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I don't often play first person perspective games. Even though they seem to be "all the rage," I don't find any innovation in the game style over the years. However, when I saw the premise behind Penumbra: Black Plague, my head turned. Could it really be an innovative and unique first person game?

Black Plague is the second title in what is now announced to be a series of at least three. It is a psychological thriller shown through first person perspective that, at times plays much like an adventure game. Though the typical first person game arms you with some type of large gun, the only weapons you have in Penumbra are your own wits, combined with an incredible physics engine.

This means that in Penumbra EVERYTHING is a tool; the only items you can't interact with are bolted down. You can throw most non-breakable objects to damage, or break things. You can injure enemies by throwing items at them (but not kill them); you can turn, twist, push or pull objects in just about every direction. Every object will have mass, making heavy objects slow to move and frequently not possible to pick up. The ability to spin wheels, or apply torque to objects is very interesting. For instance, opening a door from the hinges is pretty ineffective, and so is barricading it in this manner; this can be used in far more complex situations as well. The extremely detailed physics sets Penumbra apart from other games, but the originality doesn't stop here.

The story begins as Phillip, trapped in an underground complex in Greenland while attempting to find his father, must escape the chaos that ensues due to a recent virus outbreak. Phillip is soon joined by the virus he is trying to escape from in the form of Clarence - in his head - as it slowly works its way through his body. Clarence is able to share his thoughts with Phillip, and provides both comic relief, and an extremely well-designed villain in otherwise terrifying gameplay.

Phillip must use the objects around him to proceed through the complex and bypass security as he tries to find his father and escape. At the same time he must avoid the zombies created by an advancing disease. The whole population - becomes - zombies - via - virus - outbreak has the been there/done that feel to it, but Black Plague does good job of putting a twist on it as you must battle the transformation yourself as well as external forces.

As I mentioned, the game actually plays as a real time adventure game due to the preponderance of problem solving opportunities. The puzzles in the game range from simple to moderately difficult and are consistently logical. You really need to open up your thought processes: You may see a locked cabinet, and assume based upon previous gaming experiences you've got to find a key. Wrong! Just smash the bastard open! Shove a piece of iron bar in a lock, and then use leverage to break the lock open. It is a matter of adjusting to using what you have, in the right conditions.

The one thing you won't have is a weapon, so your main defenses become barricading yourself, hiding, or running. Stealth is somewhat simple; you can crouch and stay still in the dark to become less visible. This will often allow an enemy to walk close to you unnoticed; however you'll panic if you stare at it approaching for too long. Running is often your only choice, as barricades do little to advance your position.

The graphics are passable. They are by no means bad, but the details on some items are hastily done and pretty crude. On the other side, the artistic style is superb and adds to the incredible horror experience. Similarly, the lighting is decent from glow sticks to flashlights and even short circuits, but lacks a certain quality to them. Again, the style and position of the lighting is what really creates the terrifying atmosphere in the game.

The music tends to be light and somewhat unmemorable (but I think that's the point). There are just enough notes present to create a little bit more tension in the air. Voice acting comes primarily from the maniacal voice in your head, Clarence. The dialog and voice acting are fitting, adding a very dark and very comedic value to the game. When was the last time a game really invoked an emotional response from you? He gets under your skin, taunts you, and messes with you until you start to feel exactly as your character does. I could recommend this game based on its ability to draw out emotions alone!

I know I've said that other games have done incredible jobs on their horror atmosphere, but this time I really, really mean it. Alright, I meant it before too, but Penumbra tops them all. The game told me to turn down the lights and adjust my monitor, but it wasn't long until I said "f*** this" and set it back to the highest brightness, having decided to play only during daylight. This really is the most terrifying game I have ever played. It is also the reason why there are no screen shots of zombies; I got the hell out of there!

The artistic style, lighting, and the voice forever chatting in your head combine to make an extremely tense experience. As atmosphere, story and anticipation create an incredible amount of paranoia... a zombie busts open a doorway - they often have grand entrances - you jump out of your seat and panic. I actually felt my heart pounding and had to shut off the game a number of times!

Penumbra: Black Plague is currently available for PC only, but it appears that Mac and Linux will soon be available. With at least seven hours of play in your first attempt and a low price point at $19.99, I found it to be a great value. The Penumbra series are very unique games; they create a terrifying horror experience, have a large number of quality puzzles, and fully integrate a physics engine which really must be experienced to be appreciated. I'll be honest, the game really scared the hell out of me - I don't enjoy that as much as others do - so I didn't get to enjoy that element as much as I should have. On the other hand, I had a blast roaming around, figuring out what to do, and how to manipulate objects while cursing under my breath just hoping nothing was around trying to kill me. I've never written this before: Penumbra: Black Plague is a must play.