Pentiment - Editorial @ Destructoid

Destructoid points out why Pentiment is a good thing for the whole game industry:

Pentiment is the breath of fresh air that games desperately needed

The following contains mild spoilers for Pentiment. If you haven’t played it yet, go do that right now! Then come back and see us.

Obsidian is in peak form, if you ask me
We’re already looking ahead to an amazing year of releases in 2023, but part of me still can’t let go of one of my favorite games of last year: Pentiment. Although it was released mid November of 2022, I didn’t play it until a month later when we were in the midst of the end of year rush, so I didn’t get to give it as much attention as I thought it deserved. So here I am, taking a moment to highlight not only what a great game I think Pentiment is, but also my thoughts on how this game’s mere existence, along with its subsequent success, is actually a good thing for the games industry as a whole. Let’s get into it.

In today’s market, singularity is everything
Say what you want about Pentiment, but there is one thing you can’t deny: the game is entirely singular in the games industry. From its art style to its setting to its story to its gameplay, there’s nothing I can point to and say “eh, they did it first” or “they did it better.” I’ll start with the art. A key characteristic of the game’s protagonist, Andreas, is that he’s an artist. It would have already been a brilliant decision to go for a style that accurately recreates the art style of the period that the main character is actively creating in the game, but the fact that it ties back into the narrative so seamlessly as a storybook recounting the history of the town of Tassing — it’s near perfection if you ask me.

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