It's Just so Good! Pentiment

Sure, I enjoy a good triple-A game just as much as the next person--there's nothing quite like sparkly graphics and fancy gameplay.  However, I don't often find myself walking away from triple-A game with a sense of wonder and that true "wow" feeling--you know, the one where you immediately want to start over and try to experience it all over again.  Recently, I experienced this feeling after finishing up the very excellent Pentiment.

What is it?

A choice-based, point-and-click game set in 16th century Bavaria.  The game is designed to look like a living, illuminated manuscript so it has a unique visual style.  You play as Andreas Maler, an artist who has taken a commission for artwork to appear in an illuminated manuscript.  The art of illuminated manuscripts is a dying one (largely thanks to the invention of the printing press), so Andreas has ended up in one of the last places that still has a working scriptorium--the abbey of Kiersau near the village of Tassing.  Unfortunately for Andreas, a tragic murder occurs and he finds himself pulled into the investigation and consequences related to it.  It's your job as the player to investigate the murder...and try to solve it.  This isn't a straightforward task and other events also start spinning out of control.  As you make choices, the consequences play out in the story.

How long does a playthrough take?

I would estimate around 20 hours.  I sort of messed up at the beginning of the game and didn't do as much exploring and talking to other folks as I should have--that might have added some playtime.

Pros:

+ The story is choice-based and very well-written.  There are many difficult choices to make and the consequences of your choices play out in the story.  It is text-based, so there's plenty to read, but, again, it's an engaging read.

+ It is designed to look like an illuminated manuscript and has a fun visual style.  If I has played it before the Steam Awards had happened, I definitely would've nominated it for the visual style award.

+ As a history teacher, I appreciated the fact that it was set in a specific historical period and that the events of the time were reflected in the game.  No, it's not a history game, but the village of Tassing definitely finds itself in the middle of the major events of the time--the Protestant Reformation has started and much of Europe is dealing with a huge religious schism that also impacts the social order of the day.  Peasants find themselves swept up in these changes and revolts break out across Europe.  It's definitely a tumultuous period, historically speaking.

+ Players get to choose Andreas' background and skills.  These choices allow Andreas to access certain knowledge--for example, I chose for Andreas to be interested in medicine and nature.  At one point in the story, Andreas was able to use his medical knowledge to try to defend someone against accusations of murder.  There are multiple backgrounds to choose and each offers up certain advantages that can impact the story.  It's also fun that you get to choose them throughout the story and not just at the beginning.

+ No quicksaves or manual saves.  The choices you make are final--there's no way to undo them unless you re-play the story.  This might be infuriating to some people, but I found it invigorating.  In way too many games it gets really easy to go back and undo a choice.  Every decision I made in Pentiment made me feel uneasy, and that's not a bad thing...there should be uncertainty about the consequences of your choices rather than a convenient quicksave to undo an outcome that you don't like.

+ The cast of characters in the game are interesting and fun to talk to.  Andreas, the main character throughout most of the story, is great--he's a bit listless and unsure of himself.  You learn more about his background and self-doubt through his dreams...where he finds himself having conversations with saints and historical figures from the time period.  Talking to the villagers, monks, and nuns is vital as you are able to find side missions and learn more about the events taking place.

+ The music in the game is pleasant and also reflects the historical period.  The cantor in the abbey has a beautiful voice and you shouldn't skip the opportunities to have him sing.

+ You can pet all the village and abbey dogs and cats!  There's even a chance that a choice you make has an outcome related to some of them.

You can pet the dog!  (And all the village cats too!)

Cons:

- If you're one of those "keep reading out of games" types, this one ain't for you.  There's no voice acting and you have to read all the dialogue.  Stick to Call of Duty.

- Your choices are final.  You're stuck with them.  I think some people won't like this feature, but I liked it.

Recommendation:

Pentiment is one of the games that you should believe the hype about.  I played through the story and then immediately wanted to start over (...mostly to see if I could make better choices, but also just because it's that good).  The story and characters are well-written and you really do find yourself invested in the outcome for the village of Tassing and its inhabitants.  I would pay full piece for this gem.