Sat 24 May 2008
On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode 1 is hell of fun if you like adventure games and RPGs. I’ve only played it for about an hour but that seems to be the two genres it most heavily samples in producing its unique mix. The art is eye-poppingly bright, the cel-shaded look gives everything the enthusiasm and fun of a cartoon and the writing thus far is very good. It’s a joyous thing to play. It’s not crazy complicated; it’s fun, which is what I’m told games are meant to be.
Yeah, but is it long enough? The whole episodic model really gives me the willies, since it really seems to dumb down game concepts, on the whole. (For example, see the difference between Sam and Max Hit the Road vs. their recent episodic outings.)
I don’t know how long it is, as I’ve not yet finished it. I will say, though, that it costs a lot less than most games ($19.95) and as an artistic expression/experience it’s worth every penny of that. It looks great in a way that I’ve seen very few games look.