Penumbra: Overture

Penumbra: Overture is a first person adventure game which focuses on story, immersion and puzzles. Instead of using violence to progress the player has to use his/her wits to guide Philip on his quest to unravel the past.

Played from a first person viewpoint, Penumbra is very different from other adventure games. Not only is it powered by a 3D engine utilising cutting edge technology, it also has an advanced physics system which allow for a never before seen environment interaction. The player can open drawers, pull levers, pick up objects and more using natural mouse movements creating a highly interactive and immersive game world.

The game combines the genres of survival horror, adventure, and first-person shooter. The use of Newton Game Dynamics emphasizes physics-based puzzles similar to those in Half-Life 2 as well as physics-based combat. The game also takes advantage of advanced artificial intelligence to respond realistically to noises and light, creating stealth-based gameplay.

Penumbra: Overture is the first game in a two part horror story, Penumbra: Black Plague is the final part.

Penumbra: Overture

Price $19.99 Developer Frictional Games Website www.penumbra-overture.com Requirements CPU: 1GHz Memory: 256MB Disc Space: 300MB free (for demo) 1GB for Full Version Video Card: Radeon 8500/GeForce 3 (GeForce4MX not supported) Kernel 2.6 or higher (2.4 untested) glibc 2.3 X11R6 with 3D acceleration For x86_64 CPU, 32-bit environment must be installed Support: Forums Selected Reviews: Adrenaline Vault, PCW

Features include:

• Challenging mind puzzles
• Emphasizes stealth and avoidance over direct conflict
• Enemy AI will also do its best to hunt and scare the player
• Horrific creatures encountered can break down doors
• Use group co-ordination, interact with the physics and much more
• 3D engine has an advanced physics system

Last Updated Wednesday, September 17 2008 @ 02:43 PM EDT