Penumbra: Overture - Detailed Report

[The_cranky_hermit]

==Game Information==

Penumbra: Overture is a first person action/adventure game from Frictional Games and Strategy First. You play as an individual named Phillip, who has received a letter from his deceased father, asking him to destroy a set of notes. Instead of doing so, he reads the notes, and travels to an abandoned iron mine in Greenland to follow the clues in the notes. Penumbra: Overture has a physics based engine, and features lots of sophisticated physics-based puzzles, much more so than in Half-Life 2. Nearly every object can be grabbed, pushed, pulled, dragged, thrown, and/or otherwise manipulated. Combat is also physics-based, and it is often possible to use the physics to set up traps for or to distract your enemies.


==Version==

This information is based on the demo, and may or may not be the same in the full game.


==Method==

1280x800 and below are natively supported. For higher resolutions, do this:

Go to:
C:Documents and SettingsMy DocumentsPenumbra OvertureEpisode1settings.cfg

open settings.cfg with your favorite text editor and look for:


And change accordingly and then save the file.


==Screen change==

Hor +.


1024x768


1280x800


==Supported resolutions==

Resolutions above 1280x1024 are unsupported, but the resolutions below it work.
Confirmed: 1280x720, 1280x768, 1280x800
Unsupported: 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, and 1920x1200


==Singleplayer anomalies==

2D objects such as inventory items, notes, and the inventory menu are all stretched. Gameplay is unaffected by this.


1024x768


1280x800


==Multiplayer support==

Penumbra is singleplayer only.


==Aspect ratio support==

Aspect ratio is automatic, based on your resolution.


1280x720


1280x800


==HUD stretch==

Penumbra doesn't really have a HUD. The closest thing it has to a HUD is a cursor and subtitles, but these stretch.


==Cut-scenes==

Cut-scenes are FMV, and are stretched.


1024x768


1280x800


==Grading==

Calculated grade: B-
Potential grade: B

Major unresolved issues:
None

Minor unresolved issues:
Are 1920x1080 and 1920x1200 supported?

Summary of widescreen-related flaws:
.ini solution for resolutions above 1280x800
Stretched 2D objects
Stretched cursor and subtitles
Stretched FMVs

Cranky's coverage estimate: 99.5%

[kv29]

Creepy game, totally recommended.
Penumbra is divided in three episodes, the other two parts are still being developed.

[Gnap]

You can play at 1680x1050 or 1440x900 in the full version. It's not offered in the ingame options. I'm not sure about the 1920 resolutions as my monitor won't support that.

Go to:
C:Documents and SettingsMy DocumentsPenumbra OvertureEpisode1settings.cfg

open settings.cfg with your favorite text editor and look for:


And change accordingly and then save the file.

[Blinky]

You can play at 1680x1050 or 1440x900 in the full version. It's not offered in the ingame options. I'm not sure about the 1920 resolutions as my monitor won't support that.

Go to:
C:Documents and SettingsMy DocumentsPenumbra OvertureEpisode1settings.cfg

open settings.cfg with your favorite text editor and look for:


And change accordingly and then save the file.

Just confirmed that 1920 works. Cool game. Looks so much better with "noise filter" turned OFF, by the way.