PlayStation 4 Critic Reviews

A fiendishly difficult 2d arcade-style platformer that will have you simultaneously shouting at the telly with rage and delight.

Visiting the sadistic circus is definitely not what it seems. You will find yourself enjoying the majority of your time at Penarium. The graphics and controls draw you in and make it easy to play. The charm and difficulty is what makes you stay.

Penarium is a challenging and addictive action platformer. It's very simple, but we feel that's what makes it so fun.

A uniquely difficult and well-developed game, made purely for the challenge and therefore probably not for everyone.

A simple thing like a shield pick up could have made this game more accessible to a larger audience. Forgoing that, just a checkpoint when you’ve completed a task so you don’t have to repeat them all every time you die as it gets monotonous. If you can get past that and have the skills and patience required then this is a great game for those looking for that next seemingly impossible challenge.

Penarium's quirky design - modeled after retro arcade games - and dark influences definitely give it impressive razzle-dazzle, but not enough to warrant unlimited repeat visits. [Dec 2015, p.94]

Given the imaginative killing machines and sadistic design of challenges, it could've been the unholy child of Dr. Seuss and the Marquis de Sade.

It’s a sadistic thrill ride that dies down way too quickly, and unfortunately, I don’t see myself going back and playing it again anytime soon.