Penumbra: Requiem

Бессмысленный набор головоломок. Даже продолжать не хочется

😁

Alright, the previous two games were... good, not amazing but good, however the third game... egh The game takes place in an alternate universe from the first "main story" and you are playing basically as the original protagonist but in a "spin off" sort of puzzle game PROS: Puzzly: If you like to solve puzzles and that sort of thing then this game is yours to finish, the game at times give you puzzles that are incredibly head cracking Atmospheric: You don't have a group of minions after you but you feel like you're part of some psychodelic trip and it makes a lot of sense thinking about the story of the previous two games. CONS: MASSIVE SPOILER ABOUT THE GAME Puzzly: It's a puzzle game, so if you don't like to do puzzles just because then go somewhere else Story lacking: As stated before, it's JUST a puzzle game, no mystery, no problem solving that can potentially save the world, no, maybe a few hints about the whole complex real structure but as I mentioned in the Review of Black Plage, it doesn't make sense... like... AT ALL So if you like to waste your time and check a little bit of the mechanics of the game then go and try it, I just don't recommend playing it because it has the name Penumbra, if they wanted they could have used a different name and I wouldn't have noticed the difference, but I think they wanted to earn a little extra, which makes sense, since this was BEFORE Amnesia.

Its just puzzles... nothing else... it might have some lore expansion but is boring AF... I stopped playing it and really don't plan to keep going, just play the first 2 penumbra games

Just doesn't hold up against 1 or 2

Penumbra: Puzzles

[h1]All Puzzles, No Fear[/h1] [i]Puzzle expansion for Penumbra: Black Plague. Requiem is part of Penumbra: Black Plague Gold Edition, included in the Penumbra Collection.[/i] [h2]Story[/h2] The game picks up right where the previous one ends, with Philip sending the “kill them all” message. As soon as he finishes, an Infected suddenly bursts in and knocks him unconscious. You then start in a tomb-like area, where you must collect items in each chamber to progress. As you move forward, you begin to recognize familiar locations from earlier parts of the facility and receive messages from characters Philip encountered before, such as Dr. Richard Emminis, Eloff Carpenter of the Archaic Elevated Caste, and Red, Philip’s former adviser from the first game. [h2]Gameplay[/h2] Penumbra: Requiem is a first-person exploration-based puzzle expansion focused entirely on environmental puzzles. Your goal is to collect orbs that power a portal, allowing you to move on to the next area. The puzzles revolve around physically interacting with the environment in real time, such as opening drawers, pulling switches, and stacking objects to reach new areas. Unlike the previous games, there are no item-combination puzzles or inventory-based problem solving. You still have a large inventory, but it’s mostly unnecessary. Puzzle objects are typically manipulated directly using the physics system. You retain tools like the flashlight, glow stick, flares, and painkillers, though the flashlight now has infinite battery. [h2]Enemies[/h2] There are no enemies, only environmental hazards. [h2]Environment[/h2] The game takes place across a variety of distinct locations. You progress through nine different areas, each functioning as a large puzzle room. These include environments like a tomb, sewers, a snowy outdoor station, and a power facility. [h2]Visual Design & Sound Design[/h2] As an older game, the visuals are dated but still hold up reasonably well. It uses clear visual cues: the screen flashes orange when you progress or autosave, and turns blue when you are hidden in shadows, although stealth is not relevant here. Because each area is visually distinct, the environments feel varied. The snowy outdoor section in particular has a surprisingly cozy atmosphere. The sound design is fairly basic. A harmonic cue plays when you complete objectives, and an AI voice announces how many orbs remain. There are occasional whispers meant to create unease, but without enemies, they lack impact. [h2]Constructive Criticism[/h2] This is not the Penumbra experience you might expect. Despite having a similar length to the previous games, it consists entirely of puzzles, with a complete removal of enemies, tension, or real horror elements, thus stripping away the core identity of the series. Mostly the puzzles are fun, but some of them were poorly designed and unintuitive. Like the third puzzle room, I looked up a guide and the solution made me frustrated about how you are supposed to transport the box with the key symbol on it. [h2]The Verdict[/h2] Overall, Penumbra: Requiem feels very different from the previous entries. While it adds some extra context to the story, the complete shift to a puzzle-only experience makes it feel disconnected from what made the series work in the first place. Most puzzles are enjoyable, but some are frustrating and poorly designed. It’s also fairly short, taking around three hours to complete. I can’t recommend it as a true Penumbra experience, as it lacks the horror, tension, and identity of the earlier games. However, as a standalone puzzle game, it’s decent enough, just not what fans of the series, like me, are likely looking for. [h2]Rating: 4/10[/h2]