Being a CRPG from legendary developer Obsidian,Pentimentmight seem a bit intimidating to players who aren’t used to this type of game. In reality, this adventure game/CRPG hybrid is one of the best places forgetting into the genre. The character creation is painless and there is no combat to speak of, let alone dungeons stuffed with repetitive fights.
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WhatPentimentdoes have isplenty of dialogue, accompanied by just as much great writing, and an endless web of interconnected choices, people, and problems. Getting lost in this much complexity is almost to be expected, though it isn’t quite the high point of the game. A tip here and there, then, should come useful to most players.
7Character Creation Doesn’t End At Big Jorg
Even though this iswhere character creationstarts inPentiment, talking to Big Jorg doesn’t really change what Andreas can and can’t do. Rather, defining his past during this conversation decides what kind of books he will understand and how much he will be able to converse with each character.
Much more important to character creation is the conversation with Baron Lorenz, during which the player will choose what Andreas studied in university. First, players will choose Andreas’ specialization, one among theology, law, and medicine. They will also be given the option of gaining 2 among a number of possible skills: latinist, logician, orator, astronomer, occultist, and naturalist.
6When In Doubt, Use The Map
It’s easy to become completely lost inPentiment, running through the same rooms with little indication of which direction is which, unsure of why the monastery was built like a roundabout. Players who don’t have much orientation skills should remember to use the in-game map.
The in-game map might appear like a page out of a book, but it tracks Andreas’ location and some of his objectives just like other video game maps. Considering how much there is to do inPentiment, and how little time to do it, taking the right road becomes essential.
5Don’t Forget To Do Side Quests
It’s important to remember that, whilePentimentdoesn’t have a UI with explicit direction towards the next objective, its map does track some of Andreas’ objectives. Some of those are only available during a certain time in the day, while others might only appear after reaching some progress in a certain storyline.
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While the map is often useful, many quests don’t rely on a specific place or time but ontalking to the right people. In those cases it’s best to read up on the in-game notes by checking the appropriate tab.
4Background Based Choices Aren’t Always Better
While some choices represent what Andreas is currently thinking about, others are the result of the skills he knows, of his background, and his hobbies. None of those choices are inherently superior to the normal options just because they aren’t available to all players all the time.
Players should refrain from choosing a dialogue option just because it comes with a cute picture, not just because they aren’t always the best choice, but because they might not make sense with their version of the protagonist. Role playing aside, characters inPentimenthate when the Andreas they know reveals himself to be a completely different person.The best choice is always to remain consistent and trustworthy, regardless of what seems like the most tactical choice.
315th Century “Hyperlinks” For Those Not Good With Names
For players who would rather remember people by their appearance rather than their name,Pentimentoffers a perfect solution. As it was already the norm in other Obsidian games likePillars of Eternity, many names, places, and historical facts named in dialogue will be accompanied by a hyperlink to the in-game wiki.
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InPentiment, clicking on words underlined in red will reduce the game’s window to an icon, revealing it to be an illustration in an ancient tome. The margins of this page often containmarginalia, notes describing or illustrating those underlined words. Every time a character is mentioned, players will be offered a picture of them to go with the name.
2Look Everywhere, As Soon As Possible
The way time works inPentimentis surprisingly forgiving: in order to actually consume time, players need to engage in specific conversations or break for lunch with someone. Looking around the overworld is always a good idea, since it doesn’t consume time and sincethe map ofPentimentis surprisingly smallwhile being packed with ever-changing secrets.
Not only should players look everywhere, but they should do it as soon as they can. Though it’s rare, some clues will disappear if not dealt with at the right time and before a certain date.
1Talking To People Right Before Supper Doesn’t Consume Time
The idea of losing time might really bother some players, and with good reason: time inPentimentis scarce and precious. Though it isn’t by any means necessary, the best way to make sure not accidentally move time forward by interacting with the environment is to investigate right before lunch or dinner.
Breaking for supperconsumes time, but no other action in the game seems to be able to move the clock forward when it’s time to eat. While there are some exception to this norm, namely sleep the morning away after taking actions at night, those aren’t something you can do right before eating.
Pentimentis available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass.
