Just in time for Halloween, Paradox Interactive has announced the Penumbra Collection, a compilation title that combines Penumbra: Overture and Penumbra: Black Plague together with the puzzle-oriented expansion pack Requiem. It is expected sometime during the first quarter of 2009.

Penumbra is a survival horror series that emphasizes problem solving and psychological thrills. It uses the first-person perspective and is powered by a custom-designed 3D engine developed by Frictional Games, its developer.

Paradox Interactive announced Penumbra: Black Plague, a sequel to the horror adventure, which is being billed as the final chapter in the series. Set for release during Q1 2008, the game will further the story and will feature enhanced gameplay.

“Penumbra: Overture has been referred to as the scariest adventure game to appear in years, and with Penumbra: Black Plague, the developers have managed to push the boundaries of psychological horror even further, said Fredrik Wester, Executive Vice President of Paradox Interactive. “Their unique and innovative approach to gaming adventures made Penumbra a fan and media favorite and we are convinced that Penumbra: Black Plague will have an even bigger impact on the gaming community”.

“Penumbra: Black Plague is horrific, life-like, interactive and unique and we are thrilled to be working with Paradox Interactive to introduce this game to a worldwide audience, said Jens Nilsson, Co-Founder Frictional Games”. “We’ve worked with Paradox in the past and their support for our vision and ideas has made it possible for us to keep on developing games that we believe in.”

Got Game Entertainment has announced that it has gotten the rights to publish Penumbra: Overture - a first-person, horror-adventure game - in North America. Developed by Frictional Games, the game offers a “highly interactive world” where the player will be able to “open drawers, pull levels, pick up objects” and other things that have been done in games for quite a while.

“Penumbra: Overture” places you in the role of Philip, who, following the death of his mother, receives a letter from a dead man - his father. The letter insists he burn a particular book, but Philip studies it instead. Following clues in the book, he is led to Greenland. Caught in a deadly snow storm, he finds refuge - or so he thinks - in a strange metal hatch in the snow. Stepping into the hatch, Philip steps into the unknown where he must use his wits to solve puzzles and unravel the mysteries of his past.

The game is et for release in March 2007; it will retail for $20.

Word comes from Lexicon Entertainment that the British publisher has picked up Penumbra: Overture, and that it has gone episodic. Here’s a bit:

The first episode takes place in an underground facility on Greenland where the player finds himself alone, confused and with no way to get out. Something is wrong… where is everyone, and what are those strange noises?

The game will be released as three episodes, with the first due in Q1 2007. It is being developed by Frictional Games. More details after the jump.
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From Sweden comes word from Frictional Games that they will release a commercial version of Penumbra - Overture:

Penumbra is an innovative first person horror game utilizing physics for interaction and puzzles. The game is set on Greenland where the protagonist searches for information regarding his late father. Previously released as a tech demo, Penumbra gained over a quarter of a million downloads world wide. It has been very well received and called one of the scariest games ever.

Penumbra - Overture will feature major updates in both gameplay and graphics. Gameplay additions include a melee combat system, greatly improved AI and more stable physics. The already powerful graphics engine will boost even more next-generation features creating a very realistic experience. Notable features include full real-time lighting, motion blur, depth of field and advanced fogging.

The studio is currently looking for a publisher. They plan to release the game sometime next year.