Some horrors are remembered for a long time and become cult in their genre. There are also such projects that do not get any crazy popularity. But even they find a small but dedicated audience that supports developers and is waiting for new products.
About the series
Penumbra is a Latin word that translates as “partial shade”. That is how the developers of Frictional Games decided to call a series of games. At the moment, the project consists of two main series and two additions. Each piece is represented in the genre of Survival Horror.
The first part became known in 2007. The entire series works only on personal computers.
Second part
Penumbra: Requiem is directly related to the second part. It is its complement, although in Russia the game received the name "three", thereby marking the appearance of the third series, which, in fact, does not exist. But the addition turned out to be so large-scale and independent that it was difficult not to call it a sequel.
Penumbra: Black Plague is the second main part of the series. She became famous in 2008. She is also represented in the genre of Survival Horror. The story of this part begins again with a letter. The entire subsequent storyline is tied to the fact that the player sees the flashbacks of the main character described in the letter.
Those who played in the first part, remember that Philip in the final receives a blow to the head from a stranger. A new story begins with the fact that he comes to his senses and tries to escape. Later, he discovers that he was at a research station in Greenland. All scientists and staff are dead or become zombies.
Passage Penumbra: Black Plague leads the protagonist to the tomb of Tuurngayt. A series of events happen to him in which the question of philosophy is sharply posed. Tuurngait tests Philip and forces him to destroy Manuick base.
Addition
Penumbra: Requiem is an add-on released in the same 2008. It is also represented in the genre of Survival Horror. In this case, the hero often comes across the so-called "puzzles" - puzzles that need to be solved in order to advance in the story.
New story
At the beginning of the add-on, the developer of the game Penumbra: Requiem reminds us of the events that occurred in the main story. Under the influence of Tuurngait, Philip writes a letter with the words “Kill them! Kill them all." But after this letter he is again hit on the head, and he loses consciousness.
The main character comes to life. He is in some kind of tomb from which he needs to get out. Everything around Phillip is very similar. He experiences deja vu, getting into one or another location. Some rooms are forced to do previously done operations.
The character must overcome 9 stages. Along the way, he finds all sorts of records left by Eloff. In the notes he talks about some exalted who arrived here. At the end of Level 9, Philip begins to hear Eloff's voice within himself.
He contacted the protagonist through his mind. Tells that he was trapped. He was offered death, but he refused, finding himself nowhere. The player will even have the opportunity to look through the eyes of Eloff.
It turns out that a certain Redhead on the walkie-talkie had previously contacted Eloff. Redwood begins to manipulate Philip, promising to free him from the horror that happens to the hero. But, in fact, we understand that the protagonist does not even have a choice. We follow him and get into the crematorium.
It was here in the first part that Phillip killed Redhead. Redwood makes us enter the stove and burn. We can’t do anything, we follow his order.
But the final credits have not yet begun. Frictional Games has prepared an unusual video for us. It turns out that everything that happened was just the nonsense of the dying Philip. He was still in the room with the computer.
Ending: secret
But if one little secret is Penumbra 3. There is a conditionally good ending, although such a statement may be considered false by someone.
To change the finale, you need, after you entered the red room-crematorium, go out the door behind the hero. The game takes us to a ship in an already familiar cabin.
But here it is completely incomprehensible what the passage of Penumbra 3 led to. Perhaps all the events that the gamer had to endure in a series of games turned out to be only imagination, and Philip actually just slept. There is a theory that, in fact, having gone outside the room, the protagonist died. And what the player sees is only a dying vision. More game will not show us anything.
There is an assumption that the hero approached his death due to "infection". All that you saw is his dying delirium. In the second part, information appears that at the final stage of infection, a person can experience and feel strange events. Much pops up before his eyes, and after he dies.
Game process
Penumbra: Requiem is generally quite simple. This is not to say that it impedes your progress along the storyline.
The gameplay has not changed since the release of the first part. The basis of the game is the interaction of the character with objects. The only thing that the quest part has practically left the gameplay.
The protagonist can no longer store everything that he finds in the inventory. But he is able to move things in space. Many people compare this gameplay with what was proposed in Half-Life 2.
To go from level to level, you need to collect balls. These are artifact keys that help make the transition. To find them, you need to be smart and solve difficult problems.
Start
Passage of the game "Penumbra 3" begins with a dungeon. You need to go to the hall, and there to solve a simple puzzle. After that, the doors will open and there will be a portal behind them. True, so far non-working. On the other side of the cliff, you will need to find a part that will help launch the portal.
By the way, you should immediately understand that the hero does not have any weapons, so a meeting with any monster can end in death. It’s better to run or hide to live as long as possible. There is a flashlight in the left hand of the protagonist, and this is already good.
New location
After going to the portal you will be taken to a new room. You can look around, but you will not find anything interesting, so it is better to jump down immediately. Thanks to the button it will be possible to get to the other side. But there is a complication: it is important to keep within 10 seconds and not activate the gas channels. Use a rusty cube to place it on a ledge.
In the room you will see a tape recorder. Need to listen to the tape. A door will appear behind the machine. It is better to take a cube with you right away, it will come in handy in the future. We must not forget to take with you all the items in Penumbra 3, especially if these are keys. Do not fall under the sights of the laser and do not forget to listen to the recorder.
Mine
After the portal you will be taken to vertical shafts. Here you must remember to take the key out of the box. Ahead of us is a puzzle, having solved which, we can go up. A bridge awaits us, which must be lowered.
Grab the ketchup bottle: you'll need it a bit later to throw it into the knife switch. But you need to rise not to the end, but so as not to miss another key. Further it will be possible to get out on the roof of the container.
On the right, take the board to be used in the next room. There you will need to push the remaining boards. Since one is not enough, you can use the tools at hand. Pick up a book and use a mattress to climb onto a moving platform. A portal awaits us behind it.
Collector
Passing the game Penumbra 3: Requiem brings us to the next level. On the right we take a wooden box and sail in search of a key. In the hall you need to use the valve. You will hear an explosion, so you will need to go in search of a green flame.
At the bottom you will find a battery that needs to be returned to the lever at the starting point. When the water begins to rise, you can get those objects that were too high. You should go for the figurine. After we return to the hall, where we find the switch that will open the stairs.
The character’s time will be limited, it is important to have time to use the passage, take the key and go to the portal.
Helipad
This is the next level in which many tasks have to be solved. Penumbra 3 Tips: Go straight to the back of the tunnel to use the right button that opens the door.
Now turn right to find the desired item and grab the pipe. On the contrary, there is a location in which you need to solve a small puzzle. The antenna will work, due to which the fuse will blow.
Next, go to the remaining location. To move over the fence, you can use a chair. Once behind the fence, you must immediately use the switch, and then find the fuse.
Now the character needs to perform the operations in the following order: connect the battery to the PC, look at the statistics, calibrate and send a signal. Now go to the helipad. It will be easy to find the second key here.
The doors to the hangar need to be locked and use the left button on the remote control. Having descended into the hatch, we pass into the portal.
Power station
First you have to control the ball. It must be sent to the hole, but at the same time it will have to be done carefully so that it does not fall under the lasers and does not disappear. Now you can go over the bridge, and take a walkie-talkie at the entrance. If you go right, you can find the switch and lower it.
You have to jump from the bridge to find a new switch. Below you will find the key. Now you need to return to the first switch, but before reaching it, turn the stairs to the right.
Upstairs, another puzzle awaits us. Have to experiment with the remote control and levers. From a translucent bridge, you will need to jump onto the iron one. This way you get to the ball. You need to roll it up to get the key. Thus we again fall into the portal.
Lasers
Need to beat the laser grid. It is better not to approach him in any way, but only to use the gear, which lies nearby. It is needed in order to attach it to the mechanism. We find another one here, but the third one will have to be searched on the left.
Going down the stairs, you need to go straight, but before reaching the exit, turn right. We use the valve and take the handle. At the end we find the key, as well as places for installing the handle. Thus, we start the mechanism.
Thanks to this, the game will throw us a ball that needs to be installed in the hole, and then control it with levers. Next, we return to the place of finding the third gear, pick up the key and go to the other side. Having passed dangerous explosive barrels, we again find the key.
The laser array will disappear at the beginning of the level, and a portal will appear behind it.
New puzzles
The first location requires a little savvy. It is necessary to activate two buttons with the help of boxes, and it’s enough to stand on the third one yourself. After that you will hear the explosion, you need to go to its sound. In the room you will find a box under which the hatch, and underneath the key.
On the shelf, you need to deactivate the device and grab the item. Next, return to the location of the first box. Under it will be a hatch in which you need to go down. The wood needs to be thrown into the oven and the knife switch is activated.
After that you will have to find the code for the lock, and leave the jar in the hatch on the wall. On the left you will find another key. Returning to the code lock, you need to go down to move the box towards the broken lift. Below you will find a stove next to which there will be two valves. One is returned to its original position, and the second is turned until it stops.
Now the broken lift will work, and you and the box will climb to a new location. In the box you will find the chemical to be thrown into the pipe. We return to the valves: we turn the first one all the way, and the second one we return it to its original position.
Through the passage it will be possible to get to the elevators, which are serviceable. And through them you can get to the portal.
Final level
Passage "Penumbra 3" comes to an end. It is necessary to remove the lock from the door in order to get into the ventilation through the grill. The location will lead you to a flooded room, but do not run right after the key, it can be dangerous for your life. With the help of boxes you can reach the stairs and climb into the room.
There you need to use your wit again, as, however, throughout the passage of Penumbra 3. Rearranging the fuse, it turns out to pick up the coveted key.
Returning to the room, we find another ventilation behind the cabinet and go there. So we get to the place where we came from. To get across the water, you need to throw boxes and use them as platforms. Another puzzle will wait in the room.
We return to the ventilation again. Leaving the room, you need to turn left and go straight, hitting another location. Here the player will have to use a socket and a button. In the next room you can find fuel. Now you can go to the other side.
The platform will throw you directly to the key. Fuel must be brought to a pile of stones. We use the rope, putting it with one end to the barrel, and the second in the oil puddle. After the path opens, just find the key and go to the portal.
According to the plot of “Penumbra 3”, you must go to the red room. And there, as you remember, Redhead make you burn. But, if you want a relatively good ending, you can use the door behind you.
Reviews
The passage of "Penumbra 3" for many was a complete disappointment. Although, on the other hand, what should be expected from a simple addition. After all, the developers themselves did not release the game under the guise of a third main part.
Nevertheless, there are many disappointments, and it is difficult to forget about them. Firstly, they completely forgot about the plot. Somehow everything turned out confusing and strange. It seems that the previous story continues, but it seems to be somehow “cold” and unemotional.
Secondly, the addition received only 9 levels. That is, only 9 steps separates you from the finale. Missions, not to say, were very difficult. Yes, in some moments you have to strain logic and thinking. But in fact, everything is of the same type and comes down to one thing: the search for keys.
Thirdly, it seems that the developers have forgotten that this is horror. Yes, it seemed to work out with the Survival, but whether you will be scared is a big question.
Did something please you? Perhaps the new physics has really become quite good, so it will significantly spoil the gameplay. But they decided not to do anything with the graphics: whether it is good or bad, you decide.
Many players were outraged that the developers decided for some reason to implement this huge number of portals. And it was not clear whether they wanted to imitate Portal or whether it happened by chance. But there are many clones in the popular game, but not one of high-quality ones. In addition, everything that was prepared for gamers in Penumbra: Requiem is incredible boredom.