When the guys at Penny-Arcade announced that they were releasing a game based on their personas, there was a mix of excitement and trepidation across their fanbase. Penny-Arcade is an enterprise founded on dick jokes, video game humor, and, well, integrity. You get the feeling reading both the comic and their regular musings that they The Guys Who Will Play It Straight with you, the ones who are willing to look ridiculous or be proven wrong if it’s the right thing to do. This, combined with their self deprecating charm, has taken them from gaming schlubs to internet icons over the course of more than 8 years. The announcement that they would enter an arena that has been the source of years of scorn and comic material would put more than a few questions on the tip of any reasonable tongue.

And yet, for months, I’ve felt as though the situation is a tightrope they’ve walked gracefully. They don’t pimp the game on their page very often, save for when they’ve reached a substantive milestone, and they generally let the game speak for itself. I’ve defended them in private and on the nets, as I’ve felt that they’ve earned some leeway to try to make this thing that they care about without charges of sellout or hypocrite. Unfortunately, they’ve officially done quite a bit today to lose a lot of that respect from me.

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I have been busy as hell lately. On top of my normal work, which is writing guides to games for MyCheats, I have been doing more than my fare share of previews for 1up.com and Modojo.com. I just wanted to share them with you because they are about games I think the readers of our site should know about (especially Kane and Lynch). So, click away!

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (PSP, Wii)

Kane and Lynch (360)

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Hands-on Multiplayer (PSP)

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (PSP)

Jam Sessions (DS)

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness Episodes I (PC, 360, Mac, Linux)

So, as you can see, I have been busy. Lots of meetings, talks, travels to game companies. All in all, it’s been amazing. Either way, just wanted to share, some of these games are looking pretty good.

Chufmoney

No, the preview I wrote is not going to be posted here. I wrote a full length preview for 1up.com that you should check out if you are interested in this game. Despite the trailers that were abysmally received a while back, the game is shaping up really, really well. The writing is superb, the graphics are very stylized, and the blend of RPG battles with point-and-click adventure is sure to get most any gamer’s nerd-sense tingling.

Check it out here.

Chufmoney