Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness marks the video game debut of Gabe and Tycho, the stars of the popular comic strip. Sure, this game could've easily dipped into the depths of crappiness where most licensed games dwell but it mostly succeeds in producing a fun adventure.
You begin by building a character from scratch, and setting off to get revenge on a giant robot that's smashed your house. So you team up with Gabe and Tycho, who are also pursuing the robot, to stop it. One excellent detail worth noting here is that Precipice of Darkness actually includes your created character in the cut-scenes, no matter how off-the-wall your design is.
The in-game graphics aren't bad, made up of decent-looking environments around New Arcadia and humorous enemy animations (such as when the "fruit assaulter" tries to urinate orange juice on you). There are occasional problems with slowdown, but it looks OK. Audio mostly consists of likable background music and a narrator whose attempts at sounding dramatic often go overboard.
In terms of gameplay, Precipice of Darkness is a straight-up role-playing game, focusing on turn-based combat. It has a finely timed set of tactics, with basic attacks, special attacks, usable items and a nifty counter-attack system. When an enemy attempts to hit you, you can dodge the attack by pressing a button at the right time, only to then charge in with a counter-attack to finish them off. It's a really good control set-up, and surprisingly comfortable.
Despite the game's outrageously crude sense of humor (it's written in the same style as the comic), it comes to an end too soon. Precipice of Darkness is over in a matter of hours, with very little reason to come back except to battle the same characters again. It's the start of an episodic series, which means Chapter Two is just around the corner. Of course, it would've been nice if the game were longer and less than 1600 points ($20). Multiplayer compatibility would've been a step forward, too.
Nevertheless, like any good ride, Precipice of Darkness is fun while it lasts. There are plenty of chuckles, and the gameplay offers more than you might expect, even if you normally despise RPGs. Check it out if you want something different. And boy, do we mean different as only in a Penny Arcade-licensed game will you find a girl with a rake taking on angry mimes and robots specifically programmed to sexually assault fruit.
Related Links
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Game Guide
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