Pentiment

"It&s;s a magnificent thing, and this story will be lingering in my thoughts for quite some time. Pentiment takes Obsidian&s;s expertise in branching narratives, role-playing, and building evocative worlds, then packages it all up in an exciting and unique way. …"

"Mostly, however, we have praise to pour over Pentiment. The game is the stylistically most beautiful adventure of the year, while also feeling both intelligent and passionately built. It&s;s undeniably an odd bird that&s;s likely to find the right niche …"

"Despite some issues with the audio and the slowness of the third act, Pentiment is a wonderfully unique storytelling experience overflowing with respect for the historical era it strives to recreate. Much like the game’s themes of stories persisting over …"

"A brilliant narrative adventure that is filled with intelligence and heart."

"Pentiment is a stunning piece of work, with a rich story, gorgeous artwork, and fleshed out characters that keep you hungry to learn more."

"What Obsidian has here is a reinvention of narrative gaming, however, and one that asks a question of the player everyone should at least attempt answering. Whether or not the question is too inscrutable doesn&s;t really matter - it&s;s how …"

"A brilliant take on narrative adventure games by Obsidian. Pentiment is an awesome portrait of XVI century Europe and a compelling game about the sense of history, religion, tradition and personal beliefs. Sometimes the narrative structure is constraining, but overall …"

"Pentiment is a different graphic adventure, based on dialogues and with a great story. We love its medieval setting, but it has a slow pace that won&s;t catch all players."

"Pentiment is a slow and deliberate novel of a game. Though quite lively at times, this is still a game that asks players to read long, intricate conversations and remember scores of characters in a historic setting. The mystery is …"

"A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won&s;t cause massive damage."

"Pentiment is, despite its scarce and more than simple gameplay and its few hours more, a game that shines with its own light in a year with great releases. The new Obsidian manages to hook by its history and all …"

"Pentiment is a shining example of committing fully to an idea without worrying about where it fits in today&s;s gaming market. The result? One of the best games of the year, narrative and otherwise."

"Pentiment is about that phenomenon, and also a manifestation of it. It&s;s one of the most engaging and accessible works of living history ever commissioned, and the fact that it exists at all - let alone as a major platform …"

"We were largely enthralled during our dozen or so hours with Pentiment. The mystery at the heart of the narrative remains compelling throughout, but it was the smaller moments that warmed our hearts; breaking bread with friends, sharing in their …"

""Many developments are outside of your control, yet rarely in games does the passage of time feel so intimately significant.""

"Pentiment too often limits its most enjoyable pieces to reach an ending that makes sense but is still unfulfilling."

"A beautiful and beautifully-written narrative game that makes masterful use of its early modern setting. One of Obsidian&s;s finest."

"Pentiment is a short but sweet adventure from Obsidian, one that plays to their strengths when it comes to dialogue and gives players enjoyable mysteries to figure out."

"Pentiment is a clever Medieval detective story with a gorgeously-realized world that I can hardly recommend highly enough."

"An evocative recreation of 16th-century Bavaria examines how the tide of history crashes against the lives of everyday people, all framed by an intriguing crime story"

"The slow pace and amount of reading required may put some people off, but I&s;d encourage you to try it all the same — it&s;s a fascinating period piece that tells both history lesson and original narrative while reflecting on …"

"Pentiment is a fascinating dive into XVI century Bavaria, that combines a murder mystery spanning over twentyfive years with a quick but accurate portrayal of the tumultuous social upheaval of the time. Its choice-based dialogue system only marginally influences the …"

"At least visually, Pentiment is unlike any game in the marketplace, and its execution is never less than impressive. As a reflection on the role of the artist and the fundamental, unchanging nature of the human experience, it can be …"

"Learn to move at Tassing’s sedate pace and patience will be rewarded as a seemingly simple murder mystery makes way for a rich portrait of village life and the difficult choices that come to define it."

"Pentiment goes all in as a dialogue-heavy historical murder mystery that you won&s;t want to stop playing. You will question your actions throughout the game because your choices truly matter. No two endings will be the same, which makes you …"

"Pentiment won’t be for everyone. It’s bookish, sometimes a bit dry, and demands you take its questions about the nature of religion, art, and other heady subjects seriously if you want to get the most out of its narrative. If …"

"A game like Pentiment doesn’t come around often. Top developers like Obsidian Entertainment usually leave smaller productions like this on the editing floor. The vast majority of games with fantastic stories usually ask players to kill something, solve puzzles, or …"

"A Dark Ages mystery whose gameplay and dialogue are as unique as it&s;s daringly unconventional premise and visuals."

"Pentiment is a fantastic adventure RPG that revels in a studious approach to history and immaculate recreations of the styles and traditions of 16th-century Bavaria. There&s;s a super smart, funny, and engaging murder mystery to investigate here, but it&s;s how …"

"Pentiment manages to bring a unique experience to a catalog increasingly focused on big blockbusters."

"We found Pentiment to be utterly addictive and would compare our playthrough to reading a great novel that we could not put down, which feels apt since the game is stylized as a medieval storybook. While the game looks simple, …"

"Some players may create chaos, others will try to keep the peace, but each will be able to tell the story of Pentiment in their own way. It is interactive choose-your-own-adventure story-telling at its best, and although it feels too …"

"Pentiment is not a bad game, it’s just not one that I have no real interest in; It’s more along the lines of an interactive, mystery novel than a video game. While I loved the storybook art style, the overly …"

"Pentiment does an excellent job of making my journey feel natural, with results that directly reflect my dialogue and action choices."

"This historical murder mystery isn’t what you might expect from Obsidian Entertainment, known for first-person action RPGs like The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas, but there is still importance placed on building your character and choosing how you experience …"

"Pentiment&s;s gameplay — or lack thereof — may deter some would-be players, but those who become invested in its lovingly crafted world set in distant past, emotional and human narrative, and gripping murder conspiracy are guaranteed to fall in love."