Attempting to establish a genuine atmosphere of terror, the first Penumbra provides some interesting puzzles and memorable moments, but has inconsistent horror and an unsatisfying ending. The game has a nice variety in pace, handled in a pleasingly erratic fashion; scavenging a room's supplies could quickly switch to a frantic chase through a cave. The inventory system is intuitive, but giving the player multiple sources of light just adds clutter rather than depth. The story is initially intriguing but in the end disappointing - the plot ambiguity is successful in encouraging progress, but the game ends with literally none of the established mysteries answered, requiring the player to purchase the sequel if they want to find out anything.