Pentiment

I remember seeing Pentiment on a games showcase that Xbox did a while back and I was very interested in what this game was. It is coming to game pass so you really do not have any excuse to not give this game a try. I am always a fan of narrative driven games and this one is mixing puzzle and problem solving gameplay with that. In some ways I must admit, I get some very 90s vibes from the game design of what they have created here.

A Tale Of Murder!

The plot of Pentiment is one of the things that has me really excited. We play as Andreas Maler one of the most respected illustrators of the day. Speaking of “the day” this game is set in 16th century Bavaria and the game actually spans around 25 years with the story that it is telling. It is basically a murder mystery kind of story where we are trying to help a friend who has been accused of murder and also solve many other crimes and murders that have gone down as well.

Art That Comes To Life

While it was the murder mystery story that I will admit greatly attracted me to this game. I am sure most people will be brought to Pentiment because of the very unique way that the game looks. It is designed to look like old timey illustrations, woodwork, and so on and it gives the game style that I find very hard to describe, but there is no denying that when you look at the game it captures your attention. I am having a very hard time thinking of another game that has an eye-catching style as much as this one does.

The Right Way To Act

As Pentiment is a story driven game, you will be encountering a whole heap of very interesting characters as you progress through this decades spanning tale. You get to make some pretty important decisions and one of the things that were the most alluring to me about this game was that you basically have to decide you who feel is the murderer and who deserves to have the most punishment. From what I understand, there is no actual right answer here and the developers have left it up to the player to decide who is the murderer.

The Ripple Effect

Another part of this game that is very interesting is how the communities in which you are working and living in can change because of your actions. Pentiment takes place in an era where political and even religious opinions were very important to a community. The things you say and do can alter these things quite dramatically or even have people not be as willing to deal with you. It is very well-done stuff and this kind of thing is what Obsidian has always done very well with their games.

Pros:

• This is Obsidian at their very best
• I love the unique way this game looks
• The murder mystery style plot is something I am very interested in
• You can have a very dramatic effect on how the story unfolds

Cons:

• These types of games are certainly not for everyone
• Some people may have a hard time getting through the early parts of the game