Pentiment

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 140 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 140
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 140
  3. Negative: 29 out of 140

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  1. Leonard_Meta
    Nov 18, 2022
    7
    I like the idea of the game, but the execution felt somewhat lacking and it drags on for a few hours too long. Gives a good mood of a period, but somewhat fails as a game, and many scenes suffer from over-extensive unnecessary dialogues, and the minimal gameplay feels unsatisfying. Realistically, it's more of a visual novel, with a handful of simple puzzles and minigames thrown in. II like the idea of the game, but the execution felt somewhat lacking and it drags on for a few hours too long. Gives a good mood of a period, but somewhat fails as a game, and many scenes suffer from over-extensive unnecessary dialogues, and the minimal gameplay feels unsatisfying. Realistically, it's more of a visual novel, with a handful of simple puzzles and minigames thrown in. I enjoyed the overarching storyline, but it feels watered down by being spread over too long of a game, could use some editing… Expand
  2. Deadheadbill
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    In a world of Call of Duty and Destiny we need a game like this. I can see why some might not like it due to the amount of reading and the style of gameplay but for the targeted playerbase it is a masterpiece.
  3. SolRacRG
    Dec 27, 2022
    10
    The good:
    -Beautiful and consistent visual style
    -Fitting sound design, with amazing music and ambience sounds -Interesting and captivating story, and perfectly told [SPOILER AHEAD] The bad: Choices don't affect the final, just the road. [END OF SPOILER] The Ugly: -Lacks better handling of events. Sometimes, you can start conversations with NPC's after have done activities    The good:
    -Beautiful and consistent visual style
    -Fitting sound design, with amazing music and ambience sounds
    -Interesting and captivating story, and perfectly told

    [SPOILER AHEAD]

    The bad:
    Choices don't affect the final, just the road.

    [END OF SPOILER]

    The Ugly:
    -Lacks better handling of events. Sometimes, you can start conversations with NPC's after have done activities that make said conversations be out of place. I hope they fix it in the future.

    Overall, I would give it a 8/10 but because there is people who give it a 0 just becuase it isn't what they expected, I had to give a 10/10 to even things a little bit, as it deserves better that those haters.    … Expand
  4. drlowdon
    Jan 20, 2023
    7
    When artist Andreas Maler finds himself caught in the middle of a mystery, it sets in motion a series of events that will ultimately shape the future of a small town in 16th century Bavaria.

    Taking place across a 25 year period, Pentiment is a great looking game that tells an interesting story full of memorable characters. Some scenes do drag on for a little too long, which can make it    When artist Andreas Maler finds himself caught in the middle of a mystery, it sets in motion a series of events that will ultimately shape the future of a small town in 16th century Bavaria.

    Taking place across a 25 year period, Pentiment is a great looking game that tells an interesting story full of memorable characters. Some scenes do drag on for a little too long, which can make it feel a little too slow at times, but overall it made for an enjoyable experience.    … Expand
  5. Frankie321
    Nov 17, 2022
    8
    I've given it a game because it's a good game, with no action combat. Nice graphics. Good story. However, this is a comment to the developers, please add an optional auto text advance feature. In text heavy games it is so tedious to constantly have to press a key to advance the text. I've played other auto text advance games, and now I'm spoiled in the sense that I love it.
  6. Xenon_54
    Nov 22, 2022
    8
    Just for the sake of its innovation Pentiment is worth a look. The setting and style are completely unique in gaming. Unlike most other historical games that merely seek superficial authenticity this game delves deeper. After a slow start the story is captivating for most of the game though the final act felt a little lengthy. Even without any real gameplay so to speak and unfortunatelyJust for the sake of its innovation Pentiment is worth a look. The setting and style are completely unique in gaming. Unlike most other historical games that merely seek superficial authenticity this game delves deeper. After a slow start the story is captivating for most of the game though the final act felt a little lengthy. Even without any real gameplay so to speak and unfortunately lacking some comfort features I would strongly recommend this game to anyone interested in history who isn't spooked by reading the many lengthy dialogs.… Expand
  7. gentlebenno
    Dec 10, 2022
    6
    This is probably the most historically immersive game I've ever played. You really feel drawn into this world, and as a history guy I can't get enough of the character & historical depth. The game makers bring a dead world alive with such vibrancy and art.

    The problem is in a game that should be about your decisions, you're never really in the driver's seat despite what the game makes    This is probably the most historically immersive game I've ever played. You really feel drawn into this world, and as a history guy I can't get enough of the character & historical depth. The game makers bring a dead world alive with such vibrancy and art.

    The problem is in a game that should be about your decisions, you're never really in the driver's seat despite what the game makes you think. This is a "choices matter" style game where your decisions only matter in the cosmetic sense. You'll get to the same ending no matter what you do. It leaves me with one of the most moving gaming experiences I've ever had. But it's just that, an "experience". As a "game", it fails.

    There is a healthy debate about how much of the plot, the choices, the ending of a game should be in the hands of the player, or in the hands of the game makers. The game makers hold this game's outcome by the throat, they go too far, and it leaves the player feeling a bit empty at the end, as moving a journey as this was.    … Expand
  8. Urbanebula
    Nov 27, 2022
    8
    Let me start by saying that Pentiment isn't for everyone. What you have here is essentially a point and click adventure game with simplistic puzzles and VERY light RPG elements. Above all else, this is a VERY dialogue heavy title. You're going to have to enjoy a little reading... or a lot of reading. If the first two hours don't draw you in then I would personally say don't bother stickingLet me start by saying that Pentiment isn't for everyone. What you have here is essentially a point and click adventure game with simplistic puzzles and VERY light RPG elements. Above all else, this is a VERY dialogue heavy title. You're going to have to enjoy a little reading... or a lot of reading. If the first two hours don't draw you in then I would personally say don't bother sticking with it.

    However, do not overlook this game as basic GamePass shovelware as I've seen some people doing. If you're into narrative adventures and have a soft spot for player choice and consequence, you'd be doing yourself a HUGE disservice by skipping this game. The game leans heavily on its historical setting and you will spend long sections of gameplay running from place to place, engaging in conversation with a diverse cast of well realised characters. I was absolutely hooked by the end of the first act and by the time the third act had started to feel a little stale it picked right back up again. The story comes to an end with a couple of twists I absolutely did not see coming.

    Regrettably, though the players actions certainly do have far reaching consequences, I cannot see how the overarching story can change to any real degree with the major plot twists seemingly out of your control. I'm still willing to jump back in and replay the entire game to test this theory, at least once more.    … Expand
  9. Jt0429
    Dec 2, 2022
    7
    Good-
    Great writing; interesting detective gameplay that actually requires you to pay attention to the details; gorgeous yet minimalist art direction.
    Bad- Puzzles could have been more engaging; the simplistic gameplay loop might not be everyone's cup of tea. Thoughts- The game is based around the concept of design by subtraction, which is a philosophy where elements and mechanics    Good-
    Great writing; interesting detective gameplay that actually requires you to pay attention to the details; gorgeous yet minimalist art direction.

    Bad-
    Puzzles could have been more engaging; the simplistic gameplay loop might not be everyone's cup of tea.

    Thoughts-
    The game is based around the concept of design by subtraction, which is a philosophy where elements and mechanics that don’t contribute to the central premise of the experience are stripped down to the bare minimum or removed entirely. While that can result in a game that’s pretty focused on its goals, it also means that anyone who does not latch on to that central hook or premise might not enjoy that game at all. And this circles back to the original point that I put forward at the start of this feature; Pentiment is not everyone’s cup of tea. There are no combat encounters, character progression in terms of statistics, boss fights, or anything of that sort – so it might be best to skip it if that’s what interests you. But if what you are looking for is a game that tells a story with engaging characters, Pentiment might just be the one. The game paints a gorgeous world with stellar art direction, and the game’s story explores serious topics related to righteousness, and the corruption that may have settled in some people – and it manages to do it justice for the most part.    … Expand
  10. mister_emu
    Jan 24, 2023
    10
    What would happen if Agatha Christie wrote Andre Rublev and set it in Bavaria?
  11. jimkaddi
    Feb 2, 2023
    10
    Gamers need more games like this! a masterpiece of story, music, graphic design, and vibe. Refreshing to see XBOX is supporting such studios to inject their creativities into making games and bringing new tastes to the market. I had a definite blast playing this game and I got to learn a lot more about medieval Germany as a person who lives in Germany himself! Well done Obsidian.
  12. Lysterao
    Nov 17, 2022
    10
    Now this game isn't for everyone, it's slow paced, cerebral, nuanced and about time period that many people will care little for and know even less about. However, in terms of the Genre it comes from and what it's trying to achieve it's a masterpiece. Brimming with thoughtful artistic choices, good puzzle design, well written characters and an intriguing murder mystery than never holds your hand.
  13. Cryheme
    Dec 14, 2022
    10
    One of the best games in the genre. Disco Elusium meets Medievil (without skeletons).
  14. Cjm_cola_cole
    Nov 23, 2022
    10
    Great narrative game. Love how people are review bombing it for not being something it ever claimed to be
  15. Nondas
    Nov 17, 2022
    10
    an incredible adventure full of twists and turns and with an outstanding story, I recommend it to everyone who likes an incredible narrative
  16. Pplatt
    Nov 21, 2022
    9
    Not for non-reader kiddies and mindless bros who only think CoD and other twitch shooters when they think of video games.
    This is an excellently written slow NARRATIVE experience. It's all reading, all of the time. And it's pretty wonderful.
  17. Crimson9
    Dec 3, 2022
    6
    Pentiment is essentially 'The Name of the Rose, the game.'

    It draws heavily from that novel, although with enough distinctions to not be derivative. I'm not knocking anything from it for doing so. The quality of writing in games is so low that I really hope more are influenced by classical literature. And the effect of the novel on this game is obvious. No other game reaches    Pentiment is essentially 'The Name of the Rose, the game.'

    It draws heavily from that novel, although with enough distinctions to not be derivative.

    I'm not knocking anything from it for doing so. The quality of writing in games is so low that I really hope more are influenced by classical literature.

    And the effect of the novel on this game is obvious. No other game reaches levels of historical accuracy and immersion that this game does, and it really is wonderful.

    Unfortunately while the writing is great for transporting you to 16th century Bavaria, it is not consistently wonderful. There's a lot of bloat in the dialogue that doesn't really achieve anything. Also the game suffers from the 'illusion of choice' that is present in most 'choices matter' games. The game has a great story, but you dont REALLY influence it at all.

    Which means you are mostly just playing a graphic novel.    … Expand
  18. OceanUla
    Nov 15, 2022
    10
    Отличная игра, сюжет и детективная составляющая 10/10. Ролевая игра с отличными диалогами. Тут нет боевки как в Disco Elysium, но игре это не мешает. В общем советую.
  19. PenetratorGod
    Jan 16, 2023
    4
    It's just one of dozens of games in recent years that create the illusion that choices affect the story. There is nothing special about it. The game can be extremely boring most of the time. Too much unnecessary dialog to extend the gameplay. You are forced to interact with everything because you don't know what will or won't affect the missions. In short, it also has a very long gameplayIt's just one of dozens of games in recent years that create the illusion that choices affect the story. There is nothing special about it. The game can be extremely boring most of the time. Too much unnecessary dialog to extend the gameplay. You are forced to interact with everything because you don't know what will or won't affect the missions. In short, it also has a very long gameplay due to the lack of variety in the gameplay and the lack of choices. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. Likewise, if the Windows language is Turkish, it is not possible to play the game, the game is broken. You have to translate it to English. It's 2023 and this is the first time I've seen such a ridiculous problem in this game. The gentlemen still haven't bothered to release a fix patch or something. The only interesting part of the game is the period it is set in and the extremely cute art design. I endured and finished it for that, but I would never go back and look at it a second time. The story is ridiculous anyway. Nothing we do throughout the whole game serves the main story. The game constantly distracts you from the main objective and makes you make irrelevant choices.… Expand
  20. Bavari-90
    Nov 17, 2022
    10
    Just to make ponies sad.
  21. Bonnily
    Nov 16, 2022
    10
    I‘m really enjoying the story of this. Took a while to get into, but once I did I was blown away. So many choices, amazing music score and interesting mystery at the middle. Can recommend this for anyone who likes point and click type of adventures and games where your choices matter.
  22. reidou
    Nov 20, 2022
    0
    probably the greatest game with no gameplay

    it's sad this'll go so underappreciated, but a game of this type never would have been popular anyway
  23. p0k3m0n
    Jan 10, 2023
    3
    This is bad game, with bad gameplay and not actual historical situations and reality. Boring plot, boring characters, boring dialogues. Terrible in game mechanic.

    And it is full of bugs: so many bugs, that I lost count. Right now I soft-locked game in II act (yes, I am sure) and this is the summary of this product.
  24. Bianconeri1897
    Nov 16, 2022
    0
    Overrated trash game, pathetic and horrendous piece of **** Overrated trash game, pathetic and horrendous piece of ****
  25. JairoAntonio85
    Nov 16, 2022
    0
    Pentiment es un juego aburridisimo con gráficos de hace 25 años, todo esta mal con este juego, la música es inexistente, solo cuentas con el sonido ambiental que parece hecho por un aficionado, la historia es un asco, la jugabilidad es peor que la de un cd rom interactivo y por si fuera poco la animación parece hecha por niños de primaria. Es el peor juego que he visto en toda mi vida. NoPentiment es un juego aburridisimo con gráficos de hace 25 años, todo esta mal con este juego, la música es inexistente, solo cuentas con el sonido ambiental que parece hecho por un aficionado, la historia es un asco, la jugabilidad es peor que la de un cd rom interactivo y por si fuera poco la animación parece hecha por niños de primaria. Es el peor juego que he visto en toda mi vida. No cabe duda que este ha sido el peor año de Xbox y Microsoft. Ya perdieron la generación de nuevo.… Expand
  26. Endymion_Var
    Nov 17, 2022
    1
    Que es esto. Que basura de juego. gráficos de dibujos estáticos y es que hasta el control va mal
    En serio quien le pone nota 88 a esto.
  27. Fatmandu
    Dec 1, 2022
    0
    This game is very bad and the story is bad and the writing is bad and it's boring
  28. Archound
    Dec 15, 2022
    9
    Act 1 and 2 deserve a solid 10/10. Not sure what happened with Act 3, but the game's pacing was disrupted and the writing got worse. Unique, beautiful tale in a historical setting. All in all, it's 2022 GOTY, slightly better than Immortality.
    Don't start me with Elden Ring, a copy-paste from DS with a repetitive and boring open-world and quest design that would be bad in the 90s. GoW is    Act 1 and 2 deserve a solid 10/10. Not sure what happened with Act 3, but the game's pacing was disrupted and the writing got worse. Unique, beautiful tale in a historical setting. All in all, it's 2022 GOTY, slightly better than Immortality.
    Don't start me with Elden Ring, a copy-paste from DS with a repetitive and boring open-world and quest design that would be bad in the 90s. GoW is fine, but it already won GOTY 2018. It's 2022, hello!    … Expand
  29. Samnity
    Nov 29, 2022
    10
    Amazing game. The narrative, the characters, the design, the music, a trully masterpiece.
  30. epelpaj
    Nov 23, 2022
    9
    One of the best games this year. Outstanding visual style, with a great story, dialogue and characters. The sound design is great, but I would've liked some more music in the background. Also some voice acting would've been nice, atleast a few words to help give the players some aid in differantiating the characters. The gameplay is simple, but perfect for this game.

    Tl;dr: One of the    One of the best games this year. Outstanding visual style, with a great story, dialogue and characters. The sound design is great, but I would've liked some more music in the background. Also some voice acting would've been nice, atleast a few words to help give the players some aid in differantiating the characters. The gameplay is simple, but perfect for this game.

    Tl;dr: One of the best games this year, lacking music/voice acting.    … Expand
  31. GVB
    Nov 29, 2022
    10
    It's a game with soul, deep and emotional. A great story with RPG elements where you will suffer and laugh with each character. It's like reading The Pillars of the Earth, or The Name of the Rose, but making meaningful decisions and with a soundtrack that you will not forget easily.

    It's not perfect... but almost.
  32. TerraSanctum
    Nov 21, 2022
    10
    This game is simply AMAZING! It drags a little in the first hour, but once the story and character develops it becomes extremely addicting and fascinating! Its would have never guessed how deep the story is, and how immersive it gets, putting the player face to face with some situations hardly presented in medieval times games. Showing the commum folk struggle for life, religion conflicts,This game is simply AMAZING! It drags a little in the first hour, but once the story and character develops it becomes extremely addicting and fascinating! Its would have never guessed how deep the story is, and how immersive it gets, putting the player face to face with some situations hardly presented in medieval times games. Showing the commum folk struggle for life, religion conflicts, woman struggle on society, and the consequences for your choices.. Im already 16h into this game and loving it, just cant stop playing this masterpiece! Thank you for such amazing game, Obsidian!… Expand
  33. amg297
    Jan 5, 2023
    7
    Es un juego bastante bonito, personajes chulos y un mundo muy inmersivo. El estilo artístico me encanta y en lo que respecta a la jugabilidad es muy sencillo y básico. La historia es buena y hoy en día no se hacen juegos así.

    Algunas cosas malas que puedo decir son que los puzles son, quizás, demasiados sencillos y hay conversaciones con personajes que he sentido un poco "woke". En    Es un juego bastante bonito, personajes chulos y un mundo muy inmersivo. El estilo artístico me encanta y en lo que respecta a la jugabilidad es muy sencillo y básico. La historia es buena y hoy en día no se hacen juegos así.

    Algunas cosas malas que puedo decir son que los puzles son, quizás, demasiados sencillos y hay conversaciones con personajes que he sentido un poco "woke". En general recomiendo este juego, la música es fantástica.    … Expand
  34. RMDsilva
    Aug 27, 2023
    8
    As a story, 9 out of 10. Beautiful, moving and engaging enough to be trying to figure out as many pieces as possible, to leave a legacy of understanding that allows you to figure out what's been bothering the NPCs that feel more and more human with each act.

    As a game, 7 out of 10 - I find it admirable that the suspension of disbelief lasts for long enough (that your choices matter) and    As a story, 9 out of 10. Beautiful, moving and engaging enough to be trying to figure out as many pieces as possible, to leave a legacy of understanding that allows you to figure out what's been bothering the NPCs that feel more and more human with each act.

    As a game, 7 out of 10 - I find it admirable that the suspension of disbelief lasts for long enough (that your choices matter) and it pleasantly drove me to try to do as good as I could, even knowing it didn't really matter. Much better than any telltales/game of thrones (:    … Expand
  35. FauxEden
    Jun 11, 2023
    10
    This is the best game i've played in probably a decade. Simply amazing. Beautiful art, great engaging dialogue and you learn a lot of stuff. The story is fantastic and I would love more like it
  36. Xenshin1231
    Jan 29, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pentiment is a game so good that it made me interested in history. Pentiment takes place in 1500's Bavaria, a time and a place that I've never found myself interested in before; however, you end up becoming so immersed in the characters, the murder mystery and the decisions you make along the way that you find yourself wanting to learn more about this era.
    The setting is the crux of why the game is so engaging. You play as Andreas Maler living in the small mountain town of Tassing as a journeyman artist working for the Kiersau abbey. The game explores how life might have been lived back then looking at the relationships between the peasants, tradesmen, and the Catholic church. The brutality of life and the commonplace of death is another theme in place in the game. Between acts there are large jumps of time and many characters end up dying between and during these acts. When talking to other characters about those who have passed many just accept it as the way of life, showing how brutal life could be back then. The major exception is Andreas look at the deaths to those close around him, which is a good way for the player relate more to this look at death.
    The gameplay comprises of adventure type game with a heavy emphasis on decision based dialogue in order to persuade characters to reveal information or to act in a certain way. Andreas background choices influence dialogue choices as they allow for more dialogue options. However, as opposed to many other RPG's or decision based games, your specialized dialogue choice based on your background can often times be more harmful than useful. It is important to read what Andreas will be saying and more importantly who he is talking to as sometimes choosing your specialized choice might make whoever you are talking to more angry. For example, members of the church don't like it when you make comments on matters based on Bavarian law.
    Another detail of the game I love is how the text font of each character changes based on their ability to read and write as well as what their background is.
    While playing my decisions felt impactful but in act 3 they felt less meaningful. While playing through Act 1 I was confident on who I believed the killer was, but on watching the execution scene I thought there was a possibility I made a mistake. Usually I would look up to see who the true killer was but I was confident in my conviction and continued on. The same happened with Act 2. Now that I've beaten the game and know there is no correct answer to who the killer is, I feel my decisions were correct; however, I feel this lessens the impact of the gameplay in the game. Decision based gameplay remains one of the hardest games to design due to the audiences perception of the outcome of their decisions. Pentiment does this well by not making it obvious in game as to if you made a correct decision or not.
    Overall I loved Pentiment for making me make decisions I stuck with and I didn't try to cheese the game out of. I really ended up liking many characters as well as learning about this era in time. I recommend this game to anyone who likes decision based gameplay, murder mysteries, or the Middle Ages.    … Expand
  37. Gaudy
    Jan 31, 2023
    10
    Una historia enganchante. La historia es magnifica además de la manera de contarla. Cuesta un poco de cogerle el ritmo las primeras horas pero la historia y el ambiente te van atrapando. El sonido ambiente y la música casan a la perfección con lo que quiere expresar el juego. Los gráficos son simples debido a que imita artisticamente a los códices del siglo XV con lo que es absurdoUna historia enganchante. La historia es magnifica además de la manera de contarla. Cuesta un poco de cogerle el ritmo las primeras horas pero la historia y el ambiente te van atrapando. El sonido ambiente y la música casan a la perfección con lo que quiere expresar el juego. Los gráficos son simples debido a que imita artisticamente a los códices del siglo XV con lo que es absurdo críticarlo por los gráficos ya que su intención es artistica. Artisticamente es una obra maestra. Las decisiones son vitales y constantes, dando giros de guión con cada una de ellas cambiando la historia constantemente. No hay dos partidas iguales. Artisticamente esta cuidado al milimetro y consigue transmitir unas sensaciones increibles en un juego con gráficos "obsoletos". Una aventura relajada pero increiblemente intensa donde se disfruta cada minuto de las mas de 30 horas que le heche. Muy rejugable. Un imprescindible.… Expand
  38. MrDog3
    Jun 30, 2023
    9
    Everything that Obsidian touches turns to gold
    This has got to be one of the most creative indie game l've ever played. It's just that Obsidian Magic again. You shouldn't miss this one out, even if you are not into Obsidian's games; this game is pure creativity.
  39. Sepherim
    Jan 22, 2023
    8
    Pentiment es, sin duda, un juego que vale la pena. En su núcleo central es un juego de toma de decisiones, principalmente a través de diálogos y del uso del tiempo. Esta mecánica sencilla se ve salpicada con algún ocasional minijuego y algo de exploración. Pero el peso de todo recae en una trama que se desarrolla lenta y parsimoniosamente, tomándose su tiempo para que nos familiaricemos yPentiment es, sin duda, un juego que vale la pena. En su núcleo central es un juego de toma de decisiones, principalmente a través de diálogos y del uso del tiempo. Esta mecánica sencilla se ve salpicada con algún ocasional minijuego y algo de exploración. Pero el peso de todo recae en una trama que se desarrolla lenta y parsimoniosamente, tomándose su tiempo para que nos familiaricemos y empaticemos con la gente del pequeño pueblo de Tassing. Al final, acabas conociendo y queriendo a todos, con sus cosas buenas y malas, y participando en un montón de conversaciones sobre la vida cotidiana del siglo XVI con cosas como las herejías luteranas, los problemas de los impuestos y la nobleza, la cuida de las granjas y el uso de los bosques, etc. Acompañado de una breve pero muy apañada enciclopedia de términos, es un recorrido fascinante por una historia que se siente viva y que logra que nos importe toda la gente que acaba cruzándose en nuestro camino.

    A nivel gráfico, es sin duda original. A mi me ha encantado su estilo artístico, que encaja a la perfección con la historia que está contando, aunque probablemente no sea del gusto de todos. La música no tiene mucha presencia en el juego, pero cuando aparece acompaña muy adecuadamente lo que ocurre, y lo mismo con los efectos de sonido. No hay doblaje de voces, eso es cierto, pero tampoco me he encontrado con ningún bug jugando el juego.

    Entonces, sin duda, es una experiencia muy recomendable. Quizás un poco lenta de más en algunos momentos y con algún pequeño detalle de la historia que no me convenció, aunque entiendo las razones para que sea así y que la historia pueda avanzar a su excelente final. Así que un 8.    … Expand
  40. Mooski
    Jan 31, 2023
    8
    The narrative is really the highlight of this game. It's all about experiencing a well-crafted, thoughtful, and moving slice-of-life tale in a provincial 16th-century town in the Holy Roman Empire. It's kind of a murder mystery but not really. Essentially, it's like a choose-your-own-adventure graphic novel: a "choices matter"-style game, although the choices presented to you are largelyThe narrative is really the highlight of this game. It's all about experiencing a well-crafted, thoughtful, and moving slice-of-life tale in a provincial 16th-century town in the Holy Roman Empire. It's kind of a murder mystery but not really. Essentially, it's like a choose-your-own-adventure graphic novel: a "choices matter"-style game, although the choices presented to you are largely immaterial to the overarching story.

    And that's fine by me; the story had me gripped for the game's entire runtime -- about 15 hours. During that time, your enjoyment will largely depend on how you jive with said story. For me, interacting with all of the characters, seeing them develop over the course of the story, and learning more about the world proved just as entertaining as the game's central mystery. Obsidian has a knack for writing characters with depth and creating worlds that are rich in detail.

    Pentiment has a simple but effective presentation. The game sports an era-appropriate art style, and there is a tonne of dialogue and, therefore, a tonne of reading. Gameplay amounts to picking options from branching dialogue trees and the occasional, trivial puzzle -- which serve more as storytelling devices than actual gameplay. All this is accompanied by a simple but effective score. There's a sting that plays whenever you find mysterious notes -- chef's kiss.

    If all that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then give it a miss. I wouldn't blame you -- for many, it can barely be considered a game.

    If, however, this has piqued your interest, then it's on Game Pass and costs very little to have a go.    … Expand
  41. Trixxstrr
    May 21, 2023
    7
    It was nice. Definitely a slow game, but nice story. A text adventure game set in the 1500's.
    It's showing that I took around 18 hrs to finish.
    Definitely a passion project game without being focused at the masses. Perfect for Game Pass to give it a wider audience.
    Only 8% got the finished the game achievement.
  42. KN1
    Sep 4, 2023
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. its a detective story that whatever you do just doesn’t matter… Expand
  43. Mios
    Nov 24, 2022
    8
    Beautifully illustrated game rich with history and an intricate narrative. Not your typical game but for those looking to do more than just aim and shoot, it's a fun and full world of mystery.
  44. george_bondo
    Jun 4, 2023
    9
    I played one of the most beautiful and soulful project, the game resembles a visual novel with hints of puzzles and RPG, great story and game
  45. Hyperion22
    Nov 28, 2022
    10
    Pentiment es un juego que no es para todo el mundo, pero siendo de Obsidian es sinónimo de calidad. Tiene un apartado grafico excelente y para alguien que le llame la atención la ambientación histórica de principios de la Edad Moderna es indispensable (siempre que sepas que es una aventura gráfica y no un juego de pegar tiros o espadazos). Tiene personajes memorables, elementos de RPG muyPentiment es un juego que no es para todo el mundo, pero siendo de Obsidian es sinónimo de calidad. Tiene un apartado grafico excelente y para alguien que le llame la atención la ambientación histórica de principios de la Edad Moderna es indispensable (siempre que sepas que es una aventura gráfica y no un juego de pegar tiros o espadazos). Tiene personajes memorables, elementos de RPG muy interesantes y la historia consigue mantenerte atrapado de principio a fin.… Expand
  46. ranp34
    Nov 17, 2022
    10
    Excelente historia, te adientra en la edad media con sus conflictos religiosos de momento, la estetica del juego es impecable para la historia que se cuenta, la trama te va enganchado mediante vas jugando, sin duda una propuesta diferente y que se aprecia que llegara al gamepass de manera gratuita.
  47. rexwrexwrecks
    Nov 19, 2022
    6
    Here's a mild spoiler that I got mid-game, and helped me come to terms with the rest of the game. This is a mystery game where you resolve 3 mysteries, the first two of which have limited time to assess all evidence, etc. You'll end up condemning someone in both those cases, and the game does not have a canon/accurate answer. It leaves it to you to determine if what you chose was right orHere's a mild spoiler that I got mid-game, and helped me come to terms with the rest of the game. This is a mystery game where you resolve 3 mysteries, the first two of which have limited time to assess all evidence, etc. You'll end up condemning someone in both those cases, and the game does not have a canon/accurate answer. It leaves it to you to determine if what you chose was right or wrong. If you can deal with that, the ending will not be a slap in the face. But if you can't, drop this game.

    ++ Beautiful and evocative art-style, character models move as if they are puppetized
    ++ Rooted in historical accuracy (I believe) with a reliable depiction of life during that period, and language used as well
    ++ Choices matter ... boy, do they matter!
    ++ Especially true for some characters whose lives change based on your recommendations to them
    ++ You can form a bond with some characters, especially those that are present throughout the multi-decade duration of the story

    -- Game feels quite unpolished. Switching from keyboard to mouse feels easy on the surface, but is actually kind of clunky
    -- Glossary texts (especially about people) sometimes describe them in their future state, before events have happened (for example, it lists Char A as husband of Char B in Act 1 itself, though that has yet to happen in Act 2)
    -- The "big twist/mystery" that gets resolved in the end just feels like you can see it coming, and it didn't really hit me too hard
    -- Writing actually feels quite inconsistent. In some places, quite good, but other areas kinda meh. Act 3 feels like it's written by an entirely different team
    -- Too many characters, and all of them are represented by first name, making it difficult to figure out who's related to whom, and thus you find it really difficult to care about them
    -- Grammatical mistakes in a text-only game!
    -- There could/should have been more music used
    -- Historical accuracy is great, but .... boring?    … Expand
  48. plagia
    Nov 22, 2022
    10
    Ce jeu prend du temps à installer son rythme mais alors une fois que cela ai fait on découvre toute la richesse que ce jeu a à nous offrir.
  49. Cynicayke
    Nov 23, 2022
    9
    Always a shame when illiterate mouthbreathers review-bomb a game from their mother's basement just because big words make them feel stupid and they decide to take it out on the work of people with actual talent. Perhaps a looped gif of someone jangling shiny keys in front of them would be more their speed.

    An interesting, well-written mystery game with some subtle RPG and    Always a shame when illiterate mouthbreathers review-bomb a game from their mother's basement just because big words make them feel stupid and they decide to take it out on the work of people with actual talent. Perhaps a looped gif of someone jangling shiny keys in front of them would be more their speed.

    An interesting, well-written mystery game with some subtle RPG and choice-consequence mechanics and fantastic, cleverly used artwork.    … Expand
  50. mattmcbride
    Nov 25, 2022
    9
    I read this game was getting review bombed, so wanted to put a real review up. I thought this game was excellent. I really enjoyed the story and setting, and felt the art style (and cool font idea) suited it perfectly. I liked the limited time to figure out what was going on, and not knowing if I got it right or not. I felt like my choices had real consequences over the course of the game.I read this game was getting review bombed, so wanted to put a real review up. I thought this game was excellent. I really enjoyed the story and setting, and felt the art style (and cool font idea) suited it perfectly. I liked the limited time to figure out what was going on, and not knowing if I got it right or not. I felt like my choices had real consequences over the course of the game. So while this game was not intended for everyone, it’s a great game, and I’m really glad something like this was made.… Expand
  51. creatureofthenN
    Nov 29, 2022
    5
    I was hoping for a nice little game with a nice style that would be an opportunity to express the beauty of the medieval period.

    Stylistically, it's very good, the gameplay, however is repetitive and uninteresting, the choices don't matter, the dialogues are uninspired, more than history lecture, they rather resemble of loosely linked Wikipedia clippings and made with no effort. And as    I was hoping for a nice little game with a nice style that would be an opportunity to express the beauty of the medieval period.

    Stylistically, it's very good, the gameplay, however is repetitive and uninteresting, the choices don't matter, the dialogues are uninspired, more than history lecture, they rather resemble of loosely linked Wikipedia clippings and made with no effort.
    And as for the beauty of the period... at some point we're dealing with a manifesto scene taken completely off the top, being an anti-historical, primitive feminist training, the only thing missing here is a scene with a pregnant Jesus woman on the cross, all the immersion and enthusiasm went to hell, I don't recommend paying for it.

    Imagine candy in a very nice package.
    You unwrap the candy, but there's nothing inside but a small speck of poop. Everyone around, accustomed to the shallow content and taste of poop, eats the whole candy together with the packaging, praising what a "delicious candy!".
    That's what Pentiment is. Wasted potential due to the laziness and pathologies of modern times.    … Expand
  52. ELGALIDIOS
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    This review is written in spanish, feel free to use any translation app of your preference :)

    En resumidas palabras, me atrevería a decir que es uno de los mejores juegos que nos ha traído el 2022. Muchos dicen que el juego no es para todos, puede que tengan razón. El juego destaca sobre todo, en el apartado narrativo, dónde nos cuenta una interesante e intrigante historia. Toca    This review is written in spanish, feel free to use any translation app of your preference :)

    En resumidas palabras, me atrevería a decir que es uno de los mejores juegos que nos ha traído el 2022. Muchos dicen que el juego no es para todos, puede que tengan razón. El juego destaca sobre todo, en el apartado narrativo, dónde nos cuenta una interesante e intrigante historia. Toca temáticas cómo: el papel de la religión en la sociedad, el rol de la mujer entre otros temas. La ambientación es uno de los grandes puntos a favor de esta obra. A mí parecer y los videojuegos y la cultura POP en general, el medievo ha sido en general, siempre utilizado cómo ambientación para historias fantásticas. En cambio, Pentiment nos presenta una ambientación sumamente trabajada y documentada sobre el albor del renacimiento en la Alta Baviera. El apartado artístico y sonoro son una maravilla y cumplen con creces con lo que la obra busca transmitir sobre todo los dibujos y grabados que reflejan perfectamente el arte de la época. No he detectado ningún tipo de bug o error en el juego en mis 17 horas jugadas. En el apartado jugable, es evidente que no es un juego de acción y diría que se asemejaría más a los subgéneros "point and click" o de "novela gráfica". También tiene elementos de RPG aunque no me atrevería a decir que es un RPG ya que si bien , lo que construyes del personaje si afecta algunos diálogos,no es tan trascendental para el gameplay o para la historia en sí. En cualquier caso, el juego cuenta con minijuegos y puzzles que me parecen creativos, pero que son demasiado sencillos a mí parecer. Algunos otros puntos negativos que noté es por ejemplo: que en una sóla ocasión, en una sola caja de diálogo, las palabras cambiaron de estar en español a inglés. Por otra parte, aunque me parece que es un juego con una excelente narrativa, lo cierto es que hay partes que pueden llegar a sentirse "lentas o pesadas" . En conclusión. Sin lugar a dudas aunque dejé muchas de mis ideas fuera de mi reseña, sí puedo decir que Pentiment es de lo mejor del año. Por desgracia y lo que he observado Pentiment ha sido en mi opinión, infravalorado e incluso ha sufrido "review-bombing" por aquellos que no disfrutan de este tipo de experiencias. Pentiment, es un juego que me ha hecho aprender y reflexionar. Si bien no podríamos decir que Pentiment es innovador en el apartado jugable o mecánico, creo que sí lo es en su dirección artística y de ambientación. Pentiment es sin lugar a dudas único, algo que necesitábamos este 2022 y que nos hace recordar por qué los videojuegos son arte.

    PD. Disculpennme si existen errores de ortografía o redacción en la reseña :)    … Expand
  53. kesik93
    Dec 20, 2022
    9
    Easily one of the best games of 2022. Very unique experience. This is yet another example which shows that Obsidian is always making hits, even if they're not making classic RPG game. Great artstyle portraying life in sixteenth century Europe. Very good writing and characters. And super interesting story with twists and reveals. Just superb game.
  54. Cholas
    Jan 27, 2023
    10
    Una delicia de trabajo, recuerda a juegos como la abadía del crimen, donde con falta de recursos se hacían grandes cosas para manter la intriga y hacerte pensar por donde seguir y tus acciones tienen consecuencias futuras. Artísticamente perfecto
  55. WaraWana
    May 4, 2023
    7
    I was excited to see how amazing they could do a game like this with Microsofts backing. Was pretty disappointed when it felt like an indie game. Thats said I did enjoy the story. Something that I do not usually care for in a game. So I will give it that for sure. Wish there was a "speed up" button for when you are replaying through to get the rest of the achievements. Felt very grindy toI was excited to see how amazing they could do a game like this with Microsofts backing. Was pretty disappointed when it felt like an indie game. Thats said I did enjoy the story. Something that I do not usually care for in a game. So I will give it that for sure. Wish there was a "speed up" button for when you are replaying through to get the rest of the achievements. Felt very grindy to go through it all so slowly on the second playthrough.
    Thank you for reading. Enjoy Gaming.    … Expand
  56. methodyy
    Aug 29, 2023
    7
    Looked, liked what i saw, but the game is difficult to get through as someone who does not enjoy this style of games
  57. Tomcat2049
    Sep 7, 2023
    9
    Very underestimated game. If you like medieval setting and medieval art, you should definetely give it a try.

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best PC Game of 2022
45
#45 Most Discussed PC Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 43
  3. Negative: 0 out of 43
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 24, 2024
    100
    If you like the late Middle Ages, detective stories, interesting stories, don't mind reading, this is the perfect game for you. [Issue#324]
  2. Adventure Game Hotspot
    Apr 14, 2023
    85
    Pentiment is a captivating Renaissance adventure that challenges players to unravel both a murder mystery and the many enigmas of history.
    Read full review
  3. Adventure Gamers
    Jan 3, 2023
    90
    Overall, Pentiment is a fantastic game with minor flaws that still impresses, even if the twist at the end of the second act is very difficult to accept. Despite being developed by a small team, Obsidian has demonstrated its ability to create an immersive and demanding game that blurs the line between art and gameplay.
    Read full review
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