Second Opinion - The Beginning of the End (DLC)

To conclude discussion of the story-driven DLC for Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, I will be discussing The Beginning of the End, a sort of prequel to the main story. While this post will end up a bit short, I still want to discuss my opinion on this, as it presents something rather interesting.

The main purpose of this bit of DLC is to explain exactly what happened to you after the events of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episodes One and Two. At the Startling Developments Detective Agency, Gabe is feeling a bit jumpy, so Tycho takes him to Desperation Street to help take care of something for him. When they see You at your once again ruined home, Tycho stuffs You into a sack and ties it up, leaving eye holes for You to be able to cooperate (this solves the issue of You being customizable in earlier episodes). The humorous events that follow confront Gabe and Tycho's roles and do an interesting job of explaining what happened to You and why it wasn't brought up much in Episode 3. While the revelation is a little strange, it does at least acknowledge what it needed to (but still no answer to what was in Dr. Stripe's safe deposit box).

Combat is a little faster paced this time around, if only due to the overall length. There are no class pins in sight, justified by when this takes place, so as a result, each ally only has one class and strategy is more focused and linear as a result. You, for instance, are a Gardenar and have more rake-based attacks. Also, potions are the only items, but they hardly got used in the end. I was still satisfied and the enemies were still able to provide a good source of entertainment in their descriptions. The music is also still good and the environments are well-designed with some interesting exposition about them.

While The Beginning of the End may only last about 90 minutes, it's still an essential part of the experience that Rain-Slick 3 owners should definitely not miss out on. The combat is simple, but it still retains the edge that made the parent game so great to play. If you have Rain-Slick 3, play it. If you don't, the $5 to get it, and the $0 to play this, are very well worth the time and money. Now to see how Rain-Slick 4 ends up when it releases this Friday.

The Beginning of the End (DLC)

Continuing with the DLC for Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, we got into the second and final bit of story DLC, The Beginning of the End. This particular story takes place before the events of the main game (Episode 3) and explores your fate from Hothead's Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episodes One and Two. Having played through this story to see what had happened to me between Episodes Two and 3, I found the experience to be somewhat satisfying.

After the harrowing experience of taking down two dark gods, Gabe feels a little jumpy and decides to rest. Just as quick as he gets to sleep, however, Tycho wakes him up and takes him on a trip to Desperation Street, the place where their last two adventures began, in order to seek your aid. While the story is short, lasting about an hour and a half, You are treated to another hilarious adventure as You help Gab and Tycho on their quest (the problem of having yourself be customizable in the Hothead half of the OTRSPOD series is even cleverly solved by having You be inside of a sack). The ending is a bit weird (I'm not going to spoil it for people who haven't played it yet), but overall it feels like a nice continuation of Episode Two.

Gameplay is similar to that of Episode 3 and the Lair of the Seamstress DLC, with the twist that your party only has one class, with You being a Gardenar with slighty different, more rake-focused powers. The battle system is otherwise the same, but you are also treated to a whole swath of new enemies including evil mail boxes, tumbleweeds, and many others, most of which have a funny description that continues with the Penny Arcade brand of humor. The final boss is as much of a surprise as the campaign's ending, but once again I won't spoil anything here. This is all complimented by some very catchy music, utilizing music from the main game while also including at least one original piece to help it feel more unique.

The Beginning of the End is a great add-on to an already great game, one that you don't even have to pay for since it was added for free through another patch. As the game says, it is best that you play through the $5 Episode 3 (and maybe even Episodes One and Two) before exploring this story, since if you jump to this right away you might be confused about a few things. Hopefully the upcoming Episode 4 will provide a satisfying conclusion to the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness storyline when it drops on Friday.

And just what was in Dr. Stripe's safe deposit box anyway?

Second Opinion - Lair of the Seamstress (DLC)

Within the next couple of weeks, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness will finally be complete with the release of Episode 4 from Zeboyd Games. A few pieces of DLC have been automatically added to Episode 3 since it was first released, two of which (Lair of the Seamstress and The Beginning of the End) actually contribute to the story of the game. Since we're a bit behind on those, we decided it would be a good idea to actually play these bits of additional gameplay as a lead-in to the upcoming Episode 4. Now without further ado, let's take a look at the first of these, Lair of the Seamstress.

As I mentioned in my review of Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, the gameplay involves Class Pins that offer you new abilities in combat, of which there are 17. Once you reach Level 40 on all 17 Pins, you must go to the top floor of the temple, where a portal is opened that leads you to the titular Lair of the Seamstress. Your entire party (Gabe, Tycho, Jim, and Moira) is then brought down to Level 1 (but only within the DLC area) and must face waves of enemies of increasing difficulty as you Level back up.

While the gameplay isn't any different, it is an interesting experience to be de-powered and then have to fight in order to gain your abilities back. Though some enemies are ones you may have faced in the main game, what I like is that some of the ones chosen are ones that represent each of the Class Pins and what powers they have to offer. As I went through each encounter, I had to really think about what strategy I wanted to use with the abilities I was given to work with. There are also some additional moments of hilarity in the text boxes, on par with that of the game itself, which only enhances the experience of it being a Penny Arcade game. The final boss against the Seamstress is a very difficult one indeed; even after lowering the difficulty to Easy during my multiple attempts, I somehow managed to beat her with what I would consider a great deal of luck, coupled with the strategy I developed over time with the intent to take her down.

One of the most satisfying screenshots you will ever see in DLC for a retro
installment in an episodic game based on a webcomic

Overall, the Lair of the Seamstress DLC, while challenging, is a fairly short but fulfilling side-quest to explore. Your efforts are rewarded at the end, though that's all I'm going to say about it to prevent spoilers for those that haven't played OTRSPOD 3 yet. If you haven't already, have we mentioned it only costs $5?

Second Opinion - Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3

As I have stated before, Episodes One and Two of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness are very enjoyable and are among my favorite games. However, Hothead Games, the developer of the first 2 episodes, decided to cease production of the series in pursuit of other projects, leaving the story only half-finished and Jerry Holkins, the writer of Penny Arcade, to create a prose version of what would have happened in Episode Three (I have yet to read it). Fortunately for fans of the games, the series would later be picked up by Zeboyd games, developer of Cthulu Saves the World. After a four-year wait from Episode Two, the switch to a 16-bit graphical style from 3D graphics does not stop the game from being an entertaining installment in the OTRSPOD series.

Though you are not involved in the events of OTRSPOD 3, the story is still very engaging as it focuses more on Gabe and Tycho after the first two Episodes (you still get a mention as someone who helped them defeat two evil gods). In addition to being able to control them, you also get to control their roommate Jim and a new character, Moira, through various new and old locales on a quest to defeat a third dark god, Yog Modaigh, Lord of Doors. Along the way, you learn some interesting facts about the Brahe clan and how their involvement with this sort of nature is crucial to Yog Modaigh's motivations.

The combat is different this time around, but I found it to have a good amount of depth. Rather than moving in real time, each character (including enemies) is represented on a bar in the corner, displaying who's turn it is at what time. Because everyone moves down the bar at different speeds, this can create situations where you have to really think about how you want to defeat the current wave of enemies. The game also features a  well-done character class system, where giving one of your party members a Class Pin obtained during gameplay grants them access to a whole new array of abilities, which grows bigger the more they level up. The fact that each character is able to wield 2 Class Pins also greatly adds to the variety of moves you can perform, given that you have enough MP to use them, letting you think more about how to approach certain situations in combat.

While this installment may be different from the ones before, the normal Penny Arcade humor remains intact. At various points in the story, someone (mainly Gabe or Tycho) will say something that helps lighten the dark tone of the narrative a bit before it becomes serious again. Whenever you target an enemy in battle, some of which are clever visual references to earlier Penny Arcade strips, you also get to see a description of them, which most of the time will say something funny about them, especially when it relates to the situation. There's even an entire section that switches to a more 8-bit graphical style that parodies older RPGs at every opportunity.

Out of my entire experience, the only issue I have involves something being carried over between games. I'm not talking about the lack of a character creator, but rather a key that is given to you by Dr. Stripes in Episode Two. Throughout the entirety of OTRSPOD 3, as much as I enjoyed it, I was half-expecting that key to come into play so I could see what he forgot he had in his safe deposit box. This could be attributed to the shift in developers halfway through the series, but in any case this bugged me a little.

Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 is a game that any RPG or Penny Arcade fan is sure to enjoy (as long as they are of age). Those that have played the first two games from Hothead will not want to miss out on the long-awaited return of OTRSPOD, and knowledge of the first 2 games is not required for anyone that wants to hop on the bandwagon. As a plus, this game only costs $5, which is a great deal for 12 entertaining hours of gameplay.

Penny Arcade's On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3

As stated before, we here at the blog are fans of not only Penny Arcade, but also the Hothead Games series Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episodes One and Two. As soon as we finished playing them, we were gravely disappointed to find out that the other half of this four-part series was cancelled. Later on I found out that Jerry Holkins, the writer of Penny Arcade, was going to finish the story through prose chapters on the webcomic's site, but I never got around to reading them (not that I wasn't interested). Much later, I heard that the games sold extremely well when it ported to iOS devices, at the same time having the fires of hope for a third Hothead-made episode snuffed out. Then later still, it was announced that the reins would be handed over to Zeboyd games, an independent developer known for making the faux retro RPG games Breath of Death VII and Cthulu Saves the World. Knowing that this third episode would be done in a 16-bit graphical style, I was even more intrigued as to how this would be accomplished. With the release of Episode 3 on Monday, I can happily conclude that the four-year wait for a new installment is definitely worth it.

Having defeated Yog Sethis the Silent One and Yog Kathak, God of Gears, Gabe and Tycho of the Startlng Developments Detective Agency are called to handle the third of the Four Below -four evil gods that killed the four good gods- known as Yog Modiagh, God of Doors. The very power of Yog Modiagh threatens to destroy the universe itself, forcing the duo to work to prevent his summoning. Simultaneously, they need to take care of Dr. Raven Darktalon Blood, a man who wishes to speed up the process by gathering specific paintings together in one spot. On this journey, the past comes alive and new information is gained about the Brahe clan that may ultimately spell disaster.

The plot of On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is still very fascinating. While the stakes still are certainly high, the mysteries introduced in the previous episodes are expanded upon here in a way that makes them even more intriguing to see unfold. New characters are introduced, notably the exclusive detective character Moira, and their connection to the Brahe clan introduces new mysteries that bring the events of the games, and Tycho himself, into a new light. Keeping the Cthulu elements of the story helps to keep the dark atmosphere present, but I feel as if the story is a bit more serious this time around, which only suits the many things that go on. It's a very engaging narrative that managed to elicit all of the right reactions during play.

The most notable change this time around has to be the combat. Since Zeboyd Games went in the direction of a 16-bit RPG, the combat system needed a complete overhaul to match. Where the previous installments had a very modern system with some throwback elements, Episode 3 is the complete opposite; it is a throwback system with some more modern elements.

To begin, combat is turn-based, but goes about it in an interesting way. At the top of the screen is a bar representing who performs an action at what time, be it an ally or an enemy. When an ally silhouette hits a certain point, the player is able to give them a command, which is then carried out when the character reaches the end of the bar, thus taking their turn. Character speed is to be taken into account, since a fast enough enemy can cut in line and take their next turn much quicker, adding some urgency to the system. When actually issuing a command, the player uses a drop down menu similar to the Final Fantasy games, with different sections to use items or actions, as well as an option to defend. It's a very good framework to base an entire combat system on, since you can even interrupt a turn, a special command that comes at the cost of an ally's turn, in order to push their place in line backward depending on where they are on the bar when the command is initiated.

What makes this system even better is another deeper subsystem regarding character classes. While characters do have a class that they begin with, Brute, Scholar, Necromaster and Gumshoe, you can give the characters additional classes that allow them more commands or passive abilities to work with. The additional classes are gained through Class Pins, which can be equipped in a similar fashion to weapons and accessories. These classes all offer something completely unique to the gameplay and are gained in sets at two specific points in the game. Some of these range from the Tube Samurai class, which uses stances for different powers, to the Cordwainer, which has the power of shoes. Some of these classes can even add abilities to the bar that repeat themselves by having their own turns until a command replaces them with something else. A great example would be the Apocalypt class, which places a prophecy with its own lengthy turn on the bar and can be stacked with various positive and damaging effects that will all simultaneously trigger at the end. And the best part about this class system? Up to two pins can be equipped, which means that all allies can have three different class setups, creating some incredible depth to the combat.

My personal setup. There are still more classes than this.

Modern elements include the fact that your health and items all regenerate at the end of each battle. So instead of having to purchase new items all the time, you purchase "Upgroids" that will allow additional uses in combat. However, if you're good enough in your tactics, you may never need to use the items all that often. It is because of these conveniences that combat is more like a puzzle, the solution being the combination of abilities you use to take down opponents. For example, with my setup I had a few base strategies to suit certain enemy configurations and adjusted what I did to suit the variables. All of this makes combat very fun and exciting, even with a couple of annoying fights toward the end.

Another great thing about this game is the enemy design. They are all very creative and suit the areas they are in perfectly; there are also quite a few references to a lot of the earlier strips from the original comic that are translated to 16-bit very faithfully. All of the attacks can present a different challenge to overcome and have interesting visuals. Groups also get progressively more difficult at a very good pace, with a small spike a couple of times that could still be surmounted with the right actions falling into place. It's always satisfying to finally see the victory screen and any rewards, with defeat only serving as a motivation to try again.

A reference to Rex Ready; one of my favorites. (Click for better view)

One of the best things about the game though would be just how well it preserves the humor of Penny Arcade. Every dialogue exchange, aside from the more serious conversations, has at least one line, usually from Gabe, that caused me to laugh hard in front of my laptop screen. This includes descriptions of enemies, which either explain something briefly about them or take a jab at something about them. There's even an entire section of the game where it shifts to a more 8-bit graphical style down to the music and swims around for a bit in a clichéd RPG setting that pokes fun at itself whenever it possibly can.

Aside from the humor, I also really liked the music. Not only does the score match the events and graphical style, it's also extremely memorable to the point where I found myself humming it during my regular breaks. How often these breaks happened though was a little inconsistent since the game is very engaging. So engaging, that when I decided to check on how long I had been playing, about two or three hours would have passed.

While I love the overall product, there are a couple of small annoyances. I'm not annoyed by the fact that you can't create your own character anymore, since recreating it in 16-bit would probably take up a lot of time to program and freeing up a character slot does help move the narrative along (plus, you are at least mentioned as a mysterious third party that helped them out). The only thing I did find wrong however was the fact that a key that you can collect in Episode 2 is now rendered completely useless, despite the fact that it was said to be usable in Episode 3. However, I suppose this can be attributed to a change in developer and Hothead dropping the project entirely. Still, I feel bad not being able to know what exactly was in Dr. Stripes' safe deposit box.

Penny Arcade's On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 is an amazing product. It's gameplay is extremely well made and the humor is something that it almost never faults on, which helps it feel like a genuine Penny Arcade experience. I had a blast during my entire 12-hour playthrough and was wanting more when I finished. Plus, the cliffhanger at the end of the campaign now has me counting the days until the final episode is put out. Any fan of Penny Arcade, Zeboyd, or RPG games in general should definitely pick it up. And if I haven't convinced anyone outside of that circle to give it a try yet, then consider the fact that it is ridiculously cheap at only $5.

Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 3: Citizen Brown

Giving an Episode-by-Episode review of the Back to the Future game by Telltale is no easy task, especially considering that there is a month-long gap between episodes. While I can't really complain about this business model, I still get a little impatient at times while I wait. Now, last time I said that Episode 2 met some of my expectations, but failed to meet others. After another month of waiting to play this episode, I can say that still not much has changed.

To give a quick summary of the story is actually quite easy. Marty McFly has landed in an alternate 1986 caused by the events of Episode 2. After escaping from the DeLorean, which has crashed into the side of a billboard, Marty quickly notices that everything about Hill Valley has changed, from the aesthetic and cleanliness of the city to the look and personality of Jennifer, who has dumped him in this timeline for being too much of a "square". It turns out that as a result of not watching the movie Frankenstein, Doc Brown is now married to Edna Strickland and is in full control of the city, which can be described as a Municipality thanks to various law and tax loopholes. It is now up to Marty to find a way to get a council with Emmet Brown and convince him to see the error of his ways.

Again, the story is still well-written, with a great twist at the end to fuel the next episode, and the voice acting is as top-notch as ever. However, the puzzles are still incredibly easy, making for another two-and-a-half hours of gameplay. While I did like the story, I was able to notice the game become a lot more straightforward and linear, but I can't say whether or not this borders on railroading. And again, the graphics have not changed at all, but I did notice a couple of hiccups in the gameplay. These instances are the camera staying on a close-up of Doc Brown for about 3 extra seconds and Biff Tannen standing up while Marty is still going through the motions of struggling with him. While this was rather odd, I don't think other people will encounter the same problems, but it is something to watch out for.

True, the game felt longer than before, but instead of being excited I actually almost fell asleep in front of my laptop, as did my brother who was merely watching. And I hate to sound like a broken record, but I kept wishing for the puzzles to be more difficult, rather than being pathetically easy. It may be too much, but I can't help of think back at how interestingly engaging the puzzles were in Sam & Max, wishing I could at least have something like that. Anyway, I think three episodes in, Telltale would be ready to take a small risk in the gameplay rather than continue to play it safe. It's not getting any better like Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People (SBCG4AP) did as it went on, but I still expected something more.

I would still recommend the episode to be played by continuing players, and people still waiting to buy it should still take a purchase of the full season into consideration. When the whole thing is through, there will be plenty of game to go around, enough to last you an afternoon. But as far as this Episode-by-Episode analysis is concerned, I like what Telltale has been doing so far with the game, but they really need to up the ante in the gameplay for those waiting a month to see the next part of the story. Frankly, I wonder how much longer the magic of the Back to the Future license will last for this game. I guess we'll have to wait for Episode 4 to look for any improvement.