- Publisher: Hothead Games
- Release Date: May 21, 2008
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 3
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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If there’s anything that sticks out the most in Penny Arcade Adventures’ presentation it’s the art, and rightfully so. Mike Krahulic’s trademark style looks great with the in-game portraits, and even better in motion thanks to the game’s bevy of gorgeous animated cutscenes that seamlessly work your avatar into the action.
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While the stylish production value of the title is utterly fantastic, I can’t recommend a $20 game with an obnoxiously easy difficulty level that lasts about 4 to 5 hours.
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$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.
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Nevertheless, like any good ride, Precipice of Darkness is fun while it lasts.
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If you are a fan of the Penny Arcade comics you should definitely enjoy your time in New Arcadia.
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X-ONE Magazine UKThe humour is as good as anything you'll see on their website. [Issue#35, p.115]
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netjakIf you don't like Penny Arcade, or the humor that their strip usually relies upon, the odds are good that you won't find much here to justify the price tag; Precipice's story does little to bring the player's character into the universe as more than just an observer or someone along for the ride.
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Fans of the comic strip can feel free to add as many points to the score below as will make them happy, since they're the ones most likely to make the effort needed to get past the flaws, but for everyone else there's little here to justify the hefty price.
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Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness does a lot of things a little differently from the generic western RPG. Unfortunately, some things work better than others. No doubt the system will be refined with the sequels to come.
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This is an odd combination of point and click gameplay with RPG-style battles. Even though the story and the dialogue is fun and true to the series, the developers have gone overboard with the amount of reading that has to be done to progress in the game, which ultimately makes the overall experience a bit tedious.
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Xbox World 360 Magazine UKAn obscene, atmospheric and silly adventure, marred by a lot of lackustre combat. [Aug 2008, p.98]
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games(TM)Unless Hothead Games can push the fighting mechanic while also ensuring that the comedy and adventuring take pride of place, this series could die out long before it’s ready to. [Aug 2008, p.114]
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A streamlined but only fitfully entertaining role-playing game that requires deeper gameplay and story to justify doubling the standard XBLA price.
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Those gamers who check out Penny Arcade daily will be playing to see the reappearance of iconic characters and to laugh at the in-jokes dotted throughout the game. But even they would have a hard time swallowing the 1,600 MP price tag (around £15) for five hours of gameplay - gameplay that isn't heavy on replayability.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 20 out of 26
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Mixed: 2 out of 26
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Negative: 4 out of 26
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TravisJul 3, 2008