CerebralDebris

Penny Arcade continues to branch out into the world of video games which it’s so lucratively mocked throughout its history. Does this installment stand out, or is it just more of the same?

The Short Version

• Platform: Xbox 360
• One Word: Improvement
• Two Words: Funny Action
• Worth It: Yes
• Scale: terrible | poor | fair | good | great

The Long Version

“I am encouraged by any game that uses as much casual profanity as I do.”

So I said to my wife, as we walked along Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue, headed for a local watering hole, and she laughed, because she’s watched me play the Penny Arcade games, and knows that it’s true.

I have to admit, I’m a fan of Penny Arcade. Not a completely biased, insane, slavering fanboy, mind you … the comic strip itself has its ups and downs. Some are funnier than others. Some are better drawn than others. That’s going to be the case when you do anything episodic for ten straight years. I also think that Jerry “Tycho” Holkins frequently comes off as a pompous windbag in his news updates (he’d probably agree), and that Mike “Gabriel” Krahulik has some abominable taste in video games (he probably wouldn’t). But I’ve met them in person, and I like them, and I like their work.

That extends to their episodic series of games, On The Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness, or at least to the first two. I can only assume the third and fourth installments will continue to present the quality that’s been available so far.

I bumped Episode 2 up from Episode 1’s “good” to “great” for several reasons, not the least of which that it’s cheaper than the first. They shaved five bucks off the price, and now it’s sitting right at a point that feels about right for the length and level of entertainment you get. This isn’t some 80-hour RPG with a ton of depth; it’s mainly a turn-based beat-em-up with some very minor Adventure and RPG elements. That’s not exactly a template for earning a “great” from me, but the game exceeds the sum of its parts thanks to some clever writing, better implementation on the part of the developers, and an overall tighter package than the first delivered.

The storyline and setting, a deranged version of 1922, really allow Holkins to flex his muscles. The dude knows his ten-cent words, and isn’t afraid to use them liberally. While this makes his news updates sometimes a bit ridiculous, his propensity to lose himself in the language absolutely fits the world created for the game. The sudden, jarring inclusion of casual profanity and modern slang serves well as a comedic foil against the purple prose, and you get a weird cross of Lovecraft and “modern gamer” that’s unique to the game, and in many ways unique to Penny Arcade. Holkins also proves an admirable plotter – the stories make sense, strange though they are, and tick away in a logical manner that keeps the player wanting to open up one more movie, or read one more funny bit of dialog.

Hothead Games, the developers who’ve worked closely with the PA guys to actually put the game together, have really tightened up a couple of the big problems I had with the first game. For one thing, there are multiple difficulty levels now. Hallelujah. The first game was so hard in places that it bordered on un-fun, and though I never did turn the difficulty down from “medium” (the default) in this one, it was always comforting to know that if I got in over my head, I could ramp things down. In addition to difficulty adjustment, they’ve also included outfits that allow your character to gain different bonuses, a LOT more variety into the gameplay (including an amusing puzzle game that springs up in the middle of the plot, involving the infamous Catsby and Twisp characters). Yes, you still end up beating up lots of things, but the game is broken up with puzzle solving and more dialog/movie interactions than the first contained (and it had a bunch).

Additionally, the ending’s better — more of a puzzle than a straight fight, although it involves both. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t any teaser trailer for Episode 3 included, but that’s a bit of a nitpick. Overall I was amused and interested by the story, happy with the ending, and found the gameplay more compelling than I did in the first. I continue to enjoy all the various PA characters showing up in strange new roles, and I love the in-jokes for longtime readers like myself (Penny Arcade was first published in an online magazine – loonygames – that I also had a column in, so I’ve literally been reading from the start).

You can do a LOT worse than this for fifteen bucks. If you haven’t already picked it up, I definitely recommend it.