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

Penny Arcade is perhaps the longest-running video game webcomic, beginning in November 1998. The basic premise of the strip features two guys, Johnathan Gabriel and Tycho Brahe, discussing video games and gaming events for humor; it has since expanded to making fun of other pop culture as well as the family lives of creators Mike Krahulik (artist) and Jerry Holkins (writer), though it still edges heavily towards video game humor. The Penny Arcade name has since expanded to involve other forms of media, including a number of books and webseries, in addition to video games.

In 2008, an episodic video game based on the comic, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipices of Darkness (OTRSPOD), was released by Hothead Games, with the first two episodes released in the same year. However, Hothead put the series on indefinite hiatus, leading Penny Arcade writer Jerry Holkins to release Episode 3 in prose form. In 2012, however, development continued under developer Zeboyd Games, with Episodes 3 and 4 proper coming out between 2012 and 2013. Though the presentations are different between the two halves, the Penny Arcade style remains consistent throughout, aided by the creators themselves having a hand in development.

Below are links to every review of Penny Arcade Adventures on this blog, with games and DLC presented in chronological order and separated by developer. (Second Opinions are listed next to reviews in parentheses.)

Hothead Games

 

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One (Second Opinion)
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode Two (Second Opinion)

Zeboyd Games

 

 

The Beginning of the End (Second Opinion)
Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 (Second Opinion)
Lair of the Seamstress (Second Opinion)
Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 (Second Opinion)

Report from the Front: San Diego Comic-Con 2014

Another Comic-Con has come and gone and while I don’t pretend to yet be an expert on the event, I’ve only gone eight times out of the last nine, we at Trophy Unlocked would like to share our experience for those who didn't go and compare ours to those who did.

I recently read someone describe Comic-Con as the child of Las Vegas and Disneyland that liked to read comics and watch movies. That’s not too far from the truth, without the gambling and the prostitution. It is an overwhelming sensory overload. There is too much to do and see and no way you can come close to doing it all.

I am not the first person to call Comic-Con Line-Con, and it is certainly that. I don’t know what it’s like for professionals, vendors or the press, but Joe Congoer spends an inordinate amount of time in the queue. And I’m not talking about the crazies who spend the night in line for Hall H or arrive at three in the morning to be first in line for the Hasbro exclusives.

There is a line for everything from picking up your badge, to getting in, for autographs, panels and just about everything else. Now don’t get me wrong, you can develop some very intense and short-lived relationships in a line. My personal favorite was the younger woman with a crush on one of the artists involved in The Hacktivist. While standing in line it was obvious that she had a crush and short of squealing, it was easy to sense her excitement. I held her place in line while sending her to see if she could get his autograph, but she quickly came back. I asked if she wanted a photograph with him and she said yes and even though I was ahead of her in line, I hung around to take their picture together. She thanked me and gave me and my wife a hug of gratitude. I really felt like I helped to make her day.

Welcome to San Diego Line-Con 2014.

Like most Con goers, we plan and plan and plan, making spreadsheets and having discussions on what to take, who to see, what panels to try for and what off-site events we might be interested in. And plan as much as we do, sometimes you have to throw it out the window. Schedules change, artists and writers don’t show up on time and lines get capped. But there are also those moments when magic happens. As an example: Going by the Shout! booth on Saturday morning on our way to Toy Tokyo to buy a figurine of Zombie Kirk Hammett from Metallica, we noticed they were handing out free posters for “Weird Al” Yankovic’s UHF movie, a film we had recently reviewed here on the blog and a favorite of two of the writers. We were informed that there was going to be a signing that afternoon at 5, limited to 50 people with wristbands and just like that I’m going to meet “Weird Al” in person. But before that, my family met Kirk Hammett and in between I was able to meet Dave Gibbons, the artist behind Watchmen, and get him to sign my 12 issues of that ground-breaking comic book. Quite a day, but not the day we had anticipated or had planned out in our living room days before.

Kirk Hammett from Metallica was at Comic-Con signing zombie figurines.

Speaking of standing in line to meet someone, here’s a pet peeve: You’ve been standing in line for sometimes up to an hour to have a moment with someone, maybe it’s a geeky moment, but you’ve put in your time in line for a few moments of face time and someone the artist knows, or someone passing by the signing, will stick themselves into the midst. I had a least two occasions in Artists Alley when I got up to the front and someone who knew the artist would come over and start talking to them. “Have you seen so and so?” “You know it’s been a long time since we talked…” Not that I’m an attention hog, but I’m suddenly just standing there watching two old friends catch up rather than blurting out what I’d been practicing in line to say. It’s rude of that other person to just come up as if the artist wasn’t busy and start talking to them, taking away the time I’ve put in to see them, just because you’re old friends. This is not as bad though as the artist/actor/whatever who is not dedicated to the moment or the reason they’re there, especially when they’re charging for their time (Bruce Boxleitner), but gratefully we didn’t run into any of those this year.

And let's not forget The Aquabats! They were there, too.

Every artist, writer, editor and musician we spoke with were all very nice people. Tired and sometimes overwhelmed by the attention they’re receiving, but very nice and appreciative. You can tell the ones, like Hammett, Gibbons and Yankovic, who are used to the attention from those who are just starting to get it and it’s all so new to them.

One of the coolest exclusives was a Gumball comic book inside a SNES gaming cartridge from BOOM!

If you’re doing a booth signing, most will let you know about their other work they’ve done, which are usually at their fingertips for sale, but that’s part of the dance. And if you like their work, the least you can do is support them. You'd want the same in return, wouldn’t you?

And while you stand in line quite a bit, you also walk and walk, whether you’re going from Artists Alley to the IDW booth and back or just wandering up and down the aisles, you need a comfortable pair of shoes. Comic-Con (in reality the SD Fire Marshall) has a no loitering policy, so you have to keep moving and most walls have a no standing or sitting policy on them. Now I know how sharks feel.

Even the bathrooms seemed to have sponsors.

In the five days were down there, including Wednesday, in which we essentially drove most of the day and Sunday, which was a short day, the Walking Mate app on my phone shows I walked 50.9 miles or a little over 10 miles a day. Add to that I’m carrying a ten pound backpack most of that time and while your mileage may vary, that’s not a bad work out. (Still gained a couple of pounds, which doesn’t really seem quite fair.)

Dave Gibbons, the artist on Watchmen.

That will lead me to food, I guess. We usually bring ours in with us, which saves time and money. Believe it or not the lines are pretty long at the snack bars and they’re not cheap. Though that pizza looked and smelled a lot better than the fried chicken breast I ate on day three, which was about four days old at the time. In years past, we’d relied on the nearby Subway sandwich, which we’d bought the night before. Those got pretty old after a while, so we haven’t quite got the food bit nailed down. Hey, it’s only been eight times.

"Weird Al" speaks to one of the writers on Trophy Unlocked.

One of the improvements/upgrades we made as a family this year was getting smart phones. Part of the reason was to be able to check prices. Sale Items at the Con are oftentimes higher than they would be at say Amazon. But we also wanted to be able to better use the free provided Wi-Fi so as to better communicate with each other. This worked only so-so. I think there are still texts I’ve sent that haven’t been received, such as “Where are you?” and other missives that would have been nice to get more immediately than not. I had to sign in repeatedly to the ATT service because the phone and the ISP didn’t remember each other and who has to suffer? We do. Still you can always call as long as the person you’re reaching out to can hear the phone ring over the din. Someone pointed out that the hall is carpeted to deaden the sound; otherwise I can only imagine how loud it would be.

Another issue with smart phones is that the battery seems to run down very quickly. I would recommend taking a pre-charged charger with you in case your phone is down to 10% and you still have the evening ahead of you.

Clothing is another consideration. We all wore jean jackets, mostly for the pockets, but those get very hot and the last thing you want to be is sweaty. Jackets have their place, but it is not in the Con. We’re looking into cargo pants or some other wardrobe option.

One of the best reasons to go to Comic-Con are the panels, whether they are professional or for pleasure. We didn’t attend as many as we have in the past, but sometimes you have to decide if the panel is worth the time suck. And even for those that are worth it, there is a limit. We had to pass on one for Gravity Falls, because the line was impossibly long. If a show like that is popular then you really need to attend the panel prior and in that case the one before that, in order to get a seat. An hour wasn’t long enough and there was no guarantee of getting in.

The Penny Arcade booth at Comic-Con.

We barely got into one panel thrown by the Warner Archives: Trailers from Hell. Seems it was the panel before one on Mass Effect and the line was not really full of lovers of old films, but rather video gamers. We got in by the skin of our teeth and only as long as we promised we weren’t staying for the next panel (nothing against Mass Effect) and then in individual seats, which turned out to be one behind the other behind the other. But that’s the cool part about the Con, people get exposed to new things and I would imagine a few of those in attendance will check out the Warner Archives Instant streaming service now that they learned it exists. I know that’s how I became exposed to Watchmen; we were attending a panel, Watching the Watchmen so we could attend another panel afterwards. And yes, I told that to Dave Gibbons when I met him.

While everyone’s convention experience is quite different, I really had a good, but exhausting time. I was able to meet people I had only been communicating with through email and Facebook messaging (I won’t name names so they can maintain credible deniability that they know me).

After attending, it’s always a good idea to think about what you did that you don’t want to do again and what you still have on your plate to do. For the latter, it’s getting up at 4 am to get in line for Hasbro. There is something demoralizing when that’s not early enough. It really takes it out of you and when your day can go to 11 as ours did that night, it’s really exhausting and for what? No, we’re done trying to get that golden ticket (or red stamp if you want to be honest).

Things I’d still like to do: Well, there are so many things outside the convention center that I can never seem to get to. And the Con is only expanding out. There’s so much to do inside the Convention Center that getting outside seems nearly impossible. And, of course, there is Hall H. Every year you hear about everyone who lines up the night before and I’ve seen them. But I don’t want to be a part of that. And just about as often I hear that people walk into Hall H later in the day into panels that are not full. So I might just have to try that one afternoon.

Something else I didn't make it over to was the Fox salute to the Simpsons next to the Hilton.

After last year, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go again, but now I’m already looking forward to the next one.

2013 - The Highlights (EHeroFlareNeos)

With 2013 nearing its final fleeting moments, now is a good opportunity to reflect on what we’ve reviewed here at Trophy Unlocked, both the good and the bad. Below, in no particular order, is my list of the top games, movies and disappointments from the year. This time, I’ve also not only resurrected a category I had hoped never to use again, I’ve introduced yet another that I hope not to use (the result may surprise you (or not)).

Top Movies of 2013

Monsters University

While Pixar has been known for making nothing but hits in its heyday, Cars 2 began a downward spiral that the studio seemed to only begin recovering from with the release of Brave. However, Monsters University is a noticeable return to form despite being a prequel to Monsters, Inc. It manages to capture the spirit of the original very well, though not perfectly, and has a good balance of serious and comedic elements. Though not perfect, I am, for the first time in a couple of years, actually wondering if Pixar will be able to replicate the success of this film with their next one, Inside Out; I now have a newfound hope for their future.

Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem – A Klok Opera

Metalocalypse is one of my favorite animated shows and, as a result, Dethklok is one of my favorite Death Metal bands. Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem – A Klok Opera has a very ambitious goal: Tie up many of the loose ends from Season 4, but present it in the form of a rock opera. Not only does it live up to its promise, it has great music, plenty of laughs and the best animation I have seen from the show yet. I can’t wait to see what Brendon Small has in store for the future of Metalocalypse.

John Dies at the End

Admittedly, this movie only just barely qualifies to be on this list since it achieved immediate cult status through its source material and choice of Director, but it makes it here because I am a huge fan of the original book (it is my second favorite one) and I greatly enjoyed seeing it in movie form (also it was theatrically released in 2013). While there may be a couple of missed opportunities here and there, and the finished product will definitely not appeal to everyone, watching it was a lot of fun and it was clear that Don Coscarelli had fun making it as well. It’s thought-provoking, funny and a little gross all at once and is a ride worth taking at least once (and perhaps only once if you are not familiar with David Wong’s literature but know a friend who is and has this movie on DVD/Blu-ray/VOD).

Top Video Games of 2013

DmC Devil May Cry

I’ve been a fan of the gameplay of the Devil May Cry series since Devil May Cry 4, but I have since played every other game and liked them (save the second one). When I first saw DmC Devil May Cry, specifically the new interpretation of Dante, I was a little thrown off by some of the choices they made, but almost immediately afterwards I gained a sense of optimism that only grew stronger as I saw the better elements refined and the worse ones forgotten; I even cosplayed as DmC Dante a few times. In the end, I saw that my optimism was not misplaced and thoroughly enjoyed the final result. Yes, the combat could have used a little more work, but it makes a necessary step by combining the abilities of both Dante and Nero (DMC4’s protagonist) to give a better sense of speed to the character. Story-wise, I actually liked the newer Dante as he showed compassion, empathy and a good deal of character development in a single game. While he isn’t completely perfect in his actions, nor is he able to provide the same testosterone/confidence boost from playing as him, this new Dante is still a character I can really get behind and I hope that a sequel can be made despite what you hear from the vocal minority.

Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4

Not only do I read Penny Arcade every time it updates, I own all of the book collections and have found the Rain-Slick tetralogy of games to provide an experience unique and very worthwhile to play. I really don’t mind that the combat is similar in nature to Pokémon because it managed to take the good elements of that franchise and refine them greatly, including the ability to have all of your monsters, whether they actually fought or not, gain EXP and level up at nearly the same rate. The final entry in the series manages to expertly combine serious and humorous moments together in a way that I will remember for years to come.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Within the past year, I’ve played nearly every Metal Gear game (at least among the main entries), so I was looking forward to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance based on its premise alone: a Metal Gear game set after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and focused on Raiden as the main character. Not only is Raiden a total badass in this game, the game also delivers on its tagline, “Cut What You Will”, by allowing you to cut just about anything with physics that react exactly to where you cut an object. On top of that, the story isn’t that bad either and the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever heard (I even own a physical copy of Vocal Tracks). Even if you don’t care for the story, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was a total blast to play through and a worthy entry into the Metal Gear franchise.

The Last of Us

Developed by Naughty Dog, known for the Jak and Dxater franchise, The Last of Us is their attempt to create a more mature game, and thus a new IP, for the PS3 that wasn’t an Uncharted game. They not only succeeded, but managed to create one of the most emotional games I’ve ever played, accomplished by managing to push the “father” button in me even though I don’t have kids. While I can see some points brought up regarding character interactions, and some plot points were a little more obvious to me, I still found myself drawn in and unwilling to let go until I was done. I found it hard to express my full opinion in this small blurb, so I encourage those interested to give it a go and see what you think of it.

The Stanley Parable

The Stanley Parable is a game whose true purpose is so thought-provoking that my review of it was deliberately void of information about what the player can hope to discover. Still, The Stanley Parable is worth playing for the funny, but subtle commentary. You might find the time to money ratio a little off, but I hope you can trust me enough when I say that the time it takes to play really has no bearing on the price of admission and that exploring every possible thing is an act that you should not only know to do, but feel inclined to do as its temptation of choice is so overwhelming that you’ll find yourself lost for hours on end. Its enlightening qualities are what help it qualify for this list as one of the best games I’ve played this year.

Top Disappointments of 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard

Though Die Hard has had entries both good and bad, I still enjoy watching most of the movies. I liked Live Free or Die Hard, so when I heard about A Good Day to Die Hard, I was hoping for something that would continue the spirit of the franchise in a way similar to the other films. Instead, I got treated to a boring slog of a movie that ignored even the most basic conventions that one would expect from Die Hard, down to complete mishandling of John McClane’s catchphrase. If this is the end of the franchise, as the sixth entry is in limbo, then it’ll be sad to know that it went out with a whimper.

Man of Steel

I’m not really a fan of Superman, since I haven’t really read any of the stories and he just didn’t appeal to me, but I was willing to watch Man of Steel to at least stay current with superhero movies and know what everyone would be talking about. When I finally saw it, it met my low expectations as it is not only a retread of Superman’s origin story, but it tries a bit too hard to emulate the Dark Knight trilogy in both tone and style, leaving behind the optimism that I admit I think Superman is supposed to embody. If this is truly supposed to be the new way the audience is supposed to see Superman, I think they got off on the wrong foot.

Star Trek Into Darkness

Reboots provide a rare opportunity to create an entirely new universe with completely original characters and stories (though it’s fair to want some familiarity as well for veteran fans). The 2009 Star Trek film was able to capitalize pretty well on said opportunity, but Into Darkness continues this baffling trend where those in charge feel a need to retread earlier stories, but slap a new skin on it. In this case, it basically has the cast reenacting The Wrath of Khan, except Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Khan is nowhere near as memorable as Ricardo Montalbán’s and the film has more of a pessimistic attitude about the future, partly due to the 9/11 conspiracy theories thrown in. It would be more understandable to revisit earlier stories if the movies came out at a quicker pace, but since the next one won’t be around for quite a while, it comes off as a decision they’ll probably regret later.

BioShock Infinite

Let me say right off the bat that BioShock Infinite is only on here because of the story, as well as how I feel that I am in a small minority for liking its gameplay more. Gameplay-wise, I consider the latest entry in the BioShock series to be somewhat of an improvement over the previous games during combat, though I will also admit that even that has its shortcomings. The story, on the other hand, feels like something cobbled together as it constantly abandons interesting plot threads to the point where I cared less for the protagonists as time went on, constantly changes the direction of the story and manages to retroactively erase any potential conflict from the choices made throughout the game (in a series explicitly about choice). I was excited at the prospect of being able to to finally dry off and get away from Rapture, but after seeing the ending, it’s very disappointing to know that both the fans and the developers (looking at you, Ken Levine) can’t seem to get over the fact that this franchise needs a game with a new setting, not one where Columbia, temporally speaking, is Rapture in disguise.

Deadpool

As a huge Deadpool fan, to where I have an effective monopoly on Deadpool books at my local comic book store and I can see a framed image of the character from where I’m typing this, I really looked forward to him finally have his own video game. Unfortunately, despite the laughs, the gameplay felt unpolished. Daniel Way isn’t the best writer, but his script for the game was filled with plenty of laughs and a few good cracks at game development in general, but I wish I could play a Deadpool game where combat isn’t a tedious grind. I hope this game gets a sequel so that I can play a game that does the character better justice.

Worst Movie of 2013

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

I’ve been a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic for quite a while now, since a good chunk of the way through Season 1, though my status has gone from curious (Season 1) to Brony (Season 2) to wavering fan (Season 3); My Little Pony: Equestria Girls certainly didn’t help. From the get-go I had very low expectations and no amount of trailers was able to raise them any higher. If I had to explain my reaction to seeing the movie to someone, as well as why I consider it the worst film of the year, then I’d say that with A Good Day to Die Hard I expected something and got nothing, I expected nothing from Man of Steel and got nothing and with Equestria Girls I expected nothing and got a negative result. What didn’t help was the audience I saw the movie with in the theater (but who goes to theaters anymore, right?), a group of Bronies so visibly obnoxious about their love for the franchise that not only did they treat the theater like their den at home, they also gave every other fan (including myself) a bad name. The edited TV version didn’t really improve on anything either, but I will never forget how awful that movie was or how awful my audience was (also, I will never forgive whoever yelled “wingboner” (for the uninitiated, it’s a fandom meme (one of many) that I don’t find funny) in a crowded theater with a little girl present in the audience).

Worst Video Game of 2013

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don’t Know!

Adventure Time is a very fun show with interesting characters in a unique setting with gradually deeper themes and stories. You’d think then that there would be a lot of potential for a great video game to come out of it, one that would take advantage of the unique world and take full advantage of the various RPG tropes and D&D-like environment to create a game that would be fun and interesting for even the uninitiated, right? Wrong. Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don’t Know! doesn’t do any of those things, instead choosing to be a boring, repetitive and broken mess that only got through because Adventure Time was slapped on top of it. The only reason to play is for a shocking, canon, reveal at the end, but you could easily save yourself $40 and just look it up on the internet or even wait for the show to give the same info. I really hope the reins are handed over to another developer so that we can get a good Adventure Time RPG in the future, but until then, this is unfortunately all we have to work with.

2013 - The Highlights (Tetris_King)

At the end of every year, it is sometimes good to reflect on what we may have liked or disliked about it. Below is a list, in no particular order, of what I liked or disliked about what came out this year that got reviewed on this blog, with links provided to the appropriate review.

Top Movies of 2013

Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising

Yes, I am putting another Transformers product, a TV movie, into the positive end of one of these lists, but I really, and legitimately, enjoyed this conclusion to the Transformers: Prime cartoon. I think everything really came together in the end, with the animation and voice acting being some of the most impressive here since Darkness Rising. It may not have answered every lingering question, though at least one of them was through an interview in an issue of the Collectors’ Club Magazine, but the end result was nonetheless satisfying.

Monsters University

In a first for these lists, we have a newer Pixar movie not considered a disappointment. While not quite as good as the film it was made be an extension of, Monsters University is more of a return to form for the studio, with a good story and great characterization proving that they have not yet lost their touch. Hopefully their next project, The Good Dinosaur Inside Out, continues this trend.

The World’s End

The third and final part of the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy, and one of the few comedies of the year that actually grabbed my attention, The World’s End is an extremely funny movie, which is to be expected of an Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg/Nick Frost collaboration. Though the film is most definitely not for younger audiences, it stands out amongst other high profile movies released this year for having a more light-hearted atmosphere and sticking with it, even as the major sub-plot continues to develop, though I can’t say the same for its final minutes. Regardless of how it ended, this is a comedy that did not disappoint.

John Dies at the End

Another good comedy movie, this one based on a book by David Wong from Cracked.com, John Dies at the End is a great blend of hilarity and horror from start to finish (it also counts for this list because even though it was initially released in 2012, its theatrical run took place in 2013). Having gotten accustomed to David Wong’s style of writing, I thought the movie, directed by Don Coscarelli of Phantasm fame, served as an enjoyable adaptation of an enjoyable book, adapting whatever worked for the medium to great effect while taking creative liberties that worked in its favor. However, it should be stressed that this is not a movie for everyone, more so than The World’s End, due to the concept, graphic imagery, and rampant cursing. In spite of this, I would recommend people in the right age group to give this movie a shot, especially if someone who is already a fan offers you the chance.

Top Games of 2013

DmC Devil May Cry

As someone who had never actually played a Devil May Cry game until this one, I actually had a fun time with it. While the controls may be a little complex and some arguably important game mechanics were missing, I enjoyed seeing how well the new version of Dante was handled, as well as the conflict that unfolded between him and his brother Vergil. While this new interpretation of the Devil May Cry mythos might upset some of the older fanbase, I found this game to be a good starting point for any newcomers and hope that any potential sequel continues to improve on what was on display.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

After a few years of inactivity, we finally have a new Sly Cooper game for a new generation of PlayStation (before the PS4 came out). Even with a change in developer it feels just like a Sly Cooper game, down to the characterization and gameplay, along with a couple of extra features to keep things fresh, such as the connectivity between both the PS3 and Vita versions. Though some minor things in the plot might be a little questionable, it still feels like a natural extension of the previous game and I hope developer Sanzaru Games continues to show their passion for the Sly Cooper brand in any games in the series they might make down the line.

Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4

As a fan of the Penny Arcade webcomic, I enjoyed my time playing the Rain-Slick tetralogy of games, with Episode 4 being a fitting conclusion to the story. The Pokémon-esque battle system was executed well and the characters were developed and explored rather nicely, each displaying what exactly was on the line by the end. With shocking twists combined perfectly with Penny Arcade’s brand of humor, this game deserves a spot on this list.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

The ideas behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons are not only interesting, but the game executes them really well. Even if you can’t understand what the characters are saying, there is enough in the animations that you can still understand them, not to mention there are some absolutely gorgeous background visuals that really flesh out the world. The game also has some interesting puzzle elements and the controls, while seemingly unorthodox at first, are an integral part of the experience. This is definitely a game that should not be passed up.

Top Disappointments of 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard

Having seen every Die Hard movie, including both the theatrical and uncut versions of Live Free or Die Hard, I expected this movie to continue working with what made the fourth one so good. However, A Good Day to Die Hard did not really live up to these expectations, instead having an uninteresting story with moments that feel out of place in a Die Hard flick, and on top of that the timing of the series’ well-known catchphrase was way off. If a sixth Die Hard movie ever gets made, I’m hoping it can once again raise the bar for the franchise like the fourth one did.

Star Trek Into Darkness

Since I enjoyed watching the first in the recent reboot of Star Trek movies, I expected the second of these, Star Trek Into Darkness, to take full advantage of the fact that there is now an entirely new universe to play around with. Instead, it turned out to be a remake of Wrath of Khan from the previous continuity, with some iconic scenes altered in some way. Benedict Cumberbatch did do his own take on the Khan character, but it didn’t do Ricardo Montalbán’s performance from the original series enough justice. Since there evidently won’t be a new movie in the new universe for quite some time, I’m left to wonder why there isn’t more of an effort, outside of tie-in comics, to keep fans interested in the meantime.

Man of Steel

I don’t have much personal experience with the Superman mythos, having only seen one movie all the way through and read only a handful of his stories, so I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this latest interpretation of the character, Man of Steel. This movie didn’t really do much for me, since it not only seemed to break from the whole point of the Superman character, what with people punishing him in his youth for saving lives, and felt more like an installment from the Dark Knight trilogy with Superman stuff on top of it. If this is how DC wants to begin their own version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they certainly got off to a bad start with this movie.

God of War: Ascension

My reasoning for considering this game as a disappointment is similar to why I considered Alice: Madness Returns to be one for last year, in that it mainly comes down to the gameplay, more specifically the combat, which is more akin to what’s present in the (unnecessary) multiplayer function, rather than trying to improve upon what already worked in previous entries. Aside from that are the visuals of the game, which can often seem too good (this is a rare time in all of the games I have played where a game’s imagery made me physically squirm). Ascension is otherwise an acceptable entry in the God of War franchise, even if I wasn’t expecting it to top God of War III.

Even Bigger Disappointments of 2013

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

I wasn’t expecting much from this movie, especially given the teaser trailers, but somehow I walked away from it with even less. Though it has some real talent attached to it, it seemed like the script could have used at least one or two more re-writes before being handed over to the voice actors, since much of the plot and characterization felt rushed and the fandom nods forced, not to mention it felt more in some places like a re-telling of the first episodes of the base show, but with humans in place of ponies. The TV edit makes the overall experience better, but sadly not by much.

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don’t Know!

The world of Adventure Time presents many great ideas for a potential video game, with the many creative landscapes and monsters, not to mention the various RPG elements, presented in many of Finn and Jake’s adventures. A boring, repetitive dungeon crawler that punishes you for wanting to save something for later is not one of them. It may feature the original voice cast from the show and have creator Pendleton Ward as head writer, but these good elements are not enough to outweigh the bad, with the only real reason to play being to see the big reveal at the end.

Second Opinion - Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4

At long last, we have finally come to the end of the Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness tetralogy started by Hothead Games just over five years ago and concluded by Zeboyd Games just over 2 days ago. This series has presented a very interesting spin on Penny Arcade lore, creating an interesting universe wherein Johnathan Gabriel and Tycho Erasmus Brahe, members of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, must defeat 4 Dark Gods known as the Four Below before it is too late for the universe. Since the release of Episode 3 from Zeboyd after such a long time, I was hooked on the possibilities of what Episode 4 would possibly bring to the table, especially after having a small conversation with Jerry Holkins (Penny Arcade's and OTRSPOD's writer) at last year's San Diego Comic-Con about upcoming features. After finally getting my hands on Episode 4 the other day (at the amazingly low price of just under $5 due to a discount on Steam), I have to say that I was genuinely surprised by what the final installment had to bring, and I believe the entire journey to be worth every second of play.

The final verse in the Quartet for the Dusk of Man.

Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 starts off from the end of Rain-Slick 3, following the aftermath of Gabe, Dr. Blood, Jim, and Moira falling to Hell and Tycho being torn apart by energy from Yog Modaigh, God of Doors. The first four are split up into two groups at different locations, each finding out that they have landed in a place called the Underhell, a place beneath Earth where undead souls and monsters reside. Dr. Blood takes Gabe, who had just been punching him for centuries, to find his lost love Hestia while Jim (who is now able to talk) and Moira, who are far away from the other group, decide to set off and locate Tycho in order to get some much-needed answers. As each group finds their answers, each one only raises further questions as they discover more about the history of the Brahe clan.

The story, while darker than the previous entries, is very interesting and the execution only makes you want to keep playing until every lingering question has been answered. Of course, the overall tone of the game is counterbalanced by the usual Penny Arcade charm, but it presents a very interesting situation for the characters and it really sucks you into the setting and makes you want to learn more about the characters' situation(s). The plot is also filled with several twists and turns that fully come together at the end, including the unexpected identity of the fourth and final Dark God; not only does it take the form of the Overhell that exists above the Underhell, it also turns out to be the narrator of the entire series, which I must say is a very unique and original twist. The ending of the game, and thus the entire OTRSPOD saga, is a bit bitter-sweet to say the least, but I won't spoil anything here about it. What I can say, however, is that it does feel like your actions actually had some value in reaching the final goal.

Combat in this game is similar to that of Episode 3, but this time with a twist. The Class Pin system from the previous installment in dropped in this game in favor of a system wherein you capture monsters into a Monstorb; these monsters are then used to fight enemies in the Underhell, as humans are unable to harm them (as shown when Gabe attempts to punch one at the beginning). Up to four monsters that can join you can battle at a time, each one possessing a unique class in addition to the class of their assigned Trainer; as an added bonus, all monsters and Trainers level up at the same time, allowing you to have a comparably powerful army of monsters as you advance through the game. This is one of the aforementioned features that I learned about when I talked to Jerry Holkins and, while it does have some similarities to Pokémon, it also has some improvements to Pokémon's battle formula as well, making combat much more versatile and opening up many possibilities for handling the situation (plus, you are able to switch the assigned Trainer for each monster, allowing further Class and power customization to create your ideal party during battle).

Jim's Monstorb. Monstorbs can take on other forms as well.

I don't have much to say in terms of the graphics, since they are similar to those of Episode 3, but I do compliment the variety and creativeness of the new enemies found in the game, as well as the design of the added overworld map that gives the game more of an RPG feel. The music is also much different than in Rain-Slick 3, but in a more positive way rather than negative. There's definitely more range to be found in the soundtrack, especially in the middle of combat, becoming more atmospheric and cinematic to create a more immersive experience. I especially praise the music during major boss battles, as it really increased the epic nature of each fight quite nicely.

Overall, Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 is not only an amazing game, but it also serves as a satisfactory conclusion to the On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series as a whole. The sense of scale has been increased from the previous games in multiple aspects while exploring more with its gameplay in a fun way. The feeling of dread increases the more you reach the end and several twists and turns help to up the ante and lead up to a big payoff before the credits roll. If you haven't already played any of the games in this tetralogy, especially if you're a fan of Penny Arcade, I would suggest first starting with Episode One from the Hothead half of the series and playing everything in the suggested order, since this game is where everything comes together. For those wanting to save money, there are currently bundles for each set of two episodes available on Steam for a low price (a total of $20 for all four games if you go that route). The journey you take throughout this series is well worth the total investment.

Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4

Finally, after five long years, the long-awaited ending to Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is finally here to provide closure to the tetralogy. Though the series has had to jump publishers in order to truly be completed, the journey has certainly been worth it. While Hothead's installments were faithful to the Penny Arcade brand, their light-hearted atmosphere would be overwritten by Zeboyd Games, which marked not only a great shift in gameplay style, but also to a darker and more serious tone (with jokes). The journey taken by the Startling Developments Detective Agency, comprised of Tycho Erasmus Brahe and John Gabriel, hit the ground running and continued to build momentum throughout the highly unique and original setting. Now their journey has at last come to an end with the release of Episode 4, the subject of this review, on Steam a couple of days ago for the low, low price of $4.49 (thanks to an early discount on Steam), and in the end, that journey was well worth taking.

The final verse of The Quartet for the Dusk of Man, an important poem.

Following the events of On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, Gabe had been punching Dr. Blood for centuries whilst falling a great distance, Jim and Moira were also falling endlessly and Tycho had been torn apart by a dark energy created from the remaining presence of Yog Modaigh, God of Doors. It turns out that everyone still alive, though separated by a great distance, had landed in the Underhell, a malevolent land which exists underneath that of Earth. After Gabe begrudgingly agrees to team up with Dr. Blood to locate a woman named Hestia and Jim explains the situation to Moira, both groups learn that the only reason they are still alive is because a portion of reality still exists, thus preventing its destruction for the birth of a new one. To fully accomplish their goal, they must destroy three pillars separating the Underhell from the Overhell to eliminate both the Overhell and the final Evil God of the Four Below. As they set out to fulfill this mission, Tycho seems to appear and disappear before both groups, leading them to believe that something else must be going on.

As I stated above the story of this installment is pretty dark. In fact, it gets to be quite a bit darker than the previous installment, though the balance of a serious story and Penny Arcade's signature humor is strong and kept intact throughout. The relationships between the characters are actually explored, especially with a shift in party paradigms. With the reveal of who Hestia actually is, we get to find out what she's like as a character, and she's surprisingly fleshed out well, if a little odd, for a character who was merely mentioned in Episode 3 and only now seen in Episode 4. Jim also now has the ability to speak, which reveals some hidden depths to his knowledge and speech pattern (he was previously just a head floating in a jar). The information we also learn about the Brahe clan, as well as how they relate to the Long Project, is actually interesting to find out and apart from being thought-provoking in a way, it introduces further depth to the world and explains quite a bit about the series, especially why everyone was worried about Tycho in the previous episodes.

One of the many encounters with the ever-moving Tycho.

Throughout the story there are several twists and turns that are rather unexpected and used to the point where they actually get you to play further in order to find out the true nature of your work in the first three games. These are especially prevalent in the final chapter, which is not only very lengthy, but absolutely filled with boss battles. During this stretch of time, you not only find out who exactly the four good gods were that had been destroyed by the four evil gods, as well as the true identity of the fourth and final god of the Four Below: The Narrator, who had been with you since the beginning of the first game. The final boss fight against a possessed Tycho also reveals a lot about the character and their motivations regarding the Periphery in the third game. When all is said and done, the ending is actually worth it, if very bittersweet in its design. Regardless, the story was highly original and crafted a world in which I was always eager to learn more about. From the streets of New Arcadia to the arcane realm of the Underhell, I was very satisfied in my knowledge of what had happened and how it ended.

Combat remains somewhat the same from the previous game, though there are a few new twists introduced. For one thing, it is impossible for anyone in the parties to physically harm the monsters of the Underhell, so to get around this handicap, they must use the Monstorb, a strange orb with the ability to capture and summon monsters at will. This was a feature that Jerry Holkins, the writer of both Penny Arcade and the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series, had revealed to me during a conversation at San Diego Comic-Con 2012, in which he sounded genuinely excited to be able to work on the project. He described it to the effect of "You capture these monsters and use them in battle and they all gain experience and level up at the same time." In a way this mechanic is similar to Pokémon, except that the monsters can also use a variation of the class system from Episode 3. Instead of using class pins, each monster has their own unique class relating to what they are, such as a Deep Crow, Philosofly, Brodent or even a Vending Machine, with their own passive and active abilities, but also has access to the class native to their trainer (which the player can change), complete with their own passive and active abilities. There are also a couple new items introduced, including one which allows you to switch one active monster out for another in reserve. With all of these elements in play, on top of forming unique strategies for each team, combat can easily get very fun, tense and hectic, sometimes all at once.

The Monstorb can take on many forms.

Thankfully, the increased amount of unique enemies, with little to no repetition, helped keep me on my toes and the ability to analyze their stats and arrange my party before actually fighting helped the flow of battle. I also commend the designs for being done in a way that while you know how many elemental weaknesses they have through analysis mode, you can sort of figure out what they might be based on what the enemy is supposed to resemble or be composed of.

You even get to fight a train. It is awesome.

The overall design of Rain-Slick 4 is a bit closer to a traditional RPG than previous games. Aside from my notes on the combat, there is also an overworld map spanning all of the Underhell, complete with secret areas, bosses and treasures. These design traits also appear to apply to individual levels, with plenty of alternate paths and treasure to discover, making everything more non-linear than Rain-Slick 3. While the graphics remain largely the same, the level architecture is noticeably more grim and varied, while enemy animations appear a little more complex when they are larger than normal. I liked the consistent atmosphere and deeper thought put into levels, the twisting and unusual paths usually worth exploring in the long run.

One of the darker moments (though it gets way worse later on).

One thing I liked about Rain-Slick 3 was its simple, but memorable music, with some additional themes for important or unique bosses. In Rain-Slick 4, the music isn't as memorable, but it is certainly more complex, with increased instrumentation and important battles donning a different atmosphere, like one at the end that brings about an certain presence that makes it more intimidating. There is also a certain piece that compliments a rather humorous Pokémon shout-out, which I won't discuss here so you may enjoy it on your own.

Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 is an incredible game. The improved Pokémon-esque monster combat is very fun and well thought out, the environments are darker but better in overall design and the story concludes the epic saga in a way that is very satisfactory. Existing fans of Penny Arcade are the most likely to buy this, and while it's sure to fly under the radar of most gamers, I'd still encourage whoever is reading this to play the series, which can be picked up on Steam for a grand total of $20 (a $12 bundle of the two Hothead installments and an $8 one for the two Zeboyd installments), an incredible bargain for such a great tetralogy. For being based on a webcomic, this game has provided me with thrills and laughs set in an original world that I have yet to see matched in conception or execution by most big-budget titles. Well done, Penny Arcade, well done.

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?