Are You Afraid? You Will Be...

Hey folks, these people took a big chance on us by re-porting this great game set to Linux...let's get them some publicity. Vote for it on slashdot here. Thanks - h

In the deepest, blackest parts of us, bad things exist...

Things that we cannot touch, but we see...in a momentary flicker of peripheral vision...in the dark room that takes its only light from the moon...shadows that move...that take shape.

Sometimes they speak to you...in whispers not understood. CandleFlame that dances in a room with no breeze...

And low laughter in a place where you know you are alone. And always...the whispers.

Sometimes they cry. But beware, their sorrow is only a ruse. Their grief will morph into rage and drag you into That Black Place.

Never to return.

This is the gameworld that Thomas Grip and Jens Nilsson have created in the Frictional Games trilogy, Penumbra. The Trilogy of:

Overture

Black Plague

Requiem

OK helios...big deal. Another game to get second-rate gameplay in Cedega or Wine...no thanks.

Ahem...I beg your pardon?

This game is now written for Linux. And here is what makes this blog newsworthy. Not only has Frictional taken the leap of faith to re-port to Linux... For this weekend only, beginning Friday the 17th, Linux Users can purchase the entire trilogy for five single dollar bills.

That's absolutely unheard of...until now. Until Frictional decided they want to give us what everyone else is enjoying. At five bucks for the entire trilogy, they ain't exactly focusing on profit motive.

The link below will take you where you want to go. Linux users as well are being given this as a way of re-introducing Penumbra to the Linux Community. And holy freakin' cow, what games.

Understand, these are not games where you have an arsenal of weapons to blow bloody chunks off of Sauerbraten monsters. This is a world where you exist or perish by your own natural wit, awareness and reflexes. Think quickly and correctly or become part of the shadowworld that awaits its next victim. You physically build your own survival. You actually hand-make the barricades, the weapons, the ladders and escape routes that you will need to survive...and you do it with movements and manipulations just like in the physical world.

Not simulations...oh no...this takes gameplay to a whole new level. That old stack of lumber against the wall in other games?

Eye filler.

Not in here. You might just need one of those boards so your body will remain above room temperature a while longer.

In this realm, things exist that you pray do not. This is a game that will make you look behind you every now and then.

When you are alone...

And you will be frightened.

Play it with the lights off. Play it with your back to the door...maybe with only the light of the monitor...I dare you.

I don't want to give anything away but there were several places in all three games that I physically jumped in my chair and yelled...I would say "screamed" but that elicits images of a ditsy blond falling down while being chased by the monster then screaming with a fade to black...

I look like crap in heels anyway. Why do they always try to run away in heels?

Yeah you read it right...five bucks US...the whole three game set.

Or paypal/credit card. I am guessing that would be quicker than mailing them five one dollar bills. Now...please...

Go spend five dollars and support those who support us.

And get the Holy Crap scared out of you for your troubles.

This game was well received in the Windows world. You can see a full and representative review of the entire trilogy here.

This game differs from all others by the virtue of the way you interact with items in gameplay. The detail is stunning. You actually use the mouse and buttons to pick items up, move them to your advantage, turn them around in your hand and inspect them...throw them across the room, carry them, push them or turn a door knob and open a drawer.

It isn't the old "bump and acquire" engines that dominate games today. This takes physical manipulation in games to a place never seen. While these games are not "new" the fact that they have just been ported to the Linux world merits their discussion here. This opens a whole new dimension to gameplay for us.

Oh, and did I mention you can get the entire trilogy for five dollars for this weekend only?

So helios, is this game really different?

Ya think? Watch the film clip. Oh, and DO turn the volume up a bit and watch it fullscreen.

I want you to see what these folks have done with their revolutionary gaming engine...and I quote from a review posted on the internet:

"Using one of the most realistic and impressive physics engines ever created, the player can grab, maneuver, push and throw pretty much anything in the environment and have it react exactly as one would expect it to. The mouse-only object manipulation has a wonderfully tactile feel to it; in order to open a locker door, you have to click on the handle and then pull the mouse back to physically open the door. Similarly, if you wanna spin a wheel or pull a level, you have to use the mouse to replicate the exact movements you'd make in real life. Thanks to the fact that there's no all-purpose "use" button, Black Plague has the most tactile controls you'll ever find outside of a Wii title. Unlike its predecessor, Black Plague utilizes these physics far more when it comes to puzzle solving (being forced to open a door using leverage was, to my mind, one of the most enjoyable parts of the game)."

Or, more succinctly put:

"Black Plague is moody as hell, and it's got one absolutely incredible plot moment about 3/4 of the way through the game (I'm tempted to call it the indie equivalent of BioShock's "a man chooses, a slave obeys" scene)"

Are you a blogger with an established blog? Want to save the bankrupting price of five bucks? Write about this release and the folks at Frictional have authorized me to get you a set of the games free. Just email me the link to the blog and I will take care of it. I have 10 full sets to give away.

Dude...you've never played a game like this...

I will follow this entry with a more personal introduction of the people that make this trilogy...but until then...go play this game.

And Sleep Well....

Yeah, right.

All-Righty Then