If you've played a videogame in the last decade and also happened to access the internet in that same window of time, there's a pretty good chance that you have, at least once, experienced a comic created by the guys at www.penny-arcade.com.

Founded by friends Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik way back in `98, the web-comic known as Penny Arcade is something of a gaming phenomenon, spawning all sorts of merchandise, its own charity for kids, and now, their own videogames. Regarded by some as the most feared critics on the interweb for their no-holds barred approach and rabid fanbase, the power of Penny Arcade is such that a single link on their main-page is enough to bring most websites to their knees under an inundation of traffic.

Of course, if you're a fan, you know all this already. And so you probably have an idea of how ballsy it is for these guys to make their own game, given they spend as much of their time criticising other gaming websites and reviews as they do the games themselves. Undeterred by the potential for harsh revenge and triumphant told-you-so's, their first game, the verbosely titled Penny Arcade Adventures, Episode 1: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, has finally made its way onto the Xbox Live Arcade. Fans no doubt bought it instantly, but weighing in at a hefty 1600 Microsoft Points (that's double the price of most releases and around $25 for those of you struggling to convert that into Bison Dollars), there's probably more than a few of you on the fence still.

I think the most important point to make going in is that Penny Arcade Adventures is not really a conventional Xbox Live Arcade title, but lacking any other sort of channel for this type of content, Microsoft were forced to lump it in with the rest anyway. As you probably gathered from the title, On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is the first "episode” in a planned series, like the new Sam & Max games on the PC, or like a TV show you pay for. The concept is something pretty alien to most Xbox 360 gamers, especially us Aussies who don't have a video marketplace where buying an episode of something is now second-nature. But "episodic” is the new industry buzz-word so you might as well get used to it, and Penny Arcade Adventures is a pretty damn good place to start.

The game introduces the alter-egos of the Penny Arcade team, Gabe and Tycho, but not in their regular, everyday roles. The pair now run the Startling Developments detective agency in the city of New Arcadia, and are sort of like a turn-of-the-century Mulder and Scully. Their investigations of the paranormal and the occult bring them literally to your doorstep...well, it *was* a doorstep, before a giant robot stomped on it and levelled your neighbourhood, anyways. From here, your adventure will involve an army of mimes, fruit-raping robots, urinating hobos and a battle with a vengeful god. No, I'm not joking. It's a truly whacky adventure, but it's also genuinely hilarious, and for an industry that tends to shy away from humour, it's a breath of fresh air that provides stacks of laugh-out-loud moments.

Fans of the comic series will no doubt laugh a little louder of course, but even if you aren't familiar with the Penny Arcade experiences, it's hard not to enjoy this game. But Penny Arcade Adventures is more than just a good guffaw, it's also a competent and enjoyable adventure RPG experience. It goes a little overboard on the click-everywhere-to-find-stuff dynamic, but the role-playing is simple yet fun, and the combat itself is a fantastic, real-time turn-based hybrid that has its roots in the old-school, but has been modernised to keep it fresh.

Your team – which includes the character you make yourself as well as Gabe and Tycho – have normal attacks as well as three levels of special attacks, which can be unlocked as you progress through the game. Additionally you can use one of a dozen or so items to get the edge, but each action is on a timer, and you'll have to wait for the clock to count down before you can act. Naturally special attacks take longer to charge up, but can dish out massive damage if you can find that enemy weak-spot. You can also team up if another character has a special move ready to go, and some enemies are immune to certain attacks, which further deepens the combat dynamic at work. Of course while all this is happening your enemies are getting ready to lay the smack down on you too, but if you time a squeeze of the right-trigger just so, you might be able to block or even counter-attack.

As a result of all this, combat feels a lot like organised chaos, and your first few battles will be overwhelming. But once you get used to it, fights in Penny Arcade Adventures are a real joy to play, and mini-games to overpower your special attacks as well as ridiculously gory overkill fatalities just make it even better. Not only is it gory, but there's a bunch of swearing and toilet humour too, making the whole thing being an XBLA title even more incongruous. But there is a lot to love here, and weighing in at around 6-8 hours playtime, it's a hefty little nugget of gaming goodness, even factoring in the steeper price.

Aside from snappy writing and a solid combat experience though, Penny Arcade Adventures is a great looking game. Much like when your favourite superhero gets turned into a big-screen blockbuster, there is a degree of apprehension for fans of the comic at seeing it transition into a game, but thankfully the move is almost flawless. The whole "steampunk” vibe (think Victorian era England with sci-fi elements) suits the characters perfectly, and the hand-drawn feel of everything is wonderful. There's only four locations though so it does lack a bit of variety, but in all the comic-book style cutscenes, the protagonist you made at the start shows up in every frame and has expressions and facial movements just like anyone else, which is a nice touch.

The game sounds pretty good too, even if nobody really speaks. Some of the sound-effects can get a bit repetitive, but the narrator is hilarious and the musical score is really fitting for the era and style they've created – think Harry Potter meets Danny Elfman and you'll have a bit of an idea. Plus, during your point-and-click hunt you can find and unlock all the tracks to listen to, as well as collect concept art which unlocks...the first part of something special! You'll see what it is...in part two! Damn episodic gaming has me hooked already...