Penny Arcade Adventures: Episode One

 PC
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 23
  3. Negative: 1 out of 23
  1. Wired
    70
    $20 might seem like a bit much for a little over five hours of gameplay, although there's a lot of content packed into this first installment: Four largish 3-D environments, a dozen or so main characters, and reams of funny dialogue.
  2. PC PowerPlay
    70
    The kind of eccentric humour and senseless attention to detail makes this worth a look, even if it can seem somewhat short, repetitive and claustrophobic. [Aug 2008, p.61]
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  3. PC Format
    68
    A frustrating experience. [June 2008, p.106]
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  5. Total PC Gaming
    60
    A great accompaniment to the Penny Arcade canon, but ultimately feels a little thin on its own in the RPG field. [Issue#9, p.54]
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Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Best PC Game of 2008
37
#37 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
64
#64 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 97 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 73 out of 97
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 97
  3. Negative: 6 out of 97
  1. JoeT.
    May 24, 2008
    6
    I was hoping for a humorous and innovative take on the RPG & point-and-click conventions. Unfortunately, after the novelty of bygone era I was hoping for a humorous and innovative take on the RPG & point-and-click conventions. Unfortunately, after the novelty of bygone era cartoon-inspired visuals wares off, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill game and nothing special. Despite its fairly inexpensive cost, I feel slightly cheated in the fact there are many more creative and enjoyable games available for free. (Regardless, I recommend trying the free demo available before forking over any cash.) You might get something out of it if you're familiar with the online comic (which I am not), but otherwise... yawn....… Full Review »
  2. kuehnau
    May 26, 2012
    4
    I have always been a rather big fan of Penny Arcade the the views they have on the gaming industry, they have never been afraid to tell theI have always been a rather big fan of Penny Arcade the the views they have on the gaming industry, they have never been afraid to tell the industry and their fans how they felt about a certain game or events that were happening at the time. It has always been very refreshing to see this in a market clogged with fakers, idiots and sellouts.

    From the way they talk about games and their views and thoughts on the industry and how games are designed, I have always thought I'd see a much different game title then what they actually produced and I think that is why my disappointment is so much more here, then it would have been with any other title, simply because my expectations were so much higher.

    Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness really boils down to a J-RPG style of role playing game, which actually isn't very unique, nor is it very ambitious. It's very mediocre at best.

    The most difficult part of the entire game is learning to use it's system in order to be able to beat swarms of enemies. Like other rpgs in the past, the combat systems a level of interaction with the player in order to successfully win battles.

    By timing to win battles, you can decrease the amount of damage taken, but the game gives no indication wither or not timed keystrokes on attacks actually increase damage. It is integral that you take advantage of this system or you will never survive the game. The game features almost no currency to speak of, barely any character crafting or building and almost no equipment upgrading what so ever, in the end, it revolves around collecting parts to upgrade a single weapon for each playable character and leveling up. That's it.

    What's even more annoying is the sudden spike in difficulty. In the "normal" setting of the game, one moment you can be playing a nice, smooth RPG, in the next moment a area the game directly sends you to, the enemies can (and will) 1-HKO you, this sudden and unhelpful spike in enemy difficulty is not welcome in my opinion. In the end, it's one of the most basic, simple and some times annoying J-RPG style games I have played for the computer, all lacking the actual humor of Penny Arcade. I am glad I picked this up on sale, because had I paid full price for this title when it first came out, I would have been quite upset.    … Full Review »
  3. PaulO
    Jul 12, 2008
    1
    If you are one of those annoying nerds who thinks Penny Arcade is a quality comic, you may enjoy this game. Otherwise, go play Sam&Max instead.
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