Pentiment is three things:
1) One of the most beautiful videogames of all time
2) Easily one of the best written videogames of all time
3) An almost unparalleled labour of love
I loved my experience with Pentiment deeply. The writing had me entertained, both laughing when it was funny and sad when it was upsetting. Not many games can straddle that line with such skill so deftly, and especially not when the subject matter is such well-researched history.
No other game has had me hand-wringing over the choices I made. Pentiment is largely a mystery game, with the protagonist Andreas Maler attempting to solve a crime of murder. But the game gives you good reasons for every suspect, and you are forced to act upon what you know despite not having perfect knowledge at any point. Then you must live with your decision, and that alone can be tough.
What compelled me the most was seeing the town of Tassing change over time. You see families change and grow over time, suffering both losses and experiencing joys as well. And lastly, if there's anything the game is saying it is that love is the most important part of being human, and that the people of the 16th century were just like us, even if their reality was vastly different to what ours is.
I'll be thinking about Pentiment for a long time, and I'll be coming back to it again, of that I am certain.
1) One of the most beautiful videogames of all time
2) Easily one of the best written videogames of all time
3) An almost unparalleled labour of love
I loved my experience with Pentiment deeply. The writing had me entertained, both laughing when it was funny and sad when it was upsetting. Not many games can straddle that line with such skill so deftly, and especially not when the subject matter is such well-researched history.
No other game has had me hand-wringing over the choices I made. Pentiment is largely a mystery game, with the protagonist Andreas Maler attempting to solve a crime of murder. But the game gives you good reasons for every suspect, and you are forced to act upon what you know despite not having perfect knowledge at any point. Then you must live with your decision, and that alone can be tough.
What compelled me the most was seeing the town of Tassing change over time. You see families change and grow over time, suffering both losses and experiencing joys as well. And lastly, if there's anything the game is saying it is that love is the most important part of being human, and that the people of the 16th century were just like us, even if their reality was vastly different to what ours is.
I'll be thinking about Pentiment for a long time, and I'll be coming back to it again, of that I am certain.