Penumbra: Overture

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Penumbra: Overture
Penumbra: Overture cover (Windows)
Developer(s) Frictional Games
Publisher(s) Lexicon Entertainment
Distributor(s) Got Game Entertainment
Designer(s) Thomas Grip
Jens Nilsson
Tom Jubert
Engine HPL Engine
Platform(s) Linux, Mac OS X (Universal Binary), Windows
Release date Flag of World Ep1 March 30, 2007
Genre(s) First-person adventure, Survival horror
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) ESRB: M (Mature) 17+
PEGI: 12+

Penumbra: Overture is the first in a series of episodic games for the PC developed by Swedish[1] developer Frictional Games. It was originally intended as the first episode of a trilogy. With the announcement of the second episode, Penumbra: Black Plague, it was stated that the second game would be the final chapter.[2] However, an expansion has been announced, Requiem, giving the series a third chapter.[3]

Contents

[edit] Story

Penumbra: Overture follows Philip, a thirty-year-old physicist whose last living relative, his mother, dies. After receiving a mysterious letter from his supposedly dead father, Philip follows a series of clues that lead him to Greenland. The harsh cold forces him to take shelter in an abandoned mine. Unfortunately, the mine's entrance collapses as he enters it, and he is forced to move deeper inside. Within the mine, Philip begins receiving radio messages from Tom "Red" Redwood, a man driven insane by cabin fever. Red promises that if he is found, he will give Philip answers. The game follows Philip as he descends deeper into the mines in search of Red while unraveling the secrets of the mine's previous and current inhabitants.

Philip quickly discovers that the mine is inhabited by an ecosystem of abnormally large and hostile animals: wolves, giant spiders, and gargantuan rockworms among others. Abandoned outposts and various scattered papers found throughout the mine indicate that a secret society is studying some unusual phenomena inside the mines.

Following clues and solving various puzzles, Philip eventually comes to an area deep within the mine where Red is waiting for him. Red waits inside an incinerator where he begs Philip to kill him. With no other option, Philip activates the incinerator and amongst Red's remains, he finds items he needs to progress into a new area of the mine which is identified as "The Shelter". Once inside, Philip notices what appears to be a human watching him. Philip approaches the figure, but the lighting is suddenly extinguished and Philip is knocked out and dragged away.

[edit] Gameplay

Although Frictional Games describes Penumbra: Overture as a first-person adventure[4], the game blends the genres of survival horror, first-person shooter, and adventure. 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.

There are no firearms in the game, so during combat the player is limited to improvised melee fighting with a pickaxe, or throwing objects at attacking creatures. The game is designed to emphasize stealth and avoidance over direct conflict. (For example, Philip can close doors behind him to temporarily hold off attacking enemies.)

The game's main focus is on exploration and classic adventure game object interaction: examining and collecting objects and using them to solve puzzles.

[edit] Release

The first episode of Overture was released on March 30, 2007 through various digital distribution websites. The game was simultaneously released in a boxed edition in the United Kingdom, and the boxed release in the United States was shipped to retailers on May 8, 2007.[5] The developers have confirmed that distribution via Steam is a likely possibility. In addition, the game became available on GameTap on October 4, 2007.

[edit] Tech demo

Penumbra: Overture is based on Frictional Games' earlier game Penumbra, a short tech demo meant to demonstrate the capabilities of the company's HPL Engine. The developers admitted to making significant modifications of the original engine to accommodate the 3D graphics in this game, "The engine is built from an engine created when making a thesis job which resulted in the platform game Energetic. Before moving into the 3rd dimension I made some cleanup of the engine (which was quite rushed in some places) and started to add a base for 3D rendering. I would not say that the original 2D engine was modified to add 3D, but rather a 3D layer was added so all of the 2D stuff is still there. It is still possible to make a 2D tile game using our engine." While not initially intended to be a commercial product, Penumbra was received exceedingly well, and Frictional decided to develop it into a full-length game.[4]

[edit] Ports

On May 25, 2007 the full version for Linux was released on the Frictional Games store [1]. On January 10, 2008 the full version for Mac OS X was released on the Frictional Games forum for PPC and Intel architectures [2].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Paradox Interactive - Penumbra: Overture premieres game on Gamer's Gate
  2. ^ Penumbra to spread to computers again next year. Adventuregamers.com (2007-09-13). Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
  3. ^ http://gameplayer.se/news.php?pub_id=10663 News article from Gameplayer.se (swedish)
  4. ^ a b Penumbra: Overture
  5. ^ Penumbra: Overture: FAQ

[edit] External links

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Penumbra video games
Penumbra: Overture · Penumbra: Black Plague · Penumbra: Requiem
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