time and just keap betting on them till they die. I don't remember the way to make them fall but i will say that throwing things at them is not the way.

 

Also to the user having texture problems the patch 1.1 solves that.

[Mortem Desino]

... so easily that the game becomes less frightening.

 

A nice pair of headphones in a dark room fixes that!

[Arcturus]

I don't remember the way to make them fall but i will say that throwing things at them is not the way.

 

Yes, it is. Maybe not on hard but it is.

[SplaTtzZ]

Try the second installment in the series guys: Black Plague. You get no weapons at all so forget about ambushing people you have to use physics to fight them!

 

Having said that though the enemies are pretty slow and stupid; towards the end of the game there was this one bit where I just kept running around a pillar until the bad guy couldnt keep up with me. There are some good parts though when you dont have anywhere to run and this dude is breaking down the door trying to get inside and gut you; those moments were pretty tense. But overall the AI needed a little more work.

 

Speaking of scary and tense I'm actually downloading Silent Hill 3 right now...

[Jesps]

I got one very scary experience playing Black Plague. I was playing it while babysitting my parents dog.

 

 

I entered the kennel, which I had avoided for as long as possible due to no weapons. I then creeped past the holes in the walls half expecting zombie dogs to jump out at any moment. Sneaking past the holes I found myself at a dead end! Then the dog, that lay right behind me started barking!

 

I jumped right out of my chair!

[LeatherMan]

The Penumbra Trilogy (yes, all three episodes) is on sale via Steam for $5.  

[Tels]

The Penumbra Trilogy (yes, all three episodes) is on sale via Steam for $5.  

 

I bought them for 20 € ...oh well but at least I can play the w/o Steam

[LeatherMan]

I bought them for 20 € ...oh well but at least I can play the w/o Steam

 

Yes, no Steam is a plus, and of course Steam doesn't work natively on Linux, but for $5 it's a good deal with or without Steam.

[Tels]

Yes, no Steam is a plus, and of course Steam doesn't work natively on Linux, but for $5 it's a good deal with or without Steam.

 

Only as long as you have Steam That above is like saying "5 US$ is a good deal for the book, even if it is in Chinese" to someone who can't read Chinese

[SneaksieDave]

Wow, well damn. I'd buy this, but I don't have or want Steam. Is there any other solution? Can I buy it legit on a virtual image and then 'disconnect' it from steam and play on a regular system? Ironically steam is both enabling and shutting down this legit purchase.

 

Edit: trilogy? I'm only seeing two episodes... I think.

[LeatherMan]

Wow, well damn. I'd buy this, but I don't have or want Steam. Is there any other solution? Can I buy it legit on a virtual image and then 'disconnect' it from steam and play on a regular system? Ironically steam is both enabling and shutting down this legit purchase.

 

Edit: trilogy? I'm only seeing two episodes... I think.

Unfortunately there is no way around Steam at this price, though I guess you could purchase the game on Steam and pirate the games so you don't feel like you stole the game.

 

Yes it's the whole trilogy. It contains Penumbra Overture and Penumbra Black Plague Gold Edition.

 

 

Penumbra: Black Plague Gold Edition contains both Penumbra: Black Plague and the expansion Penumbra: Requiem