Pentimento: images that have been changed and painted over
November 18, 2022 11:15 AM Subscribe
Featuring a striking art style inspired by illuminated manuscripts and early modern woodcuts, Obsidian's narrative RPG Pentiment debuted this week to near-universal acclaim. Reviewers praised its art style, story, and the sheer audacity of releasing such a game. Director Josh Sawyer sat down with Wired to discuss the game's influences (Umberto Eco, Darklands), why it wouldn't have gotten made without Microsoft's Game Pass, and the meaning of history.
Pentiment is available for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S and X consoles from the Microsoft Store and Steam.
Pentiment is available for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S and X consoles from the Microsoft Store and Steam.
I recognize that I'm opening myself up to spoilers here (I'm just about to reach the end of part one), but ... this game is too good to sleep on and I want to share it with everyone.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:23 AM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by uncleozzy at 11:23 AM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
It received the highly covered "Bestest Best" from RPS.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 11:31 AM on November 18, 2022
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 11:31 AM on November 18, 2022
Gosh, this looks amazing. Can anyone who's played it tell me if it's all point-and-click or if there's a lot of action? I have to think about RSI before I get a game these days, and they gotta let me go slow.
posted by Countess Elena at 11:41 AM on November 18, 2022
posted by Countess Elena at 11:41 AM on November 18, 2022
Hmph. Looks great. Doesn't exist for Steam.
I repeat, hmph.
posted by humbug at 11:45 AM on November 18, 2022
I repeat, hmph.
posted by humbug at 11:45 AM on November 18, 2022
Can anyone who's played it tell me if it's all point-and-click or if there's a lot of action?
100% point and click. Barely even point, really, just click. Or controller button.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:47 AM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
100% point and click. Barely even point, really, just click. Or controller button.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:47 AM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
I’m not much of a gamer, but pretty point-and-click is my jam. This looks fun.
posted by Comet Bug at 12:00 PM on November 18, 2022
posted by Comet Bug at 12:00 PM on November 18, 2022
Hmph. Looks great. Doesn't exist for Steam.
Yeah it totally is on Steam, at the link Horkus supplied, and it's Deck verified. WISHLIST!
posted by The Bellman at 12:10 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yeah it totally is on Steam, at the link Horkus supplied, and it's Deck verified. WISHLIST!
posted by The Bellman at 12:10 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
This game looks beautiful, but it won't run on anything I have, sadly. I'm sure there'll be a YT video in a day or two I can watch.
posted by hippybear at 12:14 PM on November 18, 2022
posted by hippybear at 12:14 PM on November 18, 2022
I'm super interested in this; Obsidian has such a long history of good writing. But none of the reviews have really answered "is this any fun to play?" It seems a lot more like an interactive movie than a game. Which isn't bad, just want to know what I'm getting into. I bounced off Disco Elysium in part for a similar reason.
posted by Nelson at 12:15 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 12:15 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
(The Steam link is also in the FPP folks!)
In any case, I do want to add that I am maybe 4ish hours into this game and I'm really, really loving it. I don't always gel with narrative games -- I think a lot of them are either too in love with the idea of choice and fail to present a cohesive story, or else too in love with the words and fail to present anything but a novel with a next button.
For me, Pentiment strikes the balance. There is some choice, and there are choices that will expand or limit your future options and the story that unfolds, but the game still guides you cleanly though the narrative (at least so far).
This game looks beautiful, but it won't run on anything I have, sadly
As jedicus pointed out, this will run on Xbox Cloud Gaming, which means it will run on almost any device you own (possibly including a smart phone? I think?) as long as you've got an internet connection fast enough to stream video. It's not great for action games (although it does work surprisingly well), but for something like this it would probably be great. Plus you can subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate for a dollar for your first month.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:20 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
In any case, I do want to add that I am maybe 4ish hours into this game and I'm really, really loving it. I don't always gel with narrative games -- I think a lot of them are either too in love with the idea of choice and fail to present a cohesive story, or else too in love with the words and fail to present anything but a novel with a next button.
For me, Pentiment strikes the balance. There is some choice, and there are choices that will expand or limit your future options and the story that unfolds, but the game still guides you cleanly though the narrative (at least so far).
This game looks beautiful, but it won't run on anything I have, sadly
As jedicus pointed out, this will run on Xbox Cloud Gaming, which means it will run on almost any device you own (possibly including a smart phone? I think?) as long as you've got an internet connection fast enough to stream video. It's not great for action games (although it does work surprisingly well), but for something like this it would probably be great. Plus you can subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate for a dollar for your first month.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:20 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Well, I'll be surprised of Xbox Cloud Gaming runs on any Apple devices, but I'll take a look.
posted by hippybear at 12:27 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 12:27 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
You're in luck: it does! And Pentiment even supports touch controls, which some games don't.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:30 PM on November 18, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 12:30 PM on November 18, 2022 [4 favorites]
Sadly don't see Mac listed there, only iOS. Plus it's like $12/month for the pass?
posted by hippybear at 12:35 PM on November 18, 2022
posted by hippybear at 12:35 PM on November 18, 2022
Yeah, sorry, it IS on Steam, just not for Mac. :(
posted by humbug at 3:44 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by humbug at 3:44 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
After
posted by adekllny at 5:49 PM on November 18, 2022
and
Hmph. Looks great. Doesn't exist for Steam.
I repeat, hmph.
I'm getting the sense of an eponysterical-feeling Scrooge pausing on stage to say "Line!"
Yeah, sorry, it IS on Steam, just not for Mac. :(
posted by humbug at 3:44 PM on November 18
posted by adekllny at 5:49 PM on November 18, 2022
My brother is one of the writers of Pentiment (was also one on Disco Elysium). Seems to have been a really pleasurable team to work with. He's also been showing off the game and talking about game writing to undergrads in the literature department.
Apparently the reception is exceeding their expectations. They were somewhat unsure about how it would do, because it doesn't really "fit" that well into today's gaming landscape. But the landscape is vast and diverse.
As for influences, two small but interesting things. At the end of the credits there is a full academic reference list with all the research they made use of for writing the game. And to start the game you are asked to erase a manuscript page with Latin writing on it. The text is the first page of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose (which itself starts by quoting the Gospel of John).
posted by Pyrogenesis at 10:26 PM on November 18, 2022 [11 favorites]
Apparently the reception is exceeding their expectations. They were somewhat unsure about how it would do, because it doesn't really "fit" that well into today's gaming landscape. But the landscape is vast and diverse.
As for influences, two small but interesting things. At the end of the credits there is a full academic reference list with all the research they made use of for writing the game. And to start the game you are asked to erase a manuscript page with Latin writing on it. The text is the first page of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose (which itself starts by quoting the Gospel of John).
posted by Pyrogenesis at 10:26 PM on November 18, 2022 [11 favorites]
I’m in a mood lately for single-word responses, so:
p a l i m p s e s t
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:59 PM on November 18, 2022
p a l i m p s e s t
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:59 PM on November 18, 2022
As an old Linux nerd, it is still so weird to me that Microsoft is Good Now Actually.
posted by 3j0hn at 7:47 AM on November 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by 3j0hn at 7:47 AM on November 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thanks for posting about this. I hadn't heard of it yet, and it was an immediate buy after I checked out some of the post links!
posted by rachaelfaith at 10:53 AM on November 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by rachaelfaith at 10:53 AM on November 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
it is still so weird to me that Microsoft is Good Now Actually.
I'd say that they're better, now that they're not the proverbial 800-pound gorilla of desktop computing.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:59 PM on November 19, 2022
I'd say that they're better, now that they're not the proverbial 800-pound gorilla of desktop computing.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:59 PM on November 19, 2022
Working daily with MS cloud infrastructure I am convinced we'll regret this soon.
But it's an amazing game, thank you for this post! Did a full playthrough last weekend, even started a second one up to Act 2. I can't in a comment rightly do justice to how much I enjoyed it, I also found it deeply moving. The writing, art, sound, music, typography are a feast.
This is one of those games where I was incredibly excited about discovering layer upon layer. That feeling where one doesn't know just how deep the rabbit hole goes - it feels like it could be almost bottomless. It reminded me (in this specific way) of the much bigger Breath of the Wild. Also you can pet all the cats and dogs, so obviously this game is smart, excellent and thoughtful.
I agree with a youtube review which said it is a game for educated adults. It had me at that character creator picking the skills and background of an actual medieval artisan. Then later some NPC was trying to argue with me about transubstantiation. They expect you to make dialogue choices about your character's opinion on Marthin Luther.
I'm not super interested in finishing the 2nd playthrough yet, perhaps wishing the character background would be for more skill checks / alternate routes than only flavour. Nothing wrong, I just feel apart from flavour I've figured out all available routes now.
Spoilers in this paragraph, the inevitability of Act 1 annoyed me - i.e. wishing there was a hidden route, but of course then the story might not fit the game's title as much. It *really* irks me though that one can't influence, in a quest, the financial shenanigans alluded to by some characters (with the abbey siphoning off money to send elsewhere, and a Fugger connection?) but perhaps with a Business background I might at least get more insight in that part of the story.
posted by yoHighness at 11:40 AM on November 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
But it's an amazing game, thank you for this post! Did a full playthrough last weekend, even started a second one up to Act 2. I can't in a comment rightly do justice to how much I enjoyed it, I also found it deeply moving. The writing, art, sound, music, typography are a feast.
This is one of those games where I was incredibly excited about discovering layer upon layer. That feeling where one doesn't know just how deep the rabbit hole goes - it feels like it could be almost bottomless. It reminded me (in this specific way) of the much bigger Breath of the Wild. Also you can pet all the cats and dogs, so obviously this game is smart, excellent and thoughtful.
I agree with a youtube review which said it is a game for educated adults. It had me at that character creator picking the skills and background of an actual medieval artisan. Then later some NPC was trying to argue with me about transubstantiation. They expect you to make dialogue choices about your character's opinion on Marthin Luther.
I'm not super interested in finishing the 2nd playthrough yet, perhaps wishing the character background would be for more skill checks / alternate routes than only flavour. Nothing wrong, I just feel apart from flavour I've figured out all available routes now.
Spoilers in this paragraph, the inevitability of Act 1 annoyed me - i.e. wishing there was a hidden route, but of course then the story might not fit the game's title as much. It *really* irks me though that one can't influence, in a quest, the financial shenanigans alluded to by some characters (with the abbey siphoning off money to send elsewhere, and a Fugger connection?) but perhaps with a Business background I might at least get more insight in that part of the story.
posted by yoHighness at 11:40 AM on November 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by jedicus at 11:22 AM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]