Historical mystery adventure game

Pentiment is a premium role-playing game from Obsidian. In this game, you take the role of an artist during medieval times. Here, you’ll investigate the murder of a person for which his friend has been accused. You will use your wit and will to expose the real culprit.

Unlike other narrative games, Pentiment never canonically reveals the true culprit. Instead, you’ll accuse any individual you think did the crime and deserves the punishment. With this, the story will adjust according to your findings. Moreover, the game spans over 25 years, and you’ll also investigate other crimes and conspiracies.

What is Pentiment?

Pentiment is a narrative-driven RPG that will take players to 16th-century Germany. Here, you play Andreas Maler, a clever illustrator. As mentioned, you got caught up in a series of murders at Keirsau Abbey when your friend got accused of being the culprit. Possessing the wit and the will to reveal the true killer, you set out to investigate the people around you.

The game spans over 25 years. More than the murder, you will also investigate an underlying conspiracy. You will talk to a wealth of different characters to uncover the truth. However, unlike similar games, there is no linear gameplay where you eventually lead to unveiling the killer. Instead, you can point fingers at whoever you consider guilty. Then, your choices can influence the story in unique ways.

Besides choosing the killer, this RPG also allows players to decide which subjects the character studied. However, as this is a choice-based game, your choice in his education will also affect how the story unfolds. This time it will dictate who you can or cannot talk to. As this is set in medieval times, players can expect an art style that’s a mix of medieval manuscripts and early prints.

Is the game good?

All in all, Pentiment is not your typical mystery RPG, as this one puts emphasis on the consequences of your decisions. Unlike similar games, it does not reveal who the real culprit is, requiring you to trust your instincts through letters, art, and character motives. However, while the story is intriguing until the end, it plays more like a casual game. With this, do not expect action-packed scenes and gameplay.