Review: Penny Arcade Episode 2 (XBLA)

Just a mere six months after the release of their first Penny Arcade Adventures on the XBLA and PC, Hothead games in cooperation with the web-comic Penny Arcade have released Episode 2 to the masses. Thrust back into the 1920s alter-universe of New Arcadia with two of the most unlikely heroes proves yet again to be another laughter inducing romp which smoothly doesn’t necessarily require you to play the first one to get into it. Hothead and company did was it seems few developers will do. They took the suggestions of their fans and actually implemented them where they could and the efforts are easily noticeable.

Gameplay:

One thing you’ll notice if you’ve played the first Penny Arcade Adventures is that you have the ability to import your old character with the same look and feel that you created before. The same stats will follow over as well. The game takes this into account as it gives you a slight boost in difficulty and experience. It doesn’t take long to get into the action as Tycho and Gabe stumble into your hapless abode and once again call upon you and you gardening appliances to help save the world from the vile robots set upon the lands. Once you begin, you’ll find the same tried and true turn-based RPG setup as the first game, but with a few subtle improvements to make things easier. For instance blocking, which becomes paramount later in the game, is a lot easier to judge as you have to look for the actual word “block” instead of just a flashing health bar as it was in the first game. There are a few upgraded items to find, but overall if you’ve ported anything from the first game, you’ll be all set on items. Support character are back, but I wont spoil fans of the comic as to who plays a role for you.

Graphics:

The visuals remain fairly unchanged from the original as it still gives you that gritty 1920s feel and brilliant flash animation. The bonus is that now there are more flash cutscenes to drive the story forward. Additionally, the first game had players wandering about trying to point at the correct piece of debris on the ground to inspect which at times made it a bit cumbersome. Upon reviewing suggestions by fans, they’ve now included the ability to scroll to whatever objects are near enough to gain your focus. I did notice some framerate slowdown during a scene or two, but it was minor and not anything notable.

Sound:

The audio in the game is fitting for the time period and smacking a mental patient with a garden hoe gives the appropriate thud, but is largely lacking on anything stellar. The music to the game is good, the narrative is improved since the last game in that it comes out for more than just the opening scene, but the omission of voice acting of any kind by the characters may still not sit well with fickle gamers of today. I personally find it fitting to the mood and feel of the game, but others might find it off-putting that any game today doesn’t have some sort of voice acting in it.

Controls:

Getting around on the overworld is fairly straight forward. You control your character through the analog stick and Tycho and Gabe follow along dutifully. Should you find yourself in the wrong area, a simple hit of the button will bring up your map room in which you can change areas with relative ease. Once in combat, the controls can get a little daunting for those who may not have played the first one, but the scheme isn’t anything that takes much to get used to. Players still roll for initiative and the highest initiative goes first. Roll a 20 and your special attack is already lit up and ready to go. During the battle, you’ll cycle through your players as they become ready for attacks and time your blocking by pulling the right trigger on the XBLA version. It’s a relatively simple system, but can add up to some fun combat when multiple enemies appear on the screen.

Conclusion:

The guys at Penny Arcade have moved from a satirical look at gaming to game producers themselves and their passion for their product shows. The mere fact that they took the time to listen to the complaints from their fans on the first game speaks volumes. Even the price point has been lowered as the initial game raised a lot of eyebrows for launching at $20. For a lower price you’ll receive a better product than the first with improved controls, longer story arcs and better overall quality. You don’t need to be a fan of Penny Arcade to enjoy this game, but it’ll make you appreciate the humor so much more. The only thing that this game leaves a gamer wanting is a quick release of Episode Three.