izigame.me

This is my review after finishing the game, it is spoiler free.

    Introduction
    Overall thoughts
    An overview
     Conclusion


Introduction

This is a point and click narrative adventure game. Do not buy this game thinking this is an RPG because it was made by Obsidian, there is no combat, or inventory, or abilities, this is a game that happens through dialogue and light puzzles. This is a niche game not meant for everyone, although I encourage anyone to give it a try.
I am the target audience of this game, I enjoy reading, I like narrative games and I have an interest in history and art, so obviously this game speaks to me, it will not speak to everyone.
Feel free to skip to the conclusion if you only want my final thoughts about the game.
It took me a little over 16 hours to finish the game, by taking my time and enjoying the environment. I believe I did miss some interactions, which I will revisit on a second playthrough.

Overall thoughts

The first thing that hits you when you start playing is how amazing the art is, there's no two ways about it, the style and fidelity makes this game completely and utterly unique and every scene entices you to look at every inch to make sure you're not missing something.
The dialogue is well written and witty, the people you talk to feel like actual people rather than simple NPCs. Every character makes you feel some way about them, in good or bad, and each one of them helps make the town feel alive.
There is quite a bit of choice and consequence in Pentiment. A story is being told, and you cannot influence the major direction of it, but you definitely decide what happens during each segment of it.
I have criticism about the game, I don't think it's perfect in every aspect, one of which is pacing, and I will elaborate on this in the Overview section of the review. Here are a few thing about the game I wish were different:
- I firmly believe not having music when walking around and chatting with other characters is a missed opportunity. I understand the value of making major beats of the story special by having exclusive music, but having background basic music during the more mundane parts does not take away from having full and orchestral music during the special moments of the game. The game has a lot of wandering around and smaller conversations about history and everyday events of the town, and listening to environmental sounds, as good as they are, and quill scribbles gets dull and repetitive after a few hours.
- The player controlled character being limited to walking on roads makes the game feel a bit on rails. I understand the reason from a development side to restrict the player for pathing issues, but Obsidian has also given that freedom in the south park series, another 2D narrative game. I love the environment, I just wish I could look behind walls for small secrets and bonk a few times into walls.
- I wish you could scroll up conversations, sometimes I want to remind myself what was said before responding, or I clicked a little too quickly and missed a response.
- This is a nitpick, but anytime you interact with someone the game has a quick 'cut to black' as you enter the conversation and as you leave it. It makes the game feel a little less immersive.
- Mouse and keyboard controls are not amazing, I switched to controller halfway through and felt much more natural. The game limits you to playing either fully on keyboard or fully on mouse, you cannot mix both, which would feel more natural to me.


An overview

The game is divided into 3 major acts, I will give a quick overview with no spoilers : 
Act 1 starts off slow, but deliberately so. You are beginning to discover the game mechanics, the town, and the people. This act begins as you play an outsider entering a town with it's own stories and traditions, and you go around learning about the people and their stories. The downside is that it feels more like exposition than actually having a part in the world you inhabit. Act 1 does pick up as you move along, but since you're just discovering the world, you have to make decisions with incomplete information as you try to piece the mysteries together. The benefit of this is that it feels like a real investigation, on the other hand you don't really feel like you are making smart and compelling decisions, mostly guesses, which makes sense in an investigation, but as a player you again feel like a victim of the story that is unfolding rather than an actor in it.
Act 2 is where the game really shines. You get the benefit of everything you have learned from act 1 about the town and the history, but also you have formed relationships with the people. You have to live with the consequences of your choices in Act 1, while having to make new ones with the worry of repeating the same mistakes of the past, or making new mistakes in the present. Act 2 makes you feel much more like an actor in the story unfolding and the decisions you make feel more deliberate.
Act 3 gives a major shift in perspective which I will not reveal here, but the game feels almost like a new start. Unfortunately Act 3 is much more linear than the first two, with choices and consequences being much more limited and reserved for a big reveal at the end. This makes the game feel more like Act 1, except you don't get the benefit of discovery, you're treading old ground as you search into the past. You get less freedom, there are less puzzles, the relaxing meal times are gone.
All in all, act 3 lacks in depth, which is furthermore disappointing because it also feels like the longest act, it might not be the longest but it feels that way by the lack of player involvement and variety. Very quickly the novelty of the change of perspective from the start of the act wears off. You are no longer really investigating the town, the mysteries, the people, you are just waiting for the game to give you cryptic hints.
Fortunately, by the point of act 3 you are most likely hooked on the story and want to know how it concludes, as I was, so these negatives are bearable, especially since the art remains beautiful throughout giving the players that got so far in the game an amazing view of the town in a change of season.
The ending is what I will speak the least about, because it is absolutely wonderful, and deserves to be experienced in full, I simply cannot describe how impactful and poignant it is. My only worry is that some people might give up before reaching such an amazing denouement.

Conclusion

The highs of Pentiment are magnificient and emotional. The dream sequences, the meal times, the art, the characters, they all blend together for a great experience. Anyone who has any interest in stories, history, or art should at least try Pentiment, especially because the ending is very special.
Unfortunately, some other parts of the game ring a little more hollow, I think some music during the parts where you walk around and chat with people, which accounts for most of the game, would help to make the game more whole. But as someone who likes to read, is interested in art, and has a penchant for history, the slower parts do not deter my joy of going through the game, but it might dissuade a lesser inclined audience.
Maybe that's the point though. A niche game is niche not because only a few people will enjoy it, but because it was carefully crafted by people with deep passion and distinct view about how the game plays and feels. The consequence of that is that most people don't share those passions, and they might never give Pentiment a try or they give up early. But also, the upside of that, is that a very unique and special game has been made which appeals to my personal interests, and you know what, that makes me happy.
Until later. Until then.