Penumbra: Black Plague

The one big drawback with Black Plague is that it ends rather abruptly. Any experienced adventure gamer can wrap the game up in four or five hours, which makes it a little too brief even for its bargain-bin price tag. Such brevity and a dissatisfying conclusion might be more forgivable if a third Penumbra was on the way, but this sudden finale is a bit annoying given that this is the end of the line for the series. Nevertheless, Black Plague is fun while it lasts and definitely recommended for anyone who enjoyed the first game.

Black Plague is not a very long game. Even the average gamer can complete it in one sitting. As I mentioned, the puzzles aren't difficult; they only require some thought and strategy. They are integral to the storyline and help to keep it relevant and running smoothly. There is virtually no replay value, but at less than twenty bucks it's a decent deal. Too bad it's difficult to rent PC games, as this would make the perfect rental.

Should you decide to dive in, be prepared for an engaging ride through a Lovecraftian gauntlet of horrors, enjoyable puzzles, eerie ambient tracks, and an immersive, disquieting atmosphere. While much of Black Plague and the Penumbra games in general isn't wholly novel and shrouded in a cloud of low production values, it is most definitely refreshing.

The marvellously creepy atmosphere falters a touch as you get further into the game and realise the zombies might be infected but they're not particularly effective. It takes a fair few hits to kill you, and it's relatively easy to wriggle away and sprint off, losing your assailant without too much trouble and then hiding again. But the good outweighs the bad here for sure, and Penumbra's pacing, story and genuine sense of uneasiness makes for an intriguingly dark adventure tale.

So it’s all about the puzzles then, and the obvious point of reference here would be Half Life II, which many players still consider to be the undisputed king of physics-puzzling FPS action. Indeed in many ways still is. Whilst the integration of the physics system within the environment in Penumbra is certainly more deeply-ingrained, the puzzles themselves never quite reach the same level of ingenuity as the classic Valve title.

Black Plague, même terriblement moche, parvient enfin à créer une atmosphère lourde et poisseuse, tout en évitant soigneusement de sombrer dans le piège de la surenchère. Un titre atypique qui vaut le détour et nous fait même le plaisir de débarquer à un prix relativement modeste.