Penumbra Overture, the first in a series of three titles, has bravely stepped to the plate by combining a unique set of gaming elements - action adventure, first-person shooter and horror. The gaming physics are rather clever, with mouse movements being directly translated into in-game object movement in accordance with Newtonian physics.The way in which you pick up a slab of wood in the game has exactly the same effect as it would in real life - hold it in the middle and it will sway and wobble precariously, but pick it up near the end and you have a fabulous weapon. Penumbra has applied these physics throughout the game but, unfortunately, the results are mixed. In some instances the clumsiness of the mouse in combat will have you reeling in frustration while at other times you may find yourself happily opening and closing a door just because it's fun.
He can't even catch a glimpse of a googly-eyed monster without going out of his mind with fear. Add to this the perpetual darkness, the intermittent torchlight and the constant stream of eerie noises that seem to seep out of the very rocks and you have yourself a bundle of scary entertainment. Penumbra tends to a schizophrenic waltz between its FPS and puzzle-solving adventure selves, never quite marrying the two. The plot also suffers from a lack of credibility and some of the puzzles are insultingly obvious.Penumbra brings together a collection of impressive ideas that don't quite gel as well as they could and the plot, unfortunately, brings the game down considerably. However, this is still a hugely enjoyable gaming experience and with two episodes still to come, there is every chance that these shaky foundations will be successfully strengthened.
Genuinely scary moments with some brave genre mixing
The plot hangs by a thread and the modelling is a bit weak
