A unique adventure that will make you fall in love with history
Director of Pentiment Josh Sawyer (Josh Sawyer) claims that he would never have started developing this project in his life if it weren’t for the Game Pass subscription. From the first minutes of the game it is obvious that he is not lying – this is a very niche and unique game that would not sell in large quantities for many reasons. And the story is unusual, and the gameplay is specific, and you need to read a lot, and the visual style is non-standard… But those who for these reasons will fall in love with Pentiment, They will enjoy it immensely and will probably want to return to it more than once.
A friend in need is a friend indeed
We are transported to 1518 and control Andreas, an artist who arrives in the town of Tassing. He will have to work in the scriptorium (in other words, in the workshop) at Keirsau Abbey. The main character meets the local residents and abbots of the monastery, and at some point a tragedy happens – someone kills Baron Lorenz right within the walls of the abbey. Moreover, Pierrot, Andreas’ mentor and close friend, is found at the crime scene. The old man would hardly have had the strength to kill such a strong man, but the archdeacon making the decision has no other suspects.
Andreas decides to retrain from an artist to a detective and is personally involved in the investigation. The situation is complicated by the fact that before the murder he heard only good things about Lorenz: thanks to his donations, the abbey continued to exist, and in his conversation with Andreas he was polite and courteous. But as soon as the protagonist begins to communicate with other suspects, a lot of unpleasant details emerge. Sooner or later it will be necessary to decide who is to blame, but the story will not end there – in three acts the player is told about the events that took place over 25 years.
Pentiment it’s not entirely correct to call it a detective – although here you are really engaged in an investigation, the developers had a much more ambitious goal. They wanted to talk about an era that is practically not remembered in games. That’s why the story covers such a long period of time, that’s why in each act the cast of characters partially changes (someone ages, someone grows up, someone dies), and therefore everything is framed in the form of a medieval manuscript. If you were expecting something like Ace Attorney, then you are in the wrong place – investigations are woven into the narrative, but do not become a central theme.
At any moment the works can be remembered here Aristotle or "Aeneid" Virgil, tell about Perkhta (German version of Baba Yaga) or tell the story from the Gospel about how Jesus fed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. The plot built around the abbey could not do without mentioning Martin Luther, who in his 95 theses criticized the Catholic Church and explained the need for reforms.
All this is presented so skillfully that even players who are not interested in history will enjoy it and learn a lot of new things. The most ingenious thing is the ability to click on a button after reading the next comment and see the explanations that the developers have added for potentially incomprehensible words. What is the "third hour"? Who is Till Eulenspiegel? There is no need to contact a search engine – you can quickly read everything right in the game. This also applies to characters – when a hero mentions a townsman, you can look at his portrait if you couldn’t remember dozens of names.
There is also a separate https://bingbongcasino.co.uk/ glossary.
Master of words
There is a lot to communicate. If another recent game Obsidian, Grounded was exclusively about gameplay, then Pentiment more like visual novels. Occasionally there are mini-games, the quality of which leaves much to be desired, but mostly you walk along the streets, visit buildings and interact with characters. The English here cannot be called difficult (there are not even any special curses) – in Disco Elysium the language was many times more tricky. If something happens, you can wait for localization – the developers plan to add it after release.
Although this is not the classic RPG for which it is famous Obsidian, You can still create your own character – as the game progresses, we compile his biography. Where he was before arriving in Tassing determines the hero’s ability to understand different languages and mention cultural references. If he understands the law, he can give advice or express his opinion on disputes surrounding housing and more. Make the hero a scoundrel – and he will be able to be rude to his interlocutors or threaten them with his fists. Hedonist, craftsman, speaker, occultist, bookworm – there are plenty of options.
The choice of characteristics affects which lines, in addition to the standard ones, will appear during dialogues. However, if in some Fallout you usually choose such phrases without thinking, because they simplify the passage or allow you to get bonuses, then it doesn’t work like that here. IN Pentiment It is advisable to understand how appropriate certain statements are. If you try to be smart when your interlocutor is unlikely to be interested in listening to it, you may get a rude answer. If you answer a philosophical question beautifully, you will probably be able to keep the conversation going.
This feature makes the game world come alive – you don’t just choose the best answers, but create your own story. Well, your character likes to show everyone his knowledge of law, what can you do?? Many decisions determine how the characters will treat you and whether you will be able to get their support at the most crucial moment. Moreover, the game does not warn you how important certain answers are. Obviously, a lot depends on the choice of the suspect, but even seemingly insignificant remarks can then increase the chances of success.
One of the most interesting features of the dialogues here is the changing fonts. In the settings you can make them the same to make the lines easier to read, but this partially deprives the game of its charm. The font depends on how Andreas feels about the person he is talking to. The townspeople’s handwriting is not the neatest, the nobility’s letters are beautiful and clear, the monastery servants "speak" in Gothic font. And if the protagonist’s opinion about a person changes in the middle of a dialogue, then the font also changes. Since the game takes place on the pages of a book, the authors often make typos in lines, which are immediately erased and corrected – this technique becomes boring over time, but adds charm to the game.
History mistakes
Despite all the merits of the story, some details blur the impression. No matter how interesting the history and development of the game world are, the plot seems drawn out – this also applies to the third act, which could easily be shortened, and the introduction. An hour or even two will pass before the baron is killed, and a long acquaintance with the characters can become boring.
Gameplay-wise, the new product doesn’t shine either. Throughout the game you will have to run back and forth, using a map that does not always show the road correctly. Over time, you remember the path to this or that building, but running still gets tiring. Yes, along the way you can chat with someone or even find evidence, but the game does not tell you who is ready to chat with you for a long time, and who will just say hello and continue going about their business. Or which door will be closed and which will not.
Generally Pentiment leaves a positive impression, in particular thanks to the unique graphics. The authors were inspired by facial manuscripts, which were popular before the advent of traditional printing. What is happening is reminiscent of animated miniatures drawn in the same style. No satirical subtext, as in Rock of Ages – the developers respected their sources of inspiration.
With music it’s the other way around – the soundtrack turned out to be meager. There are very few compositions. They sound great and perfectly complement the atmosphere, but more often you only hear the creak of a writing pen, which gets boring after two dozen hours of playthrough.
Pentiment has no analogues, and if someone falls in love with it, they will fall head over heels in love. Although history buffs should try it first, fans of story-based games with tons of dialogue will also be pleased. Not everyone will like it – a boring start and not the most exciting gameplay can discourage interest. However, if you immerse yourself in this world, love the characters and want to live with them for a quarter of a century, then the adventure will be unforgettable.
Pros: luxurious visual style in the spirit of facial manuscripts; an unusual setting that allowed the authors to saturate the story with numerous references and facts; the ability to create a character’s backstory affects dialogue options; a changing world, whose inhabitants remember your actions even after many years; good design ideas like a convenient glossary and different fonts.
Cons: slow beginning and protracted third act; running from one location to another is tiring, and besides it and dialogues, the game has little to offer in terms of gameplay; poor soundtrack.