The artist/writer/industry-satirizing duo of Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins have finally taken the designer seats to create a game based on Penny Arcade - the phenomenally successful web comic and blog that you probably already know about if you're reading this review. Enter Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: an action-adventure hybrid that combines clever writing and a brilliant comic art vibe with world exploration, quasi-turn-based combat, and saving mankind.

The game takes place in the retro-futuristic 1920s landscape of New Arcadia. You play as a self-designed, average New Arcadian with above-average facility in the use of gardening implements. When a mysteriously large robotic entity leaves you disenfranchised and thirsting for revenge, you team up with Gabe and Tycho, also known as the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to avert the impending apocalypse. Of course, this wouldn't be a Penny Arcade game without drunken hobos, demented clowns, fanatical mimes, and small robotic devices that produce refreshing citrus beverages. You don't have to be a Penny Arcade fan to enjoy this game, but you do have to buy into the offbeat, often dry, and sometimes vulgar brand of humor.

You can expect much of the same style of humor found in a Penny Arcade comic.

Gamers looking for an intense, action-filled experience will quickly find themselves in the wrong genre. Action gamers will likely feel dragged down by the endless item scavenging and may not be sufficiently entertained by the straightforward initiative-based combat. Each of the three playable characters carry the same weapon throughout the game, while context-sensitive button presses to block and execute special attacks may start to wear thin. However, this is, in fact, Penny Arcade Adventures, a game that revels in dialog trees and rich atmosphere.

Consequently, fans of the dying adventure genre will find themselves in a comfortable and familiar gameplay setting. Adventurers will likely find battle satisfying, though a little too easy, thanks to the abundance of healing items and power-ups waiting to be collected by diligent scourers. For those willing to invest in the system, combat becomes a combination of coordinating item usage with basic jabs, special attacks, and support characters. Timing these attacks based on enemy weaknesses and players' initiative is a surprisingly enjoyable puzzle.

As an adventure game, of course, gameplay extends beyond battles. Precipice is, in fact, a testament to the influence adventure games - including tabletop RPGs - have had on the video game industry. Krahulik and Holkins gleefully remind us of our roots: investigating a lamppost elicits a cleverly text adventure-esque response and we're pleasantly surprised by the sensation of "rolling for initiative." The world is rife with atmosphere that begs exploring but the game is, admittedly, light on puzzles. Searching each crevice rewards you only with humor and the occasional collector's item.

The game's simplicity is, in fact, its only flaw, though in many cases it serves as an asset as well. The combat system is just complex enough to remain interesting while the adventuring is a tool for enhancing the environment, rather than giving the gamer a series of mind-bending tasks. Players expecting something revolutionary may be disappointed, but those who prefer simplicity over the flaws that often come with pushing the envelope will be grateful for Precipice's elegant minimalism. Most importantly, the choice for straightforward combat and adventuring means that the gameplay never detracts from Precipice's real star: the humorous and engrossing world of New Arcadia.

Where Precipice really shines is in presentation; the transition from one medium to another has been executed flawlessly. From colors and textures to characters and environments, the world of the Penny Arcade comic has been lovingly reproduced down to the smallest detail. The artists at Hothead Games have really outdone themselves, translating this familiar aesthetic with surprising sophistication. From the gently swaying trees to the clever wall art, multitudinous refuse, and unusually populous abandoned cars, Precipice is a crisp, vibrant, detailed graphical offering.

The translation from comic to game also goes beyond the graphics. The prompt to "change panels" between map segments is nothing short of genius and the use of comic frame stills to handle dialog trees is so obvious that we wonder why every comic-turn-game doesn't use this convention. The menu screen is another brilliant creation, bringing the player to the cluttered offices of Startling Developments where you can view character dossiers, jump to a different location on the map, enjoy bonus content, or just admire the lads' décor.

The artistic style employed in the game is quite impressive.

The same care is given to the game's environmental sounds, which are all crisp, high fidelity samples. Dogs barking or trains passing in the distance, the robotic whir of kitchen appliances, and even the simple slideshow click that accompanies entry into a dialog sequence; every effect is part of an overall atmosphere that most games never quite achieve. One particular quartet of male voices stands as a true work of art in sound design. Even the rare voicing is spot-on; when combined with Tycho's clever writing, the ten minutes of narration are a real highlight.

All in all, the first episode of Penny Arcade Adventures does its best to satisfy a variety of gamers, though hardcore fans of either genre may be left wanting more. Fortunately, the universe being sculpted here is fun, engaging, and exquisitely translated from the already successful Penny Arcade formula. True, the game is short for the $20 price point, but so much is offered in the rich, colorful world full of quirky characters and the hilarious plot. If you like the world of New Arcadia, you will love this game, and Episode Two's rain-slick precipice won't come soon enough.