On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Awesome

Runefox wrote to point out that the boys at Penny Arcade have passed around the first trailer for their upcoming episodic PC game. Kotaku is link/hosting a flash version of the trailer, and a high quality one is on GameTrailers. As Runefox says: "While almost all can agree that the graphics, as they are now, will give small children nightmares, so, too, can most everyone agree that the Fruit F***ker is simply awesome." Earlier this week Gabe put up a post with more information on the game, and owns up to maybe having put out the trailer 'too soon'. "We were worried though that people might think this was going to be a 2D game if that's all they saw. So we decided at the last minute to attach some of the 3D work we've got. It's extremely early and it's missing some effects like cell shading and a few others.In retrospect we probably should have held of showing it but we were excited and we jumped the gun a bit. We still have a lot of work to do in order to really define the look of the game." The best tidbit: You'll be able to make your own PA-style character to fight alongside the boys. Good form.

Comments

Artistic style

[phorm]

Actually, I rather like the artistic style of the game. The environment seems a mix of Sam'n'Max crossed with Zelda. Cartoony, but well drawn and believable while not trying to push the "realism" button too much (like many games do nowadays).

Of course that says nothing of the gameplay or plot, but I'll keep an eye on this one to see what the reviews say about that.

Re:PA now on the other side of the fence

[Applekid]

At the risk of sounding inflamitory, considering how vocal the PA guys are about games that suck, this had better be one of the best adventure games of all time.

After all, you can't have such vocal critics of bad games actually be RESPONSIBLE for a bad game, right?

I don't hold loyalties to any developer or publisher... but I have a feeling finding an unbiased review, positive or negative, of this one when it comes out is going to be next to impossible.

Do you expect Ebert to make awesome movies?

[jchenx]

At the risk of sounding inflamitory, considering how vocal the PA guys are about games that suck, this had better be one of the best adventure games of all time.

After all, you can't have such vocal critics of bad games actually be RESPONSIBLE for a bad game, right?

It's unfortunate that you, and many others, have similar expectations, because I don't think it's correct. Do you expert Ebert, the famed movie critic, to be able to make great movies? I hope not. Critiquing and creating are two very different activities, requiring different skillsets. Is it possible to be good at both? Of course, but it's certainly not a given.

You could argue that PA should be able to tell if they do make a bad game, and then decide not to ship it ... but I think that's being rather short-sighted. It's one thing to realize that your product may not be so great, and another to actually pull the plug on it (and all the business ramifications thereof). Also, the mere act of being involved in the game's creation makes it impossible to be an objective critic. So PA won't be able to play the role as an unbiased critic, perhaps seeing things with rose-colored glasses when it comes to "their baby".

That said, I give them enormous kudos for going on this venture and wish them the best. But I'm not going to hold them up to the same high standards you guys seem to be. Do I want a game that I have fun with? Sure! But "best adventure game of all time" is a lot to ask for ...