Pentiment - Review @ PCMag

PCMag checked out Pentiment:

Pentiment

A magical murder mystery

2022 was an especially rough year for Microsoft's game development efforts. Although Xbox Game Studios failed to launch a single product, Microsoft-owned Obsidian Entertainment released Pentiment ($19.99), one of the most memorable adventure games in recent years. The historical whodunit lacks action, but makes up for it with a unique art style, meaningful decision-making system, and simple RPG elements. As a result, the excellent Xbox Series S/X game (also available on Xbox Game Pass and Steam) earns our Editors' Choice award for adventure games.

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The Details Are in the Story
Pentiment styles itself as a murder mystery. You question people, gather evidence, investigate hunches, and blame someone for the crime. However, the game only sort of cares about the truth. No matter who you peg as the killer, there are no definitive answers. Instead, you must live with the consequences of your actions.

The game cares more about stories and our perception of truth. Tassing is a town with a long, winding history. It was founded by Romans, settled by Pagans, and is currently populated by Christians. The passage of time makes the truth hard to discern, and over the game's three acts, you see how the truth changes depending on your perception. What Pentiment lacks in exciting gameplay mechanics, it makes up with meticulously crafted branching dialog options.

Though the game's third act suffers from some uneven story and pacing decisions, Pentiment ultimately sticks the landing for a truly rewarding story. In the end, it's entirely up to you—both literally and figuratively—to determine how the past is remembered and the future is written.

Bottom Line
Pentiment is a thrilling, Renaissance-style whodunit that forgoes conventional video game action by focusing on an engaging narrative, branching dialogue options, and character relationships.

Score: 4.5/5