Middle-child syndrome. Back to the Future II–itis. Call it what you will, but getting stuck in the middle or being stamped as “the follow-up” to a beloved first in a series fl at-out sucks. Episode 2 of Penny Arcade Adventures has exactly this hill to climb, but it seems content to merely bridge the gap between the quirky RPG charm of Episode 1 and whatever’s next without even getting out of the car to stretch a bit.

Clocking in at around four to eight hours (depending on your selected difficulty), the game teams you with illustrated heroes Gabe and Tycho as they take up their weapons and wits in the continued Scooby-Doo–style chase after giant, metallic Fruit F*ckers set on destroying scientific symposiums and the like. Across the small handful of explorable locations, you and your comic cohorts gather robot parts to upgrade your weapons and battle a variety of silly goons in a mix of turn-based and quasi-real-time combat that challenges in higher difficulties like the unlockable Insane mode. Also giddily intact: Penny Arcade’s trademark goofy mix of fourletter words and flowery Lovecraft-ian looniness.

But despite all the goodwill and fan faithfulness, you still can’t shake the feeling that you’re simply following a bread-crumb trail to the impending Episode 3 and beyond, where a big-bookend showdown will likely give the now-familiar but still-enjoyable gameplay the narrative weight and kick that Episode 2 lacks. Hardcore Penny Arcade addicts may not miss ’em, but the average gamer will.

On Xbox Live Arcade

+ Battle system coaxes strategic thinking and nimble fingers.

+ Plenty of silly wit for devoted Penny Arcade fans.

- Thematically, it’s too much of a stopgap between episodes.

? You mean silk and energite make…THAT?!

7.5