For all the incredible games I have played in 2022, I don't think any of them can bear the moniker of being a passion project quite like Pentiment can. Josh Sawyer truly has cemented himself as one of the most brilliant designers in the video game industry.
A narrative adventure, Pentiment takes the form and appearance of old medieval manuscripts. The font different characters spoken dialogue is in corresponds to the type of characters they are - peasants will write more sloppily and sometimes be hard to read, whereas the townsfolk and those of the abbey have more elaborate (and also, sometimes harder to read) fonts. Amusingly, as the game is told from the perspective of the artist - often times there will be typos that are quickly erased and fixed as you are reading. It's a small detail, but one that really adds to the charm.
As this is an Obsidian game, choices and background development are present here. You can choose the languages you understand, alternative educational disciplines you are familiar with in addition to art, and all these choices affect the way you interact with other characters. These choices shape the course of the story, and it really immerses you in the world it takes place in.
From a narrative perspective, the game tackles many subjects. What to do in life, what to believe in, and how to deal with hardship among them. The game is rife with ambient noise and music is used sparingly which really makes a big impact whenever it is heard.
I would really like it if more games like Pentiment were made. Despite being an Obsidian project, the development team was rather small and the scale of the game felt just right, lasting me around 16 hours. It is beautiful, thought-provoking, and I believe most people who play the game will find at least one struggle they can identify with. If you are into more narrative adventures, please do not skip this one.
A narrative adventure, Pentiment takes the form and appearance of old medieval manuscripts. The font different characters spoken dialogue is in corresponds to the type of characters they are - peasants will write more sloppily and sometimes be hard to read, whereas the townsfolk and those of the abbey have more elaborate (and also, sometimes harder to read) fonts. Amusingly, as the game is told from the perspective of the artist - often times there will be typos that are quickly erased and fixed as you are reading. It's a small detail, but one that really adds to the charm.
As this is an Obsidian game, choices and background development are present here. You can choose the languages you understand, alternative educational disciplines you are familiar with in addition to art, and all these choices affect the way you interact with other characters. These choices shape the course of the story, and it really immerses you in the world it takes place in.
From a narrative perspective, the game tackles many subjects. What to do in life, what to believe in, and how to deal with hardship among them. The game is rife with ambient noise and music is used sparingly which really makes a big impact whenever it is heard.
I would really like it if more games like Pentiment were made. Despite being an Obsidian project, the development team was rather small and the scale of the game felt just right, lasting me around 16 hours. It is beautiful, thought-provoking, and I believe most people who play the game will find at least one struggle they can identify with. If you are into more narrative adventures, please do not skip this one.