Pentiment (Nintendo Switch)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): February 22, 2024
- Release Date (EU): February 22, 2024
- Publisher: Microsoft Studios
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Genres: Point-and-click, adventure, puzzle
- Also For: Computer, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Game Features:
A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft announced that it will be bringing four of its Xbox-exclusive first-party games to Switch and PlayStation platforms. Shortly after the announcement, the first of these, Pentiment, was released on the Switch, PS4 and PS5 systems. Having heard good things from those who played it, I jumped on the opportunity to try it out on the Nintendo Switch with a review code provided by Microsoft.
A 16th century murder mystery tale
Nested in the Bavarian Alps is the small town of Tassing and the nearby Keirsau Abbey. Save for some recent complaints about rising taxes, the peasants and townsfolk of the region live a rather peaceful life and are welcoming to visitors. One such visitor is master artist Andreas Maler who is working on some commissioned artwork in the Abbey’s scriptorium.
However, Andreas’ peaceful stay is interrupted by a murder that he finds himself embroiled in and ends up investigating. What ensues is a 25 year-long mystery that challenges Tassing and Andreas’ own morals.
Pentiment , or the interactive illuminated manuscript
Middle Age settings are not new in video games but what sets Pentiment apart is its striking visual style. Inspired by illuminated manuscripts and printed woodcuts of that time, Pentiment looks the part. The 2D visuals are evocative of mediaeval art and the soundtrack compliments this presentation.
Progression emulates reading an interactive illustrated manuscript, with pages flipping across scenes, different character dialogue fonts based on their status and each letter drawn as if handwritten (with typos corrected in real-time). To emulate ink strokes, the lettering begins as dark and shiny, and slowly gets soaked into the paper and turns paler. Further mimicking handwriting it the order of written words. For example, due to changing of ink colours, Holy words are written last in red.
Such meticulous attention to detail really makes the presentation stand out and really shows that Obsidian Entertainment went the extra mile to depict their game with historical accuracy. The overall output is even more impressive considering the fact that the game was developed by a small team of 13 at Obsidian.
As an interactive, “living” book from the 16th century, the presentation is nothing short of excellent. I think the immersion would be enhanced by voice acting (maybe even in Middle High German!) but the game works well without it; but I’m low-key hoping Obsidian would consider this in a future update.
This game feels at home on the Switch (or any handheld) as this adds to the book-like experience. The port also holds up well on the console and this is no surprise as it is not a particularly graphically-demanding game.
Unconventional looks with the Obsidian touch
Pentiment plays out in point-and-click fashion with interactive elements marked with an icon. While there is no combat, the main actions involve exploring, conversing with Tassing’s inhabitants and engaging in mini-games that provide a slice of life in 16th century Europe. While these aren’t traditional aspects of an Obsidian game, Pentiment does pack the developer’s signature touch: well-executed narrative with branching paths.
Andreas’ investigation sees him exploring Tassing and surrounds, which inevitably leads to engaging conversations with the unique characters. In doing so, you get to learn about their motivations and flaws, making them relatable (and also assist in your investigation).
Your dialogue options can vary based on the character traits you choose as well as following your past actions. Based on these, you can, for example, successfully convenience an NPC to provide more information or assist you in a certain task. Failing these can lead to some information being withheld, and you’ll have to pursue other leads.
Furthermore, some of the actions and decisions you take are morally challenging, forcing you to carefully think about your next steps and potential consequences. Quite often, you will not be able to explore all of your leads and will have to contend with making decisions from what you managed to uncover. This makes for a more impactful and engaging gameplay that entices replays thanks to those lingering “what if” thoughts.
An intricate narrative design
Pentiment’s lack of traditional challenge and simplistic gameplay might not appeal to some but it makes for an accessible game. However, there are still some improvements to the gameplay that would be welcome. For one, there is quite a lot of backtracking in Pentiment as you explore the same areas and visit the same people over and over again. A fast travel option would have resolved this issue but it is unfortunately not present in the game.
Another useful addition would be a conversation log considering that this is a text-heavy game with potential clues in your past conversations. Missing a text bubble can mean missing some important information which you cannot retrieve or analyse at a later time.
That said, Pentiment’s forte relies on its narrative and branching plot. Whichever path you take, the story flows well and feels cohesive, unlike newer releases that attempted a similar approach like The Thaumaturge. Tassing’s mystery persists throughout the 15 hour gameplay and if you decide to give it a replay, you’ll find some hints that you might have missed in your first playthrough. It bears the hallmarks of a well-crafted narrative design and will delight fans of narrative-driven games; and in this respect, I didn't find it far from the excellent Disco Elysium (even if they are of different genres). At $20 and available now on more platforms, Pentiment is well worth trying out and showcases Obsidian's ability to deliver memorable experiences across genres and scopes.
Pentiment – Launch Trailer
Verdict
- Gripping mediaeval mystery plotline
- Well-executed, branching narrative
- Original presentation inspired by illuminated manuscripts
- No conversation log
- No fast travel and need to backtrack
