Penny Arcade Adventures (X360)

One of the most unique games to come out this year for the Xbox 360 is undoubtedly the first entry in the Penny Arcade Adventures series, titled "On The Rain-Slick Precipice Of Darkness".  This turn-based RPG/adventure game is the latest in the new trend of shorter, cheaper, episodic games made popular by the Sam and Max and other franchises, and while it lacks the length and depth of roleplaying games like the Final Fantasy series, it more than makes up for it with its idiosyncratic (if a little adult) sense of humor.

The game, as you would imagine coming from the minds behind the Penny Arcade webcomic, is geared primarily toward humor.  The gameplay aspects are more than adequate, but puzzles are all very simple, and most of the quests in the game simply involve fighting bad guys rather than working through some elaborate plan or mechanism.  Combat is fairly simple and a bit repetitive, but bizarre and occasionally hilarious special attacks help liven things up.  Be warned, however - for those who might be easily offended by ribald humor, this game occasionally wanders into offensive territory.  As a basic rule of thumb, if you can handle the humor on the Penny Arcade website, you'll be fine here.

The game looks amazing, with considerable care put into character design and animation.  The only complaint is the length of the game, coming in under ten hours.  This, coupled with the relatively small size of the playable area will make fans undoubtedly clamor for more when it comes to the sequel.