Penumbra: Black Plague
Encyclopedia
Penumbra: Black Plague is the second installment of the Penumbra series of episodic
computer games
developed by Swedish
developer Frictional Games
. The story continues from the previous episode, Penumbra: Overture
, showing the protagonist Philip moving away from the abandoned mine setting of the original to explore an underground research base. Black Plague was released on February 12, 2008 to generally favourable reviews from critics. Although originally intended to conclude the series, a further expansion called Penumbra: Requiem
was released later that year.
that takes place from a first-person
perspective. The game's survival horror aspect mostly consists of avoiding various enemies which seek to injure or otherwise harm the protagonist. Compared to the previous game Overture, combat has been heavily de-emphasized, with the player no longer able to acquire melee weapons or create makeshift traps to fight enemies with. Instead, the emphasis is on the use of stealth tactics and fleeing to avoid attacks by enemy creatures. Gameplay features a mixture of exploration and solving physical puzzles.
Puzzles vary between traditional inventory puzzles often found in similar games of the adventure genre and primarily physics based puzzles, such as grabbing and stacking boxes in order to build a rudimentary stairway in order to get past a laser tripwire, or placing boards in order to cross an environmental obstruction such as a pit. Unlike in the previous episode, the player must also frequently interact with the bases computer and security systems by acquiring passwords, retrieving biometric data
or keycards
, and repairing or overriding certain electronic or mechanical devices.
Information is scattered around the base in the form of written notes, recorded messages, saved documents, and various videos and emails that can be found on computers. The protagonist also comes into contact with several survivors which can provide more information and often direct the player to new missions or puzzles. A notebook
kept by the protagonist helps keep this information in order and list the players current objectives. The protagonist must also overcome distortions to his vision and auditory systems due to his infection, which can cause him to hear or see things that are not there, have distorted sight, or lose some control over his own body. The player must try to overcome these challenges in order to progress through the game.
narrated by Philip to his friend in the email, beginning from where the previous game left off.
The game begins with Philip waking up in a locked room, after being knocked out by an unseen being at the end of the first game. Philip manages to escape via a nearby air-vent, and finds himself in the underground research facility of the Archaic Elevated Caste, a secret organization dedicated to discovering and researching ancient knowledge. The base is abandoned and in ruins, with all its personnel either dead or transformed into "the Infected", zombie
-like creatures that attack Philip when they notice him. He soon discovers that he has also been infected; however, his reaction to the virus is extremely abnormal; instead of joining the infected hive-mind, he is taken over by the mind of one of the infected, the sarcastic and malevolent Clarence (after the film character
) who constantly taunts Philip throughout the course of the game.
Via the base's computer network, Philip is contacted by Dr. Amabel Swanson, an Archaic research scientist who has managed to survive the outbreak by locking herself in her lab. Swanson promises to help cure Philip's infection, if he will make his way to her section of the facility and rescue her. Through dialogue with Swanson, and various scattered documents found throughout the base, Philip learns that the Archaic came to Greenland
to look for the "Tuurngait", an ancient entity described in native Inuit mythology
as primordial spirits native to the area. Penetrating deep underground, the Archaic found and released the Tuurngait, which manifested as a sentient virus that infected the base's personnel. Philip discovers his father Howard managed to communicate with the Tuurngait, but what he learned drove him to commit suicide
after sending Philip a letter ordering him to destroy his research documents.
Philip eventually manages to make his way to Amabel's lab, but Clarence causes him to hallucinate and murder
Amabel. Using Amabel's lab notes, Philip manages to rid himself of Clarence by extracting him using a lab machine. However, the machine transfers Clarence into a nearby corpse, which he reanimates and uses to attack Phillip. He is saved by the Tuurngait itself, as several Infected arrive to destroy Clarence, for Clarence now possess an individual body and mind rather than part of "the many" in Tuurngait. The Tuurngait communicates directly with Philip, sending him into his own mind and putting him through a series of spiritual tests designed to test his ability to cooperate, show mercy
, and demonstrate self-sacrifice.
Once Philip passes the tests, the Tuurngait reveals all; it is an ancient entity that came to Earth millions of years ago; it once co-existed peacefully alongside the native Inuit, using "Infected" host bodies to pass its ancient knowledge to mankind. However, in time mankind began to grow and expand, and the Tuurngait burrowed underground to separate itself from the human world. When the Archaic came, they disturbed the Tuurngait's ancient slumber and attempted to exploit it, and it fought back against them in self-defense. The Tuurngait explains that mankind is intelligent and compassionate as individuals, but selfish, petty, and destructive as a whole. However, it believes that Philip is different from most of mankind. The Tuurngait puts itself at Philip's mercy, asking him to send a message to someone above ground, for them to destroy all information regarding the Archaic's research facility so that the Tuurngait may rest in peace. This is the same request the Tuurngait made of Philip's father Howard, however Philip thwarted it by coming to investigate instead of following his father's instructions.
Philip seemingly agrees to the Tuurngait's request, and sends an email to a friend on the surface describing his adventure. However, stating that he has more in common with Clarence than with the Tuurngait, Philip gives his friend the coordinates of the mine and tells him to come and destroy the Tuurngait. His last words are: "Kill them. Kill them all."
, the series was reduced to two episodes due to unidentified problems with the previous publisher, Lexicon Entertainment, with the announcement of Penumbra: Black Plague. This episode was published by Paradox Interactive
. The developers were quite interested in fan feedback during the game's development, which became a driving factor in some of the changes done between Black Plague and Overture, such as the removal of dogs and other combat related enemies, as well as moving away somewhat from a reliance on written notes. Frictional Games later announced that Black Plague was to receive an expansion named Requiem
, which was released in August 2008.
score of 78, a MobyGames
rank of 78, and a GameRankings rank of 78.90%. The game also holds a five star rating at The Linux Game Tome
.
Black Plague was praised for having a successfully horrific atmosphere and a competently designed and executed plot, with GamerNode raving in one of the games more positive reviews that "the greatest achievement of Black Plague is in its writing. The script never fails to both entertain and enthrall the player, and the game's final, overarching message is profound and well-delivered. I was truly impressed." The removal of the combat system was met with a positive response, with IGN
commenting that "without the awkward combat of Overture, Black Plague is a smoother experience where the clumsiness of the physics and control systems are exposed far less frequently." The games use of physics based puzzles was also commented on positively, with PC Gamer
deciding that the game's "big sell is the interface, offering the most visceral control over the game-world in any adventure. It's inspired, and when it works, it leaves you begging for other developers to steal it."
Some criticism was directed at the relative shortness of the games campaign and rather abrupt concluding moments, with GameSpot
stating that "such brevity and a dissatisfying conclusion might be more forgivable if a third Penumbra was on the way, but this sudden finale is a bit annoying given that this is the end of the line for the series." Adventure Gamers
also commented on the games length, commenting that many "will not relish how short it is", although going on to say that this "isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as a certain momentum is maintained throughout, but may give those considering paying in full pause for thought." And while the games graphics and production values were generally thought to look and feel dated, Adrenaline Vault
decided that although the visuals in the game can not "compete against the detailed colorful images in a state-of-the art title such as Crysis
, they’re extremely well-suited for their ominous purpose. The stark, desolate, drab settings allow the game to tell its story convincingly." They also praised the game's sound design, stating that the effects "are simply excellent", the music "is outstanding", and that the "voice acting is also exceptional".
Penumbra: Black Plague was nominated for a Writers' Guild of Great Britain
Award in 2008 for Best Video Game Script.
Episodic games
An episodic video game is a video game of a shorter length that is commercially released as an installment to a continuous and larger series. Episodic games differ from conventional video games in that they often contain less content but are developed on a more frequent basis.Such a series may or...
computer games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
developed by Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
developer Frictional Games
Frictional Games
Frictional Games is an independent video game company located in Helsingborg, Sweden. The developer comprises a small core team and is led by Thomas Grip and Jens Nilsson. Certain key roles such as Music and Narrative Design are performed by external staff like Mikko Tarmia and Tom Jubert,...
. The story continues from the previous episode, Penumbra: Overture
Penumbra: Overture
Penumbra: Overture is the first in a series of episodic first-person adventure games developed by Swedish developer Frictional Games. It was originally intended as the first episode of a trilogy. With the announcement of the second episode, Penumbra: Black Plague, it was stated that the second game...
, showing the protagonist Philip moving away from the abandoned mine setting of the original to explore an underground research base. Black Plague was released on February 12, 2008 to generally favourable reviews from critics. Although originally intended to conclude the series, a further expansion called Penumbra: Requiem
Penumbra: Requiem
Penumbra: Requiem is an expansion pack to the game Penumbra: Black Plague by Frictional Games.- Gameplay :Like the previous games, Requiem is an exploration-based adventure game that takes place from a first-person perspective and final installment of the main series...
was released later that year.
Gameplay
Black Plague is an exploration-based adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
that takes place from a first-person
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
perspective. The game's survival horror aspect mostly consists of avoiding various enemies which seek to injure or otherwise harm the protagonist. Compared to the previous game Overture, combat has been heavily de-emphasized, with the player no longer able to acquire melee weapons or create makeshift traps to fight enemies with. Instead, the emphasis is on the use of stealth tactics and fleeing to avoid attacks by enemy creatures. Gameplay features a mixture of exploration and solving physical puzzles.
Puzzles vary between traditional inventory puzzles often found in similar games of the adventure genre and primarily physics based puzzles, such as grabbing and stacking boxes in order to build a rudimentary stairway in order to get past a laser tripwire, or placing boards in order to cross an environmental obstruction such as a pit. Unlike in the previous episode, the player must also frequently interact with the bases computer and security systems by acquiring passwords, retrieving biometric data
Biometrics
Biometrics As Jain & Ross point out, "the term biometric authentication is perhaps more appropriate than biometrics since the latter has been historically used in the field of statistics to refer to the analysis of biological data [36]" . consists of methods...
or keycards
Keycard lock
A keycard lock is a lock operated by a keycard, a flat, rectangular plastic card with identical dimensions to that of a credit card or American driver's license which stores a physical or digital signature which the door mechanism accepts before disengaging the lock.There are several popular type...
, and repairing or overriding certain electronic or mechanical devices.
Information is scattered around the base in the form of written notes, recorded messages, saved documents, and various videos and emails that can be found on computers. The protagonist also comes into contact with several survivors which can provide more information and often direct the player to new missions or puzzles. A notebook
Notebook
A notebook is a book or binder composed of pages of notes, often ruled, made out of paper, used for purposes including recording notes or memoranda, writing, drawing, and scrapbooking....
kept by the protagonist helps keep this information in order and list the players current objectives. The protagonist must also overcome distortions to his vision and auditory systems due to his infection, which can cause him to hear or see things that are not there, have distorted sight, or lose some control over his own body. The player must try to overcome these challenges in order to progress through the game.
Plot
The story of Black Plague begins as an email sent by Philip to a friend, explaining what has happened to him and begging him to finish the work he could not. The rest of the game then proceeds as a flashbackFlashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
narrated by Philip to his friend in the email, beginning from where the previous game left off.
The game begins with Philip waking up in a locked room, after being knocked out by an unseen being at the end of the first game. Philip manages to escape via a nearby air-vent, and finds himself in the underground research facility of the Archaic Elevated Caste, a secret organization dedicated to discovering and researching ancient knowledge. The base is abandoned and in ruins, with all its personnel either dead or transformed into "the Infected", zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
-like creatures that attack Philip when they notice him. He soon discovers that he has also been infected; however, his reaction to the virus is extremely abnormal; instead of joining the infected hive-mind, he is taken over by the mind of one of the infected, the sarcastic and malevolent Clarence (after the film character
Clarence Odbody
Clarence Odbody is a fictional character in Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. He is portrayed by Henry Travers.-In the story:...
) who constantly taunts Philip throughout the course of the game.
Via the base's computer network, Philip is contacted by Dr. Amabel Swanson, an Archaic research scientist who has managed to survive the outbreak by locking herself in her lab. Swanson promises to help cure Philip's infection, if he will make his way to her section of the facility and rescue her. Through dialogue with Swanson, and various scattered documents found throughout the base, Philip learns that the Archaic came to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
to look for the "Tuurngait", an ancient entity described in native Inuit mythology
Inuit mythology
Inuit mythology has many similarities to the religions of other polar regions. Inuit traditional religious practices could be very briefly summarised as a form of shamanism based on animist principles....
as primordial spirits native to the area. Penetrating deep underground, the Archaic found and released the Tuurngait, which manifested as a sentient virus that infected the base's personnel. Philip discovers his father Howard managed to communicate with the Tuurngait, but what he learned drove him to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
after sending Philip a letter ordering him to destroy his research documents.
Philip eventually manages to make his way to Amabel's lab, but Clarence causes him to hallucinate and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
Amabel. Using Amabel's lab notes, Philip manages to rid himself of Clarence by extracting him using a lab machine. However, the machine transfers Clarence into a nearby corpse, which he reanimates and uses to attack Phillip. He is saved by the Tuurngait itself, as several Infected arrive to destroy Clarence, for Clarence now possess an individual body and mind rather than part of "the many" in Tuurngait. The Tuurngait communicates directly with Philip, sending him into his own mind and putting him through a series of spiritual tests designed to test his ability to cooperate, show mercy
Mercy
Mercy is broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions from Christianity to...
, and demonstrate self-sacrifice.
Once Philip passes the tests, the Tuurngait reveals all; it is an ancient entity that came to Earth millions of years ago; it once co-existed peacefully alongside the native Inuit, using "Infected" host bodies to pass its ancient knowledge to mankind. However, in time mankind began to grow and expand, and the Tuurngait burrowed underground to separate itself from the human world. When the Archaic came, they disturbed the Tuurngait's ancient slumber and attempted to exploit it, and it fought back against them in self-defense. The Tuurngait explains that mankind is intelligent and compassionate as individuals, but selfish, petty, and destructive as a whole. However, it believes that Philip is different from most of mankind. The Tuurngait puts itself at Philip's mercy, asking him to send a message to someone above ground, for them to destroy all information regarding the Archaic's research facility so that the Tuurngait may rest in peace. This is the same request the Tuurngait made of Philip's father Howard, however Philip thwarted it by coming to investigate instead of following his father's instructions.
Philip seemingly agrees to the Tuurngait's request, and sends an email to a friend on the surface describing his adventure. However, stating that he has more in common with Clarence than with the Tuurngait, Philip gives his friend the coordinates of the mine and tells him to come and destroy the Tuurngait. His last words are: "Kill them. Kill them all."
Development
First intended as a trilogyTrilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
, the series was reduced to two episodes due to unidentified problems with the previous publisher, Lexicon Entertainment, with the announcement of Penumbra: Black Plague. This episode was published by Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive
-External links:*...
. The developers were quite interested in fan feedback during the game's development, which became a driving factor in some of the changes done between Black Plague and Overture, such as the removal of dogs and other combat related enemies, as well as moving away somewhat from a reliance on written notes. Frictional Games later announced that Black Plague was to receive an expansion named Requiem
Penumbra: Requiem
Penumbra: Requiem is an expansion pack to the game Penumbra: Black Plague by Frictional Games.- Gameplay :Like the previous games, Requiem is an exploration-based adventure game that takes place from a first-person perspective and final installment of the main series...
, which was released in August 2008.
Reception
Black Plague got a slightly better critical reception than its predecessor, holding as of July 2011 a MetaCriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
score of 78, a MobyGames
MobyGames
-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
rank of 78, and a GameRankings rank of 78.90%. The game also holds a five star rating at The Linux Game Tome
The Linux Game Tome
The Linux Game Tome is a website which provides a comprehensive list of games for Linux.- History :The site was started by Tessa Lau in 1995...
.
Black Plague was praised for having a successfully horrific atmosphere and a competently designed and executed plot, with GamerNode raving in one of the games more positive reviews that "the greatest achievement of Black Plague is in its writing. The script never fails to both entertain and enthrall the player, and the game's final, overarching message is profound and well-delivered. I was truly impressed." The removal of the combat system was met with a positive response, with IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
commenting that "without the awkward combat of Overture, Black Plague is a smoother experience where the clumsiness of the physics and control systems are exposed far less frequently." The games use of physics based puzzles was also commented on positively, with PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
deciding that the game's "big sell is the interface, offering the most visceral control over the game-world in any adventure. It's inspired, and when it works, it leaves you begging for other developers to steal it."
Some criticism was directed at the relative shortness of the games campaign and rather abrupt concluding moments, with GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
stating that "such brevity and a dissatisfying conclusion might be more forgivable if a third Penumbra was on the way, but this sudden finale is a bit annoying given that this is the end of the line for the series." Adventure Gamers
Adventure Gamers
Adventure Gamers is a computer game website created in 1998 dedicated to the genre of adventure games. It publishes reviews and previews of adventure games, as well as opinion articles and interviews with game designers....
also commented on the games length, commenting that many "will not relish how short it is", although going on to say that this "isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as a certain momentum is maintained throughout, but may give those considering paying in full pause for thought." And while the games graphics and production values were generally thought to look and feel dated, Adrenaline Vault
Adrenaline Vault
The Adrenaline Vault was launched November 1, 1995 by gaming entrepreneur Angel Munoz. The site provides PC, console game and hardware news, previews and reviews. Once a large commercial website, Avault is now published primarily by a team of volunteers....
decided that although the visuals in the game can not "compete against the detailed colorful images in a state-of-the art title such as Crysis
Crysis
Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
, they’re extremely well-suited for their ominous purpose. The stark, desolate, drab settings allow the game to tell its story convincingly." They also praised the game's sound design, stating that the effects "are simply excellent", the music "is outstanding", and that the "voice acting is also exceptional".
Penumbra: Black Plague was nominated for a Writers' Guild of Great Britain
Writers' Guild of Great Britain
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds .-Activities:...
Award in 2008 for Best Video Game Script.