Kismet's Spoiler-Free Review of Pentiment

 

Images are from Pentiment by Obsidian Entertainment

"There are layers to everything, even our memories." - Beatrice

At the Threshold

On the surface, Pentiment is a medieval murder mystery. You begin play as Andreas Maler, a young artist staying in the fictional village of Tassing and working at one of the last scriptoriums. Soon, you'll have to set your masterpiece aside to track down a killer, but it won't be easy and the stakes are high. For how does one uncover the truth in a world where everyone has grudges and secrets, but no one knows about DNA evidence?

This layer of the game is rich and satisfying, provided you understand a few things:

If you enjoy history, you'll appreciate the pace and customs of medieval life in Upper Bavaria. Prayers, work, and meals set the rhythm of the days. Older beliefs and norms are prevalent, but competing views are also expressed. They aren't modern impositions but logical outcomes: the world was changing, our ancestors were only so different from us, and they didn't agree on everything. If you don't care for the medieval period, this may not be the game for you, but if you're open to learning more, you can get a lot out of it.

You don't have to be a medieval scholar to navigate Pentiment. A great deal of research was done for this game, and the creators share it with us: click the red underlined words and you'll be richly rewarded. The view pulls back to frame the current moment in an illuminated manuscript page. In the margins, glosses quickly explain the concept alongside charming bits of medieval art. Even those who know the period can learn more because what's shared is largely historically accurate.

Viewing the game's scenes as pictures in a storybook hints at some important truths about Pentiment:

• It isn't an action game. You'll make decisions and a few skill checks, but there's no combat system and events unfold narratively.

• You'll pick a few traits related to Andreas' past and personality, but that's the extent of character creation. These choices influence information he already knows, questions he can ask, and opinions he might hold. You won't have to worry about leveling up or a best build.

• Investigations have realistic limitations: time, access, and clues aren't easy to come by. Modern science doesn't exist and Andreas isn't Columbo. You'll do the best you can with what you have, and it won't always feel like enough. This isn't a flaw but points to the deeper aims of the game.

"So then what's the point?" you may be wondering. "Why would I play this when I could play something else with more options and excitement?"

Descend into the Dark

"Art is illusion, storytelling, but in their most sublime form, these images illuminate a path to truth." - Piero

Pentiment isn't built around one person or crime, but around stories: the tales we weave to explain the world, reckon with our lives, and shape the future. The game shows how stories shift as we do - growing with the telling, fading out of fashion, and returning as new blooms in spring. It's keenly interested in how we weave them into various arts and share them with friends and foes alike. Why? Because in stories, we seek to preserve all we love and fear; through them, we can gain perspective and hope. And we create them as much as they create us.

Tassing isn't just a small mountain village but a microcosm of all human settlements, ever. By traversing its streets and getting to know its people, you won't just be chasing a case but experiencing the connections between all things. Because the game isn't about one truth but all truths. It questions how and why we create facts and beliefs, history and knowledge. It shows us how much of what we believe is as mutable and fallible as we are.

This doesn't mean the pursuit of truth is worthless. Quite the contrary, as Pentiment will show you if you persist.

Keep Going Deeper

"If reason, wisdom, authority, and honesty cannot triumph, what am I left with?" - Andreas

If you want to get the most out of this game, give yourself over to it. Admire the visual art. Let its people charm and frustrate you. Dare to care about them and their lives. Stop and enjoy the music from time to time. Compare Pentiment to other media, but don't expect it to be those things. Take the experience as it is. Make connections to everything that comes to mind: bits of old old learning, religious beliefs, your life. It all matters - all of it.

And no matter what happens, keep going. If you feel stuck in a scene, explore it again and you'll probably find a way out. If you don't, look up a solution instead of giving up. Even if you feel like the story isn't paying off, do your best to reach the end. Return to it until the final credits roll. Then you can truly decide what the game has been for you.

What Pentiment Has Been for Me & to Me

At one point in the story, Sister Amalie insists: "Reading cannot communicate a spiritual experience." This seems to be the creators' challenge to themselves. Reading alone may not be enough to encapsulate or transmit spiritual truths, but what if many arts are brought to bear? What if you aren't just hearing or seeing a tale but acting it out? What then?

I came to Pentiment after finishing Disco Elysium, an incredible journey all its own. In the aftermath, I found myself yearning to find something else as thoughtful, deliberate, and touching. Apparently, this is a common response after Disco. I bless the Redditor who suggested Pentiment because it wasn't just a fun leisure experience for me it became a transcendent one. I laughed and even cried more than once. By the end, I was left gaping in awe, and that is not an exaggeration. I touched the sublime through this game as I've done through literature and other arts, as I'm sure the creators hoped for. They used every technique at their command to illuminate truths and invoke the sublime, and I'm grateful to have been in the best place and time to let myself go there with them.

There are many reasons Pentiment won a Peabody award. I hope with all my heart you get to experience the tale for yourself and if it moves you, I hope to hear about it.

 

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