You can't go down there!
The original Penumbra Overture is a superb bit of survival horror which combines clever puzzles and atmospheric visuals to great effect. Black Plague is the sequel and if you haven't played the original, then you should do yourself a favor and check it out first, partly because it's a great game but also because the story here continues on directly from the first one. This one finds Phillip, our hero who traveled to Greenland to uncover the secrets of his father's notebook, now exploring some mines built by a mysterious organization involved in ancient secrets. What follows is a grim adventure that sees you venturing into the darkness of the mines, attempting to uncover the secrets of the next world, and has a strong focus on exploration and puzzling, with complex object manipulation and other such activities required. There is no combat here, and you'll have to rely on your skills of running away in order to survive the many encounters with the otherworldy creatures you'll face here. Black Plague really is a very well done and genuinely thrilling bit of survival horror that deserves to be played by any fan of Alone in the Dark and such games. This one is dripping in atmosphere right from the start, and which helps to suck you into the fascinating world which is created here. There's a real sense of adventure here, and exploration is both thrilling and enjoyable. The puzzles too are clever and well designed, and should keep even hardened genre veterans challenged, while the visuals are handsome and well detailed. Overall, a very nice addition to any horror collection.
