Even though Obsidian Entertainment has never been afraid to try something new, its upcoming adventure gamePentimentis something else. Obsidian is generally known for its work on RPGs likePillars of EternityandThe Outer Worlds,but lately, it’s been trying different genres with different aesthetics and finding success.Groundedis a hit so far, attracting lots of survival game fans during its early access period, and Obsidian seemingly hopes to find another offbeat success inPentiment,which features a striking medieval art style and tasks players with solving a mystery in 16th century Germany that spans more than two decades of the protagonist’s life.
The 500-year-old setting ofPentimentalready makes it stand out in the mystery field, but a broader concept of the game is arguably more important in defining its unique identity. Naturally most crime-solving games see players uncover the culprit if they make the right choices and pick up all the clues, butPentiment’s crimes aren’t quite so cut and dry. In this way, it puts a lot more pressure on the player’s own senses of judgment and justice. Even ifPentimentdoesn’t end up being an impressive game,Obsidian Entertainmentcan’t be faulted for creativity when it comes to crafting its story structure.
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Why Pentiment’s Murder Mystery is Special
The main mind behindPentimentis Josh Sawyer, who rose to prominence at Obsidian Entertainment as the director forFallout: New Vegas.Now the director forPentiment,Sawyer has shared a lot of valuable insight on the game’s approach to crime-solving. In a conversation with IGN, Sawyer stated explicitly thatPentimentnever provides an official, canonical answer as to who is responsible for the murder that kicks off protagonist Andreas Maler’s journey. In other words, it’s entirely up to the player to decide who, if anyone, should be punished for the game’s events.
Other murder mystery games likePersona 4 Goldenmay have an official culprit who can be captured or defeated to get a happy ending, butPentimentis entirely different. Players will seemingly be at liberty to choose a perpetrator based on whatever criteria they want at the end. For instance, if players think one immoral character deserves to be punished, but they don’t have any connection to the crime, Andreas can still accuse that person to force them to face justice. Alternatively, players working hard to solve the mystery will never know for sure if they accused the right person. Either scenario puts a ton of pressure on the player’s notions of right and wrong, since ultimately,Pentimentwill forever leave the players in doubt.
This could makePentimenta really refreshing crime-solving experience. Sawyer has de-emphasizedthe “detective” side ofPentiment,but regardless, Andreas' quest is a central part of the game, so ultimately Obsidian needed to make that experience unique somehow. The lingering sense of doubt thatPentimentwill reportedly conjure is just the right thing. The game will seemingly be more focused on the morals of Andreas and his community, as well as the player’s own input, rather than the crime itself, which is a clever reversal of games that focus on a major crime while exploring the beliefs of characters on the side.
If the mystery genre takes anything away fromPentiment, it ought to be this approach to crime. More games would benefit from keeping the truth shrouded in mystery, instead pushing players to think very carefully about all of their decisions while asking questions about the consequences of both crime and criminal justice. While it’s always satisfying to see a mystery solved,Pentimentgains a lot by setting the answers aside and instead asking players to sit with their uncertainty.Obsidian Entertainment definitely has another creative ideaon its hands, so hopefullyPentimentdelivers.
Pentimentreleases November 2022 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
