Penko Park is a semi-open world walking simulator that strikes a perfect balance between being cute and downright creepy. The idea behind it is straightforward: you explore an abandoned wildlife park, searching for rare species of oddly adorable animals to snap photos of and chronicle in your trusty park journal. That's really all there is to it, and it's easy to get lost in, especially with all the quirky creatures there are to dig out and document.
Of course, it's easy to dismiss Penko Park as being an elementary indie with little to no challenges involved, but the fact is, fleshing out your journal can be a little overwhelming at first. Therefore, to be able to put your best foot forward, you should definitely consider onboarding these seven tips.
It's A Walk, Not A Sprint
Penko Park isn't the longest game in the world. In fact, if you power through it without taking in any of its sights along the way, then you can beat it in just under two hours. This isn't to say that you should, though, as ignoring a lot of the game can lead to an incomplete journal, which of course means less achievements, and fewer pages to scratch out.
To beat Penko Park, you need only capture and document a minor portion of the reservation's inhabitants. If you are looking to truly knuckle down and experience all that there to offer in Penko Park, though, then you should see the game as a walk, and definitely not a sprint. Take each journey as it comes, and don't be afraid to replay a level if you miss anything along the way.
Penkos are not randomly generated, therefore you needn't worry about searching high and low for a particular creature if you already know its location.
Penko Poses, Explained
It's all well and good being able to find one of the critters roaming about in Penko Park, but unless you already know what to do with them once you've whipped out your Penko Snap-a-Lot 9000, that photo album of yours is never going to get filled out. And so, learning how to snap photos is an absolute must when it comes to exploring Penko Park.
As you'll quickly come to learn, snapping any old shot of a Penko isn't going to cut it. To fully "complete" an entry in your journal, you will need to capture the targeted creature in a number of poses. For example, you may be asked to snap three specific shots of a boggle-eyed spider: sleeping, dancing, and standing. You can identify the poses by the symbols on your camera's viewfinder. The key to completing your journal is to capture every pose with a three-star rating.
Know The Three-Star Focal Point
Penko Park's snapshots are broken down into star ratings, which are determined by a number of factors. To achieve three-star ratings, you will need to make sure your target Penko is in the center of the frame, and large enough to fill out the viewfinder. You can do this by zooming in on the creature from a distance. If, however, you can get a closer angle without startling the Penko, then this will guarantee you a three-star rating.
When taking your shot, try and avoid framing any unwanted scenery, including shrubs, plants, and rocks. A general rule of thumb here is to always frame the Penko and only the Penko, using the crosshair anchor point to centralize the subject and the viewfinder borders to scale the image as required.
How To Find Ghosts And Songs
There are four additional types of collectibles to find in Penko Park: Artifacts, Ghosts, Dialogue, and Songs. To obtain any of these hidden collectibles for your scrapbook, be sure to check every nook and cranny of each level in Penko Park. You can operate your railcar by switching the arrow-shaped lever in front of you. This is an upgrade that you will unlock almost immediately, so be sure to utilize it and explore different routes over a number of replays.
While collecting Artifacts and Dialogue can be a great way to flesh out your binder, finding and unlocking the Songs and Ghosts should be prioritized over all else. To find either of these, be sure to use your Grappling Hand to check behind bushes, rocks, and trees. To find Ghosts, keep an eye out for Spirit Markers, which often appear in higher places such as mountaintops, rock ledges, and branches. If you hit these with the Grappling Hand, the Ghost will appear, giving you a few seconds to bag your snapshot for the journal.
The Grappling Hand Is Your Best Friend
As you make your way through Penko Park's themed worlds, you'll notice a certain red dot in your crosshair that appears from time to time. This means that there is an object you can grab with your Grappling Hand, which can in turn unearth items needed to put Penkos in different poses. For example, throwing a Penko Ball at a Penko can put them in a state of surprise, giving you an opportunity to quickly grab one of the pictures needed to compete a journal entry.
Of course, you won't be able to uncover everything there is to see in a single run, which is why you should aim to return whenever you've acquired more upgrades and perks for your arsenal. Something that will help stretch out your time on a level is the Slow Kart ability, which essentially grants you more time to look around with your camera and snag all the hidden grappling points. You should aim to unlock this ability as early on as possible to avoid having to replay the levels.
Break Everything
Penko Park is known to have its fair share of sneaky so-and-sos that can't be seen from the naked eye. Because of this, you will need to use your tools to destroy certain parts of the map to help reveal them. To do this, simply equip your Grappling Hand, look out for destructible features and surfaces, and hit the action button to destroy them.
It may take you a few reruns, but if you can prioritize destroying one particular substance in each attempt, you can gradually whittle down the obstacles and complete each level in the scrapbook. To start, aim for the rocks, and then progress through the various types of foliage, and so on and so forth.
Earn Those Penko Stamps!
The good news is, snapping photos in Penko Park nets you XP. At the end of every level, these experience points will tally up and contribute towards boosting your player level. Once a level has been passed, you will be rewarded with a Penko Stamp, which can be used to upgrade items and unlock new regions on the board. To complete Penko Park, you will need to earn enough XP from capturing images and obtaining enough stars.
To earn a Stamp, simply revisit any level after earning a new upgrade. By adding your newfound ability to your arsenal, you can reach new heights, unlock new zones, and even uncover Ghosts, Artifacts, Dialogue, and Songs. If you have mopped up everything there is to see and do in a level, then move on to the next. Rinse and repeat until you have acquired enough Stars to max out the journal.