Xbox’s June showcase revealed a handful of interesting titles currently in production, but few look as utterly unique as Pentiment. The game sports a vibrant aesthetic that’s supposed to resemble the illuminated manuscripts of the 16th century. The story also fits into the 16th-century aesthetic, casting players as a journeyman artist named Adreas Maler. Pentiment is easily one of the most unique-looking games Microsoft has right now, so here’s everything we know about it.
When is the Pentiment release window?
Pentiment’s unique art style is inspired by illuminated manuscripts and woodcut prints of the 16th century.
While Pentiment doesn’t have a firm release date yet, it was announced with a release window of November 2022. It’s a smaller experience, however, as Microsoft has announced the game will cost $19.99.
Is there a Pentiment trailer?
Yes! At the moment there’s only the reveal trailer for the games, shown off during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase in June 2022.
Who is the Pentiment developer?
Pentiment is developed by Obsidian Entertainment, an acclaimed studio with multiple award-winning RPGs under its belt. Obsidian got its start developing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, but the studio is likely best known for developing Fallout: New Vegas. Pentiment is directed by Obsidian Design Director Josh Sawyer, who was also the director of New Vegas and both Pillars of Eternity games. Like those games, Pentiment promises to be very narrative-focused.
Obsidian also has two other games in development with Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2.
What are the Pentiment platforms?
The setting of Pentiment is currently experiencing a great period of civil unrest.
Because Pentiment is being developed by Obsidian, a first-party Microsoft studio, it’s only planned for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game will also be available on day one on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
What do we know about Pentiment gameplay?
On top of general dialogue choices, players will have an array of choices for Andreas’ background.
Because Pentiment is a narrative-focused game its story ties directly into the gameplay. Andreas is an artist working in the bygone scriptorium of the Kiersau Abbey in Germany. According to the game’s announcement page, it’s a time of great social unrest, and Andreas ends up entangled in a series of murders that take place over 25 years.
The game revolves around investigating and talking to a wealth of different characters, in order to uncover the truth. One of the more unique aspects of Pentiment comes with Andreas’ educational background, which you can pick at the start of the game through a number of choices, such as which country he studied in. These choices can influence Andreas’ investigational style, and past that, choices you make can influence the story in unique ways. Here’s an excerpt from the announcement page that dives into that idea a bit more
“One day he may be digging up a dead monk in the abbey cemetery, the next might be spent eavesdropping on peasant gossip at the ladies’ spinning bee. Every decision and accusation he makes carries consequences that will impact the tightly-knit Alpine community for generations to come.”
Obsidian has always used branching narratives and choices in its RPGs, and that likely means that Pentiment will feature multiple routes and/or endings.
