PAX East 2013: Precipice of Darkness 4 (Zeboyd Games)

Interview:

Gameplay:

Alex:

It has been a year since we last saw the dynastic developer duo Zeboyd Games, and in that year, they have not only released Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 but they are on the verge to get their next title out as well: Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4.  We had an extended interview with them, and we also got to play through some of the demo areas available at the showfloor.  You can check out both in the videos above.

Precipice of Darkness 4 is the series finale of RPGs starring Tycho and Gabriel in a world that now, a little spoiler here but not really in the plot of PoD4, no longer exists.  Now in the Underhell, a place worse than Hell, Gabe and villain-turned-not-so-villain Dr. Blood start their adventure to find their lost compatriots and stop whatever evil being remains in their way...well, evil-er anyways.

While players do control the group of heroes from the previous installments, the battles themselves are now handled by monsters conjured up from monstorbs, ominous ovoids which create monster beings which follow their master's every request.  If these sound familiar to another brand, do not worry.  The parody of that brand is known by the developers, as well, and it really shows in certain parts of the game.  These maniacal creatures range from a small being of pure evil to a large rodent with a pair of shades and a popped-collar.  While characters and monsters separately gain levels, there are additional effects when certain characters have certain monsters selected.  Besides these elements, the maps  have become more open and more numerous than any other project in Zeboyd's history.  Toss in the dark humor reminiscent to the series, and you have a game worthy of being the final entry in the PoD series.

I got to play the game briefly at the showfloor, and I was met with a similar feel to that of my time with PoD3, albeit there were some key differences.  Movement seemed a little faster, and there were more details in the graphics and story-telling this time around.  I can say from my playtime that it looks and feels a bit better than the previous entry, so for those of you looking for a game that takes PoD3 and goes well beyond that...you're going to get it!

Precipice of Darkness 4 comes out on PC and on Xbox Live Indie Games soon.