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| Release year: 2007 |
Survival-horror games have fallen on hard times. The Silent Hill franchise has suffered disappointing sales over the last few years, and the most recognizable and popular horror series, Resident Evil, now has more in common with Gears of War than its own humble beginnings. Resident Evil 6, which launched this week, has been characterized by critics as a full-fledged third-person shooter, the culmination of a transformation that began with Resident Evil 4.
Yet, if you know where to look, there are still true survival-horror experiences waiting to be had. By true survival-horror, I mean those games where ammunition and other resources are in short supply, the hero is hopelessly outnumbered and overpowered, and there is a chilling atmosphere of isolation and desperation. All that and more is available in Penumbra: Overture, the first part of a trilogy of horror games from Frictional Games, an independent Swedish developer. Overture isn't a masterpiece -- far from it -- but it's a solidly built horror game with plenty of chills and thrills. Its levels are well-designed (if sometimes labyrinthine), its puzzles clever, and its enemies terrifying. Most importantly, it's genuinely scary.
Penumbra: Overture is the story of Philip, a thirty-year-old scientist who travels to a remote part of Greenland after discovering his deceased father's notes. To escape from freezing temperatures, Philip descends into an abandoned mine. There he uncovers clues related to the dark history of the mine, hides from the creatures that inhabit it, and solves puzzles that bring him closer and closer to the truth.
Like all good survival-horror games, Overture ensures that Philip and, by extension, the player, is underequipped and underpowered. Armed with only a flashlight, a glowstick, and whatever he can find discarded in the mine, Philip must use stealth to avoid enemies. Combat is awkward and unreliable in Overture. Critics panned the combat system in the game, but Frictional Games made the right decision. How would a terrified physicist react to lurking horrors in a dimly-lit cave? Would he hop around like Jackie Chan, delivering roundhouse kicks? Or would he swing his pickaxe wildly at the darkness?
In addition to stealth, puzzle-solving is a big part of Overture. Almost all of the puzzles are physics-based, meaning that players can manipulate in-game items in real time. For example, some puzzles require Philip to stack boxes or crates. Others require him to open drawers or break through barricades.
Penumbra: Overture is over rather quickly, a symptom of its episodic nature. But the short trip is worth the price of admission. Overture is spooky, intelligent, and well-paced. Moreover, it scratches the itch for a new, fresh take on survival-horror.
Frictional Games followed Penumbra: Overture with a sequel and an expansion pack that brings closure to the story.
Yet, if you know where to look, there are still true survival-horror experiences waiting to be had. By true survival-horror, I mean those games where ammunition and other resources are in short supply, the hero is hopelessly outnumbered and overpowered, and there is a chilling atmosphere of isolation and desperation. All that and more is available in Penumbra: Overture, the first part of a trilogy of horror games from Frictional Games, an independent Swedish developer. Overture isn't a masterpiece -- far from it -- but it's a solidly built horror game with plenty of chills and thrills. Its levels are well-designed (if sometimes labyrinthine), its puzzles clever, and its enemies terrifying. Most importantly, it's genuinely scary.
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| Philip's inner monologue occasionally breaks the silence. |
Penumbra: Overture is the story of Philip, a thirty-year-old scientist who travels to a remote part of Greenland after discovering his deceased father's notes. To escape from freezing temperatures, Philip descends into an abandoned mine. There he uncovers clues related to the dark history of the mine, hides from the creatures that inhabit it, and solves puzzles that bring him closer and closer to the truth.
Like all good survival-horror games, Overture ensures that Philip and, by extension, the player, is underequipped and underpowered. Armed with only a flashlight, a glowstick, and whatever he can find discarded in the mine, Philip must use stealth to avoid enemies. Combat is awkward and unreliable in Overture. Critics panned the combat system in the game, but Frictional Games made the right decision. How would a terrified physicist react to lurking horrors in a dimly-lit cave? Would he hop around like Jackie Chan, delivering roundhouse kicks? Or would he swing his pickaxe wildly at the darkness?
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| Dark, abandoned rooms hold secrets and clues. |
In addition to stealth, puzzle-solving is a big part of Overture. Almost all of the puzzles are physics-based, meaning that players can manipulate in-game items in real time. For example, some puzzles require Philip to stack boxes or crates. Others require him to open drawers or break through barricades.
Penumbra: Overture is over rather quickly, a symptom of its episodic nature. But the short trip is worth the price of admission. Overture is spooky, intelligent, and well-paced. Moreover, it scratches the itch for a new, fresh take on survival-horror.
Frictional Games followed Penumbra: Overture with a sequel and an expansion pack that brings closure to the story.
Score: 7.5
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