Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode TwoXbox 360)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Tom Shea
• Reviewed on: 10/31/2008
• Released on: 10/29/2008
• Originally published on GameSpot: Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode TwoXbox 360) Review

When a video game relies heavily on humor to provide the requisite entertainment, it better be able to make people laugh hard and often. Thankfully, if you enjoy the comic strip's offbeat and snarky sense of humor, you'll find the second Penny Arcade episode to be just as funny as the first one, with robotic fighting monkeys and wealthy socialites replacing hobos and mimes as the punchlines du jour. The same sarcastic, and occasionally vulgar, humor that has defined the webcomic is on full display here, and nary a moment passes without a sight gag or clever comment demanding your attention. The appeal is still largely dependent on how funny you find Penny Arcade; though the combat is fun and engaging, it's not deep enough to warrant attention on its own. But for those eager to laugh at the absurd, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 2 is just as entertaining as the first game and delivers an even wackier, more fleshed-out story than before.

The first episode ended after the Penny Arcade characters' epic battle with a fictitious god--so, one god has been vanquished while three more are still very much alive on the metaphorical windowsill. Episode 2 continues this demented trek toward killing the next immortal in line, though the overarching story is often lost in the minutia of your quest. You once again create your own character (or transfer your own from the first episode) and join up with Gabe and Tycho through six environments (four of them brand-new) as you partake in random quests for needy people. The story is given a lot more room to breathe this time. Short movies highlight every dramatic encounter, providing another platform for humor that was largely ignored in the first episode. These dialog-free cinematics add some life to the crazy situations, animating the wacky scenes you'll continually encounter.

The action-centric-though-still-turn-based combat makes the transition largely unchanged. Each character has three different techniques: items, regular moves, and special attacks. Though special moves are usually your most powerful choice, there is a reason to use other means to dispatch your foes. The attacks become available in sequential order, so you'll have to be patient before your special meter fills. Enemies are also immune to certain weapons or have severe weaknesses to exploit, so you won't be able to just blindly spam your special attack and expect to destroy everyone you encounter. The minigames that determine how powerful your special moves are make the return from the first game, though they are handled in a much more entertaining way. They are all timing-based, and they get fast and frantic when you unlock stronger moves during the course of your quest. Defense is also handled in an active manner; enemy life bars will flash briefly before they attack and, if you can time your block perfectly, you can absorb the damage or even dish out a nasty counterattack. Even though you don't have a wide variety of attacks available to you, the the fast-paced nature of the combat combined with the strategy needed to take down stronger foes makes it fun and intense throughout.

Continue reading

Compare prices for Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode TwoXbox 360)

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available