The Penumbra Series is a few games featuring incredible atmosphere and unusual physical interaction. They use an engine made by the guys at Frictional Games that has pretty good physics and mediocre graphics. However, physical interaction happens through a cursor in place of crosshairs and simulates arms picking stuff up. So you click on a drawer and drag it open. It’s novel and cool. Most people I talk to think it’s neat and interesting. Graphics are 2005 quality at best with the addition of modern shaders and (my favourite) motion blur. Seriously, add motion blur to anything and it instantly becomes fantastic. Also there are no conventional weapons. In the first game you get a pickaxe, but from second game onward you’ve got nothing.

There are three parts to the series: Penumbra Overture, Black Plague, and Requiem.

The series begins as a terror, fill your pants several times each sitting scary game featuring ambiance that will send shivers to all your bits and pieces and old-school puzzle solving. Remember the good old days when you’d have to pay attention to clues and combine items to make other items? There’s a fair bit of that. And it’s a little less than obvious so you feel smart for figuring it out, but you won’t rip your face off trying to figure out what you missed to allow you to progress.

The second game is less “holy **** there are evil creatures eating my legs DIE YOU GLOWING EYED MONSTER *poop self*” and more “I know there is a guy there oh **** oh **** what do I do”.

It reveals more story but also is considerably more confusing and has an ending that doesn’t immediately make sense. Also it’s weird as **** but it’s still cool.

The third game is entirely puzzle solving and will take maybe 5-6 hours tops to complete. It makes less sense than any of the previous games and IMO left more confusion than tied up ends. It also features NO monsters whatsoever. Yet the atmosphere makes you think there are monsters coming up to nibble your earlobes and make you soil yet another pair of undies.

The first two games can be found for about 20 bucks in stores and online, but the last is digital download only for 10 bucks.

I think in total the entire series was max 25 hours, probably more like 15 but I can’t remember for certain.

The storytelling is different and it all draws very heavily from old timey adventure games. Take a look at the videos and info below for some preview sort of things and see what you think.

VIDEO AND BLATANT COPYPASTE

This one below is probably the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen in a video game. It doesn’t make much sense out of context but boy oh boy when you’re playing the game and realize what it means it’s just… whoa.

Overture website Posted:

Like all good nightmares, Philip’s begins with something all too real – his mother’s death. The days following the funeral are characterized by nothing, save for an incessant feeling of abandonment. Until, that is, he receives a letter from a dead man.

Philip’s father left before he was born, taking his reasons with him. Now, here he is, opening up the door from beyond the grave. That door leads to more questions, and those questions lead to Greenland. Philip follows the clues – they’re all he has left.

On leaving the final signs of human civilization behind him, in search of the location mentioned in his father’s ambiguous notes, Philip wonders if he’s left some part of his humanity behind as well. Soon, that will be the least of his fears.

Now, Philip needs your help. He’s found an inexplicable metal hatch, in the middle of a frozen wasteland. Inside, is something yet more unfathomable.

Step into the unknown.

I’ve probably said too much about the story as it is. So I shall end this now.

Go play the game. It’s a weird indie series that’ll probably leave you scratching your head, but you’ll not regret it.

There’s also a tech demo of the first game to wet your whistle.

LINKS:

Developer’s Site

Overture Website

There’s loads of stuff about Black Plague (second game) at the publisher site http://www.paradoxplaza.com/penumbra/

The tech demo is here somewhere