Forums > Game Forums > Penumbra: Overture - Episode 1 > Question on Episode 2 and some theories about Red

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MichaelPalin (1414) on 7/21/2007 5:36 PM · Permalink · Report

First of all, I'd like to say that I enjoy the most a game/movie/book/etc when I barely know anything about it before I begin it. Penumbra is specially good at this so, if you haven't played it yet, but may play it in the future, I suggest you vividly to stay away from this post or everything related to the game, as Penumbra gets better the less you know (and see) about it.

Ok, now to the point of the post. I have recently finish this game, and I must recognize that I haven't been so hooked to a game in a long time. This is so, that I kind of feel a bit of anxiety since I finished it. I want to know what has happened to Philip and, well, the whole story too, but I haven't found any release date for the Episode Two. Does anybody knows when will it be released, or any interview, news or anything? I find myself not motivated to start any other game since then, even with that Condemned game in my hard disk that is supposed to be so good.

By the way, the ending is fucking brilliant. Red has to be one of the very best secondary characters of all times and you don't even meet him in person. I hope that Mike Hillard guy gets a lot of work in the video game industry form now on. And, well, that ending and the ACTUAL ending. I have never been so afraid of pushing the 'w' key in any other game.

And speaking of Red (it remains me of "The Shawshank Redemption", by the way), does any of you know how can he know what Philip is doing all the time? My theory is that he hears you through the echoes of the mine, that he already knows so much the complex that he can tell where does each sound come from and what is its origin. This means that he should speak with you every time you start some loud sound or series of sounds (like making a group of spider follow you or starting an engine), but I haven't checked it. Either way, I don't find any other possibility. Any theories?

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St. Martyne (3648) on 7/21/2007 6:00 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

[Q --start MichaelPalin wrote--] And speaking of Red (it remains me of "The Shawshank Redemption", by the way), does any of you know how can he know what Philip is doing all the time? My theory is that he hears you through the echoes of the mine, that he already knows so much the complex that he can tell where does each sound come from and what is its origin. This means that he should speak with you every time you start some loud sound or series of sounds (like making a group of spider follow you or starting an engine), but I haven't checked it. Either way, I don't find any other possibility. Any theories? [/Q --end MichaelPalin wrote--] WARNING- SPOILERS AHEAD

The only theory I have is that it's an ugly plot hole.

Also I felt that the spider eating guy should have been combined with the character of Red. Making some sort of introduction to him or something like that in the beginning.

And not being able to see him with no other choice but to kill him was so anti-climatic that it was arguably the worst plot resolution in my 15+ years gaming life. Oh, and being essentially a rip-off of SHODAN doesn't add points to his profile either. Still, the voice-acting is brilliant and exploring the Red's room after killing him was one of the most thrilling experience for the past year.

As for the ending, it was okay. But finally seeing an actual living (still, maybe not) person in the game and not being able to approach him was a huge let-down for me also.

I've just sent a review for the approvers to post. So all the stuff I have against this game you may read there.

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Sciere (927124) on 7/21/2007 6:26 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Excellent review, there many points I didn't or couldn't raise because it was already lengthy and I wholeheartedly agree. There are so many people who would love this game, but are still not aware of its existence.

As for the release date, the developers said November for the next episode.

Red's voice-acting was great indeed. There is no way he could have been tracking you through a device or cameras, so I also assume he's more or less guessing what your location is. For me, it added a lot to the atmosphere not to meet Red eventually, it still leaves Philip on his own in the end. But I'm not entirely convinced it was actually Red that was burned, maybe it was another one of his games, though Philip was standing practically next to it so he must have heard if there really was someone inside.

And god, the ending was brilliant, an empty corridor, the dark figure, all the lights switching off one by one, I was really panicking. Genius!

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MichaelPalin (1414) on 7/21/2007 7:20 PM · Permalink · Report

November, huh? I hate all this episodic thing.

[Q --start Sciere wrote--]And god, the ending was brilliant, an empty corridor, the dark figure, all the lights switching off one by one, I was really panicking. Genius! [/Q --end Sciere wrote--]

Yes, and lanterns always break in the worst moments, ;)

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MichaelPalin (1414) on 7/21/2007 7:13 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start St_Martyne wrote--] The only theory I have is that it's an ugly plot hole. [/Q --end St_Martyne wrote--]

If that's your theory I stay with mine, :P

And with Red not being met by Philip, I have no problem with it, but, now that you say so, maybe watching his eyes through the incinerator or having some photo from young Red in his room would have made the ending of Red plot even more strong. But, looking at the only human(-like) model in the game and how blocky it looks, probably they have not include any other human character in the game rather than use an ugly looking model.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 7/21/2007 8:01 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

[Q --start MichaelPalin wrote--] [Q2 --start St_Martyne wrote--] The only theory I have is that it's an ugly plot hole. [/Q2 --end St_Martyne wrote--]

If that's your theory I stay with mine, :P

And with Red not being met by Philip, I have no problem with it, but, now that you say so, maybe watching his eyes through the incinerator or having some photo from young Red in his room would have made the ending of Red plot even more strong. But, looking at the only human(-like) model in the game and how blocky it looks, probably they have not include any other human character in the game rather than use an ugly looking model. [/Q --end MichaelPalin wrote--]

Well that's what I meant, really. I hate it when the lack of production values stands in the way of the great ideas. And it's actually good that the game is released in episodic format, it will give the developers the necessary feedback, especially important in case of such an unusual and innovative title like Penumbra.

And yes, you're right. At least some kind of the reminder of Red, or an insight into his life would've changed things considerably (the room and a single note were simply not enough). As it is now with just a pile of ashes, the Red subplot feels unfinished. So, personally, I cared more about the spidereating guy, because I actually found his tongue and could relate that to the things I read about him! And he is much more frightening than Red because unlike Red he writes with a scientific clarity after spending 100+ days in the caves with the spiders. So when you finally find his tongue, the image of what this person has turned into and how different it is from what you were picturing yourself a moment ago strikes fear right into your heart. That's, by the way, a distinctive feature of a good horror game/book/movie - making people imagining their nightmares instead of actually showing them.

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Slug Camargo (583) on 7/29/2007 9:42 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Ok, just finished this. I gotta say, for an indie game it's a really outstanding piece of work. Too bad the physics are underused in the puzzles dept and instead we're treated to two or three fucking platformer-like puzzles (especially the one with the steam coming out of the floortiles; just when are game designers gonna understand that these sort of things DO NOT WORK in first-person perspective games, goddamnit??!?!? >:( ) and the combat pretty much sucks (every time I bumped upon a spider-area I was this close to drop the game for good). It felt really unique playing every movement of the character (at least the ones we did play) and it was a really clever move to "borrow" Chronicles of Riddick's stealth system: A dark game shouldn't mean I can't see shit and sneaking shouldn't be made at a snail's speed. Good move.

I also loved Red, he was undoubtedly the best part of the game. I think it was especially clever that the closest thing to a friend you had down there was the faceless voice of a clearly deranged man. It was like I was looking forward to meet him just to have a friendly face down there, but at the same time --did I? What kind of what would I be meeting? That gave the entire game a whole new level and enhanced the overall sense of desperation tremendously. And it was quite chilling hearing him scream like that in the end. That scene was wrong in so many levels...

The thing I wanna talk about, however, is the story itself: I'm seeing people praising it everywhere for being so smart and whatnot, but come on, Lovecraft already did the whole making-you-believe-a-story-is-great-by-cleverly-not-telling-you-a-story-at-all a century ago, and it got kind of old by now. I mean, what story are you talking about? What can you say you learned after beating the game? I feel like I missed some important documents or I forgot something, because I know pretty much as little as I did when the game just started. Sure I know some bits and pieces about what a nightmare it became working on those mines and about the investigations on the worms and whatnot, but as for the main story, the reason why Phillip is even down there and just what the hell happened with his father, I'm completely blank.

I'm all for mysteries that unveil slowly, little by little, but you have to remember to actually tell something every now and then.

Anyway, I loved the game and I'm definitely going to get Episode 2. And I agree, the ending was one of the best I've seen in a good while.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 7/30/2007 10:05 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] and the combat pretty much sucks (every time I bumped upon a spider-area I was this close to drop the game for good).

[/Q --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--]

Did you actually try to fight spiders off!? I hadn't have to kill any through the whole game. You could always escape them, put them on fire or block the way.

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Slug Camargo (583) on 7/30/2007 10:47 PM · Permalink · Report

Put them on fire? O____O How did you do that? Hmmm, I think someone is gonna reinstall this game pretty soon...

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St. Martyne (3648) on 7/31/2007 8:39 AM · Permalink · Report

There was just one place where you could do that. It's some place where the spiders were chasing you. Some kind of a paraffin oil was spilled on the ground so you use your zippo on it and here you go.

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Slug Camargo (583) on 7/31/2007 11:23 PM · Permalink · Report

I can't believe I'm reinstalling it just to try that, but I am :D

Hey, I just started playing Scratches. But I only made it through the door of the house, and then I got Advent Rising and spent like 4 hours blasting robots in the training course. I'm closer than ever to finally live the Scratches experience, though, so yay! /o/