Though not as polished visually or gameplay-wise as Skyrim, Oblivion remains my favorite of the series. The combat and leveling system hasn't aged too well, perhaps, but IV maintains an undeniable level of charm that I feel lacks even in Skyrim. The world is smaller and less detailed, the quests are fewer, the plot more linear - but the general quirkiness of certain NPCs and accompanying quests are so memorable, Plus, the Oblivion Crisis felt real, like there truly was an apocalypse taking place. I mean you, alone, descend into fantasy Hell to quell Daedra! Not to mention one of the most entertaining and unique pieces of DLC/expansion I've ever played in Shivering Isles. Couple this with Jeremy Soule's magnum opus (in my humble opinion), and you have an imperfect, but amazingly unforgettable open world RPG. Sheogorath bless you! Or not!
Penumbra opts to forgo the common higher difficulty of its survival horror peers and opts for a smoother experience overall. Puzzle solving makes up the biggest portion of the gameplay, with relatively few hostile adversaries roaming. Overture is a solid opening episode, but has a clunky combat system that does detract from the experience a bit as you aren't as vulnerable as you are in Amnesia, though dispatching your attackers is quite clumsy and frustrating. Regardless, Overture is satisfying and does a good job setting up for the far superior (in my opinion) sequel. Black Plague does away with the funky combat, insisting that you evade danger, providing that thrill of fear and urgency that was missing in Overture. The story of Penumbra truly blossoms in this episode, as you meet new personas and begin to piece together the overall puzzle that to this point was pretty vague. The ending proves to be ultimately satisfying and even thought provoking, something that seems to be uncommon in similar games. As a fan of horror of all kinds, I was impressed to find a unique and compelling story in a world bogged down in cliches. If you are looking to become immersed in a heavily story driven puzzler, then I highly recommend Penumbra.
