New Penny Arcade Adventures gameplay footage features hobo warfare

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 19th 2008 at 1:45PM }

The font of information about Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness has slowed to a light trickle since last year's Penny Arcade Expo, where it was announced the game would be released on Xbox Live Arcade as well as Mac and PC. That's why we were so pleased to see this new gameplay footage, which gives us a taste of the game's eccentric turn-based combat system, and an idea of exactly how the duo's comedic style will translate into an interactive format.

The new footage also reveals that the game might overtake Condemned: Criminal Origins as the premier hobo murder simulator for the Xbox 360, a distinction that Gabe and Tycho would no doubt be extremely proud of.

Tags: pc, penny arcade, PennyArcade, pennyarcadeadventures, rainslickprecipiceofdarkness, xbla, xbox360

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kaemon @ Jan 19th 2008 1:56PM

Ohh fun looking, Glad I have a Xbox 360 now, since my computer could never run it.

Delgado @ Jan 19th 2008 2:02PM

Hm... didn't look all that entertaining to me, kind of the opposite actually.

It might just not be my style of game though. That or a bad selection of game play footage.

Either way I support Penny Arcade in all their endeavors, I will probably give it a try just for that.

dan stabbingworth @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:39AM

Yeah, it looked really slow-paced, even for an RPG. I originally thought it would be a beat-em-up like the X-Men Legends series. I think that would have opened more Penny Arcade style doors.

why not the LS2/LS7? @ Jan 19th 2008 2:09PM

I think it looks good. It's basically single player WoW with a different graphics style.

Looks neigh-unplayable with anything but a mouse.

ThornedVenom @ Jan 19th 2008 8:05PM

They better have keyboard shortcuts.

darksonic @ Jan 19th 2008 2:11PM

This looks god awful...

sheppy2.0 @ Jan 19th 2008 2:56PM

Hey look everyone! A differing opinion! Let's attack his intelligence and Halo at the same time!

Seriously, eldee. I mean, I'm a hardcore RPG player the the degree that I actually finished both scenarios in Front Mission 3 (that's over 160 hours). And even I'm looking at this gameplay footage and wondering what exactly they are trying to accomplish. Right now, it's a mess.

Rather than going with a more menu driven system that their turn based situation begs for, they forgo that in favor of an icon based system which is much more handy in an MMO or action RPG based system. So essentially what you have is the tediousness of a turn based RPG (I love them but I can admit this) but the GUI of a more action based system. Not to mention, if this seems like an average battle, game length will be artifically lengthened just because the battles seem more like "whittling away bars" than actual combat like on FF or other more common RPGs. Maybe this is a boss, possible considering the huge key. But if not, this game could get real old, real quick.

But yeah, bad words for the game means I play teh Haloz.

Negativecool @ Jan 19th 2008 3:50PM

I actually agree with Sheppy....god dammit!

Bluebrake @ Jan 19th 2008 4:05PM

What possible difference does it make if they choose icons or labels? That's got to be the worst criticism I've ever heard.

Wolfrider @ Jan 19th 2008 4:15PM

I agree with sheppy. I'm a huge RPG fan and was really excited when I saw that the game was adopting that style, but it looks pretty terrible. The issue seems to be not only the length of the battles but the weird Blue Dragon/Dragon Quest level of simplicity. Actually less, as Blue Dragon had a decent amount of attacks and maneuvers you could pull out. Maybe I'm judging the game when I shouldn't but there didn't seem to be ANY strategy to this at all, almost as if you could set it on auto-battle and get out fine.

If it is a boss fight (and I sure hope so given how long the battle was) it's certainly an underwhelming one. The battle itself was far from epic, but the little things that make RPG fights memorable like music and tension etc just seemed to be absent.

I'll probably still pick this up and enjoy it because a) it takes ALOT for me to dislike an RPG and b)I'm a HUGE Penny-Arcade fan but objectively speaking, it doesn't look that good at all.

Alex M @ Jan 19th 2008 4:33PM

The difference between icons and text is that icons are way more ambiguous than text. A sword icon could mean attack, items, inventory, equipment, forge, etc. The word "attack" means attack, period.

I applaud attempts at making RPG menus smaller and prettier, but it usually results in excessive use of icons that simply take more time to figure out than straight text.

eldee @ Jan 19th 2008 4:46PM

what the fuck? you played both scenarios of front mission 3, yet claim that as your basis that THIS looks boring? are you out of your mind? Actually at this point, I think you're arguing just to argue.. yet another excuse for sheppy to write a goddamn essay on Joystiq.

also- the icons in the video have tooltips associated with them. not a game breaking issue if we use World of Warcraft as a metric.

sheppy2.0 @ Jan 19th 2008 7:14PM

eldee, life would be so much easier if I could simply reduce myself to simple "yes or fuck off" responses like you can. Want to know why I jumped your post? Look up at your response.

A guy said he thought the game looks godawful. I think it just looks poorly designed but I digress. First, you call him stupid and then you use the typical "real gamers don't haloz" bullshit response. Congrats, you're an A class fucktard. Why, I wish there was some sort of honors program in that regard so you could be known throughout the land rather than just on Joystiq. You could even help William Hung on his next album. Good times all around.

Now, the icons system is only part of the problem. You mentioned using WoW as the metric. That's good. This would work if, like WoW, this game was based around a d20 style system. But it's not. So what you have is a solution for an entirely different game style being thrown into this one. This is roughly the same as if I put quicktime events into a soccer game. Now, watch the video again, notice how active the mouse is? See why an icon based system on a turn based game is a horrible idea? Not really? Well, notice how he's constantly digging into his inventory, and dragging and dropping icons into the battle screen? Works in WoW (as if WoW players don't hotkey everything), works in Diablo, doesn't work in turn based.

So yes, before using a game as a metric on how something should work, at least make sure that concept is valid.

eldee @ Jan 19th 2008 7:41PM

tldr. Keep it under 500 words next time and maybe it will get read.

LaughingTarget @ Jan 19th 2008 8:44PM

tldr = I have no comeback and admit defeat.

sheppy2.0 @ Jan 19th 2008 9:11PM

eldee, wow. Backing out so easily. Amusing. Keep it under 500 words indeed. I say, old chap, do you even read? Well, aside from menus.

Because, you'd think someone who's first reply on this topic was insulting someone's intelligence would at least have enough familiarity with the english language to discovere the scale of 500 words. I dare take a guess that I'm half that, give or take 20 words.

But in the interest of lowering my responses for the likes of you, I've decided to keep it under 500 characters. Since you apparently don't know the difference.

Shagittarius @ Jan 19th 2008 11:37PM

It looks like shit.

Negativecool @ Jan 19th 2008 2:26PM

Although I don't think it looks god awful, from what I see (and they haven't shown us much mind you), I became REALLY bored half way through. Even the old turn based battles of FF games are more exciting that that.
The graphics/art style reminds me a lot of "Calling all Cars" which I think is pretty cool. My only problem is the turn based battles are the slower paced than I've ever seen.

InspectorDim @ Jan 19th 2008 2:40PM

Wow, that battle took forever. I mean, geez, Xenosaga II's battles took less time. But I do love the art and attack names.

Seattle Yonkers @ Jan 19th 2008 2:46PM

I think they chose the wrong clip to show, because that was really boring.

Avarice @ Jan 19th 2008 2:59PM

They dare draw the ire of the hobos? Know they not the powers that will be brought down upon them?

Demaar @ Jan 19th 2008 3:06PM

I sure hope that's a boss battle or something, else this game is just gonna be way too damn slow paced.

ill trooper @ Jan 19th 2008 3:11PM

Does that even look fun? Turn-based stuff doesn't even need graphics it seems. It's not a game for me, but I do know I'm in the minority with this stuff.

playwhutyalike @ Jan 19th 2008 3:55PM

Off the subject but, I download Ableton Live Lite 6 today (as I have a M-Audio soundcard) and I'm going to mess with it a bit. I take it you dabble with the beatage as well?

Matt @ Jan 19th 2008 3:53PM

Do people even play these kinds of games anymore? Menu driven combat, with no ability to move or take cover was nifty way back when Final Fantasy 7 was cutting edge, but with RPG/Strategy games like Silent Storm or even Fallout, why would anyone want something so mindless?

Fights that take ten hours and involve zero strategy might've been cool in Japan in late 1998, but it's a decade and a hemisphere later. Let's get with the times.

Onomah @ Jan 19th 2008 4:08PM

Did you catch the way Tycho threw his book into the air to attack people, then caught it when he was done? that was kinda cool.

I hate to sound like somebody who mindlessly supports Penny Arcade in everything they do, but I honestly don't mind the combat, I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment! There seemed to be a lot of options to do in the battle, and I assume that the banter will alleviate the boredom.
Hmm that does sound like someone who mindlessly supports penny arcade in all thir ventures...Ok...Um if there are many of those encounters like in FF III I may not play. Probably wont play....Who am I kidding, I'll play it regardless...

Lijik @ Jan 20th 2008 12:27PM

I noticed the book-toss, got a chuckle the first time I noticed it and a smirk on my face for the rest of the video. Nifty little touch.

Purple Haze @ Jan 19th 2008 4:18PM

Unless I hear this game absolutely sucks I'm gonna buy it day one. The combat didn't look too bad and I expect the writing to more than make up for any problems with the combat.

LaughingTarget @ Jan 19th 2008 4:33PM

That was a boring battle. It doesn't bode well for the rest of the game since it is clearly an RPG with frequent fighting. It wasn't that it just took a long time, there are other issues present. The biggest problem I saw was the awful battle music, which I think did a good job of making the scene less enjoyable than it would have otherwise been.

I would love to see these guys bomb. There is a reason why critics don't try and make their own films. They're pretty good at arguing the good/bad merits of a medium, but ask them to put something together, it usually comes out smelling of trash. PA should stand as a testament of why there should always be that division.

Mr Khan @ Jan 19th 2008 5:17PM

Okay, i know the game isn't striving for realism or anything, but...

Shouldn't plugging a hobo with a clip of automatic fire kill him faster than that?

Tyler Czerniak @ Jan 19th 2008 5:25PM

I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer turn-based RPGs to the action RPG genre. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Oblivion, but give me FFVII over it any day. Maybe it's just because that's how I was introduced to the genre, I don't know. But I'll definitely be buying this. I don't have any XBLA games, and the fact that it's Penny Arcade definitely doesn't hurt either.