In 2010, Jerry of Penny Arcade announced we would not be seeing a third chapter in the Penny Arcade Adventures series. Considering what a fun and fresh take the first two were with their RPG and adventure game trappings, I was really disappointed by this news. Tycho (Jerry) started to continue the On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness story in prose on the PA website, but it just wasn’t the same. Thankfully Zeboyd Games, creator of Cthulhu Saves the World, has stepped in.

Much like Cthulhu Saves the World, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 has some very specific influences. Asking Robert and Bill, the two dudes in charge of the game, what Rain-Slick’s visual influences are was purely a formality. This game wears its references on its sleeve. At a quick glance, you could believe this was just some part of Final Fantasy IV that you never saw. Even after playing it for 15 minutes, I would still believe this was a 16-bit RPG that just never came out. Even the battle system starts out right from these games, but has its own twists.

Each character has their own special moves, rather than deciding what attacks to use based on jobs or class. Tycho’s attacks are weapon- and science-based, Gabe will rough up a guy with his fists and Ann(archy) is our support. The dialogue decisions and customization of the previous entries are gone, but the trademark PA humor remains intact. I’ll miss playing as a customized self inserted alongside my heroes, but it’s a fair trade-off for more Penny Arcade.

Look for the game sometime this summer.