Hey all, this is my first post/review. I hope you enjoy it, cause there will be more to come.


Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is a comedy/horror side scrolling RPG set in 1922 Arcadia. The world is sorta like World of Darkness where giant fruit fucking robots ruin random houses, and a lot of other strange things happen. The protagonist is pulled into the conflict with the supernatural when his/her house is destroyed by a giant robot; in the monster's wake, you meet up with Gabe and Tycho, the only members of the Startling Developments Detective Agency.


The game has you take the roll of a character of your own creation which I found to be awesome, considering it has unique facial expressions during the comic strip sequences. Journeying through the city of Arcadia is done from fixed camera angles which make you feel like you're running around in a comic strip, or playing Comic Zone. Items frequently spawn throughout the stages stored in random garbage cans and crates ensuring you'll always have a steady stream of items. After every battle your health gets fully restored, thus regulating restorative items for purely combative uses. These two features add a comforting level of ease to the game which allows you to focus on the brilliant world known as Arcadia.


As for the world itself, it's fricken great. I love the fact that this is a comedy, and everything you encounter, from fights to dialog, has a certain lol factor to it. Nothing beats fighting Fruit Fucking Robots, Diabolical Mimes, and violent Hobos with Gabe, Tycho, as company. Every conversation is like reading an issue of Penny Arcade, but this time you don't have to wait two to three bloody days for the next issue. The comedic insanity has “tainted” every aspect of this game, but that's what makes it so great and refreshing; like Medieval 1 and 2.


I have to say the combat system of Precipice is awesome. Battles start with an initiative roll to decide who goes first, and then the standard time bar fills. Here's the twist: different actions require less or more time than others; items are the least, attacks follow, and then special attacks are the last. The spice comes in the form of space bar; no, not a bar in space; the space bar button. All of your special attacks utilize some form of fast paced button hitting like bashing space bar a ton of times, lining your hits up with the target, or hitting up down left or right when the game prompts you to. You can also block attacks by hitting space bar; the tricky part comes from knowing exactly when to press it which only comes from practice. With all of these factors present, including the fact that everything is done in real time, combat is a very enjoyable part of the game that's not only comedic, but quick enough to keep you on your toes.


All in all, Precipice of Darkness Episode 1 is an excellent RPG that'll provide an interesting story while keeping you laughing and entertained along the way. The game is a tad short, but definitely worth the investment. Simply put, nothing on the market is like it! Think of it like Killer 7 and No More Heroes - ya just got to try it. Here's hoping the next episode comes out soon!