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Review: Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 2

Nov. 1 8:12 AM by Ian Guss

If you enjoyed Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, you will love Episode Two. The story continues where Episode One left off with the similar enjoyable gameplay, plus some minor improvements. This edition features several new additions including extra difficulty modes and the ability to transfer over characters from Episode One.

For those who missed out on the original, the story takes place in a 1920s universe, in which Penny Arcade creators Gabe and Tyco are mystery solvers alongside your created character. You can head right into this edition, though, as the storyline does not continue from the original. Gameplay is a combination of a comic book woven together with aspects of a traditional Japanese role playing game.

Combat remains similar to the first game, with each character possessing his own special attack.

The number of customizable characteristics of the main character is impressive, with the entire color palette and numerous outfits at your disposal.

Dialogue is still very much M-rated, but gets right to the point, unlike some of the drawn out dialogue apparent in Episode One.

The comic book style graphics jump off the screen but the framerate isn't always as smooth as it should be. Unfortunately, only some of the game is voice acted, with much of the reading up to you.

Episode One's release on the PSN last week saw a price decrease of $5 since its original release on the XBOX Live Arcade. Episode Two follows this pricing adjustment with a more reasonable $15 price tag.

For those who do not enjoy RPG's, this title may be a turnoff. But with the length of almost a short retail release, Penny Arcade Adventures: Episode Two is a must buy for fans of the comics.

Cons: Mostly geared towards hardcore Penny Arcade fans