Pentiment

Xbox Game Pass · Xbox Series X
Microsoft Game Studios · Obsidian Entertainment

Pentiment is an A+ example of a narrative-driven choose-your-own-adventure video game. It should appeal to anyone who loves words.

The way the game writes the unvoiced text onto the screen based on the background of the character speaking is novel at first but becomes tiresome as it often forms slower than reading speed. Fortunately, there’s an option for instant display.

The end summary of choices made, while beautifully presented, is underwhelming when compared to Telltale Games’ community metrics approach. I’d like to know what percentage of players made the same choices I did, but I have a feeling that there are so many branching paths that it would be unwieldly to display them. It’s also unclear how many possible endings exist, though I’m certain that another playthrough with different starting conditions and choices made throughout would produce a different result. Just how different I can’t say, and I don’t expect to play again until at least next year because in addition to being a rather lengthy experience it also qualifies as an XMAS game.

Highly recommended if you enjoy reading, medieval history, and religious overtones.

2022.12.28

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