I love Penny Arcade. I remember years ago when Official PlayStation Magazine was still alive and printed a Penny Arcade comic each month. I still get a kick out of remembering the writers’ comments about Ico. Mainly because it’s true. At the same time, what makes Penny Arcade difficult to read is that it quickly rotates through bathroom humor, slapstick and college humor. I believe this makes the commentary more visceral. So imagine my delight when I finally got my hands on Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode One.

The setting for Episode One is a mixture of Lovecraftian thoughts and steampunk. The year is 1922, and the place is Desperation Lane in New Arcadia. The game starts simply enough: Your created avatar is raking leaves in front of his house. As soon as that everyday chore is complete, a massive robot fruit fornicator (hey ... this IS a kids’ show) destroys your avatar’s house. That’s when you see Gabe and Tycho’s digital counterparts — along with your own avatar — chase after it to avenge your destroyed house. Things quickly get even stranger as you play. You will take down hobos and mimes and living trash.

If this sounds a bit odd, it is. The game never takes itself very seriously. It can be very absurd, which is a major draw. In fact, it plays out like its comic counterpart. This makes the presentation a bit odd as the game tells you what is going on instead of showing you. But don’t dismiss this element too quickly as the writing is strong.

Graphically, Episode One looks highly cartoony — just like a Penny Arcade comic. There are four areas to “explore.” Desperation Lane sets the mood as a destroyed suburb. Anne-Claire’s room is a tween girl’s paradise mixed with mechanical genius. Hobo Alley is the slums. It’s dark and dank. And then there’s the boardwalk. It’s like any other boardwalk, except the benches are dedicated to clowns. It’s a nice system, though you can clearly tell its drawbacks when things are not as smooth as they could be.

But how does this “odd” game play? It’s a bit like any other role-playing game mixed with some light adventure elements. You tell the three characters what to do: items, attack and special moves. The longer a character waits, the more “charged” he gets. So, waiting for his special move icon to fill up allows him to access a potent attack. And if you’re patient enough, you can combine an attack with a second or even third party member. However, this leaves them open to attack. Thankfully, you can defend by hitting the R2 button at the right time. Time it perfectly for minimal damage and a counterattack. As long as your party doesn’t get hit (properly blocking keeps it from resetting), the number of attacks is added to the attack bonus. Furthermore, you can “summon” a character for a strong attack whenever his or her respective meter is full.

Then there are the light adventure elements. While there isn’t much space to explore, you have to find the proper item to advance. A guy wants meat to feed hobos and won’t accept any that don’t have “delicious” stamped on them. Tokens have to be acquired from playing minigames. You need them to get a “sinwheel” (Ferris wheel) so an orthodox doctor can use it for ... something that shouldn’t be mentioned. Like a fight club. Busted robotic parts are used to improve your party’s weapons. Items that end up in your inventory are used automatically, and where they need to be is clearly stated. It’ll take some time to find them, but it isn’t time-consuming.

Sound is rather decent. Your avatar’s rake and Gabe’s punches have a strong “thwack” to them. The victory fanfare is downright fun to listen. Episode One has about five different songs in it. It isn’t bad, especially since the game is rather short, but it would be nice to hear more variety. There is also no voice acting, save for the narrator. The person who hired him needs a bonus! He’s infinitely awesome as he adds some mystery and subtle humor to the game. It’s a shame he’s not heard more.

So is there something special to this game, something that makes it worthwhile? Absolutely. Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode One is a fun game to play. My main gripe is that the presentation could be stronger. But it is easy to tell that the developers are really onto something.

Depending on skill level, it will take about six hours to complete. Plus, $15 is a bit of a high premium. Interestingly though, Episodes One and Two are now bundled together on PlayStation Network. So it is much easier to swallow both episodes together. Not everyone will like this game, as it doesn’t take itself seriously. Language can be crude at times and references to things most people find offensive are somewhat frequent. But there is a demo available. Bottom line, it’s just a fun way to spend a short weekend.