An artist's dream, a bard's song, a manuscript of a forgotten book, a mural of days gone by and days to come. Pentiment does not for a moment feel like a video game, and that is greatly to its benefit. Through the eyes of a melancholic man who has let his life slip away and a curious, ardent young woman who is unsure what she wants from life, hangs a tapestry that winds itself the way you weave it and frays where you err. For all the good and bad that comes with it, the 15 hour walk through 16th century Germany feels as authentic to its the time as walking outside my door feels to the present.

Pentiment is beautifully and deftly crafted by Josh Sawyer (no surprise as he directed the best game of all time) and his team at Obsidian. I feel that it speaks volumes to me in 2023, this story that has happened a thousand times in the past. It's a tad too long, but despite the notable lull in the beginning of the third act it's a story that will resonate with everyone. I recommend to play with a friend so that you may conspire, advise, and meme Saint Goblin the way we did.

Agredecido con el de arriba (apropriado) con que Disco Elysium abriera la veda de RPGs narrativos detectivescos basados exclusivamente en los diálogos, porque nos ha permitido tener esta joyita.

Pentiment me llamó la atención desde el primer momento por su apartado visual tan carácteristico, y resulta que solo es la primera de sus virtudes. Es una historia que no deja de sorprender mientras va hilando un misterio muy bien escrito. Tras las primeras horas temí que su sistema de investigación fuera demasiado frustrante, pero al contrario, está perfectamente diseñado para apoyar los temas principales del juego.

Me ha tenido enganchado de principio a fin y se va directo a mi lista de juegos favoritos del año pasado. Qué gusto ver a estudios como Obsidian pudiendo permitirse experimentos de este tipo, porque puede que este sea el mejor juego del estudio.

Fuck. I went in expecting to like this game because it's headed by Josh Sawyer - who was instrumental in making Fallout: New Vegas (my favourite game of all time), but I also knew it was one of those "narrative-driven" games - by which I mean "a game where the whole thing is walking back and forth in a straight line and talking to people" which are games that I generally avoid because, I don't think they're fun! I play games for the gameplay - I almost definitely have ADHD and tune out of these things after too long, especially when there's a lot of jargon and buzzwords being thrown around and a lot of detail in the dialogue to pay attention to, (which there definitely is here.)

Yet, I fucking loved this game. I also got through Night In The Woods and Disco Elysium (before voice acting) and liked them too, so maybe I have more patience than I thought! Or, maybe it's just a credit for these games. I think some people could, perhaps, criticise Pentiment for being boring - especially in its third act, where I do think a lot of the more implicit drama and intrigue take a backseat to worldbuilding and lore, yet even in its third act I can honestly say I never got bored, and this game really is just talking to people for about 12 hours with a few very thin minigame segments thrown in every so often!

It's hard to talk about this game at length without spoiling it because it is almost entirely dialogue, all I'll say is that it has a sense of place and culture in its writing that only Josh Sawyer and select few others seem capable of in modern videogames. Pentiment is a reminder that videogames are a vehicle for more interesting and diverse stories than "what if the good guys fought the bad guys??? With guns or swords or magic???" It's when you play a game like this that you think about the embarrassing state of the writing of some of the biggest videogame franchises in the world; Elder Scrolls, Warcraft, Halo, they all genuinely feel like they might be written by people who have never read an actual book and games like this illuminate that. We can do so much better with stories in interactive media. We should do better. The minds are out there. As I say; there is a culture, and a curiosity about history and society and the like in the writing of this game that is just so shockingly rare considering how many new games come out every year nowadays.

Pentiment - whilst being barebones in terms of gameplay has immaculate vibes. From its gorgeous artstyle to its perfect sound design; the way that every dialogue box is accompanied by the sound of a scribbling pen, the way that the birds can be heard chirping and frogs croaking as you walk through the forest? Its cosy. This game is cosy as FUCK. I found myself frequently stopping mid-dialogue just to admire the aesthetic, just to really take in the rolling hills, the falling leaves, all the beautiful sights this game presented me with.

I wouldn't recommend this game for everyone. But as I say - as someone who puts a lot of value into gameplay and gets bored easily, I breezed through this and loved every minute of it. Xbox's "let the devs do what they want" ethos hasn't worked as well as I or I think they would've liked so far, but this is a massive success story. An awesome game that I think will stay in my heart for a while.

Something told me it was over
When I saw you and her talkin'
Something deep down in my soul said, 'Cry, girl'
When I saw you and that girl walkin' around

Whoo, I would rather, I would rather go blind, boy
Then to see you walk away from me, child, no

Whoo, so you see, I love you so much
That I don't wanna watch you leave me, baby
Most of all, I just don't, I just don't wanna be free, no

Whoo, whoo, I was just, I was just, I was just
Sittin here thinkin', of your kiss and your warm embrace, yeah
When the reflection in the glass that I held to my lips now, baby
Revealed the tears that was on my face, yeah

Whoo and baby, baby, I'd rather, I'd rather be blind, boy
Then to see you walk away, see you walk away from me, yeah
Whoo, baby, baby, baby, I'd rather be blind...