If you’re a fan of Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG) like I am, then you might get a tickle (as I did) at seeing a major franchise like “Penny Arcade’s Rain-slick 3” (Penny Arcade’s On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 being the full title) on the service. The first two installments were released, for a lot more money per installment, on Xbox Live Arcade, and those XBLA games were different kinds of games too. There you rolled up a character and played, essentially, as the third member of the Penny Arcade team in something a bit like a modern take on classic explore-’em-ups like Monkey Island. This third game has you playing out something like a classic Super Nintendo Japanese RPG.
“Penny Arcade’s Rain-slick 3” comes to us from Zeboyd Games, who previously brought us “Breath of Death VII” and “Cthulhu Saves the World”. Those games were both well-received, and the game engine here is up to the standards of Zeboyd Games‘s previous games. The game is a bit talky at times, which makes sense given Tycho’s verbose propensities, and the humour is in the eye of the beholder (see what I did there?), but it’s a bold and (generally) robust effort. It’s 400 Microsoft Points, but this is the sequel to a AAA digital distribution game franchise. Familiarity with the previous games is not required (though in-jokes and other references abound for those who are), and being a Penny Arcade fan is also not a requirement (but helpful at getting all the jokes). Without a doubt worth a trial, even if 8 minutes can’t do justice to an expansive RPG with lots of dialogue and exposition. If you liked Zeboyd’s previous games, or liked the first two (admittedly different) Penny Arcade games, or like Penny Arcade in general, there’s likely going to be something worth 400 MSP to you in “Penny Arcade’s Rain-slick 3”.
Here’s what the developer (Zeboyd Games) has to say about the game:
“Penny Arcade and Zeboyd Games present: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3! An RPG in the classic style! The Startling Developments Detective Agency springs into action as “On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3” begins, set in motion by a call from a mysterious source! Interrupt enemy attacks! Gain power with a unique multi-class job system! No experience with Rain-Slick 1 & 2 necessary!”
Writings of Mass Deduction 