Pentiment Is NOT For Everyone... | Review

[@blktauna]

As a latin/french/italian reading medievalist this game is literally made for me. Its amazing.

[@DEVILTAZ35]

It is great hey? . I love how you can click for further information and then you get a history lesson on a topic or thing :)

[@callebergqvist8071]

Just as a history studen this was great aswell! Was just studing the early modern times and alot of Reformation stuff!

[@Cryptic0013]

Obsidian: "So, understanding this game requires a historical grasp of the dynamic between Catholics and Protestants" Me, a Northern Irishman: "And I took that personally."

[@DEVILTAZ35]

As the late great Dave Allen would say - ''As long as you offend everyone equally you are doing your job correctly'' :)

[@AstarionWifey]

@@DEVILTAZ35

[@tylerbarse2866]

Of course Pentiment isn't for everyone, but that's all games. What matters is do you care about what the game offers. At the very least, I have to give Pentiment a shot, if only because the idea of AAA studios making smaller almost indie grade passion projects is something I wholeheartedly support. Granted, after hearing that the project lead is a bit of a History buff, definitely tells me I personally might get a bit more enjoyment out of Pentiment than most.

[@whenisdinner2137]

I think he's aware that not everybody likes every game. I think what he means is that this game doesn't really have mainstream appeal in the same way that other games do.

[@s.p.q.r195]

I would not call Obsidian an AAA studio (by the way I love most of their RPG, except The Outer Worlds,, so it's not a critcism)

[@tylerbarse2866]

@@s.p.q.r195 That'd be something we'd have to agree to disagree about. Outer Worlds 2 is an AAA Game, Avowed is an AAA game. I'll agree with the idea that Obsidian's not the largest AAA developer out there, but since they joined the MS umbrella, they have too many resources to be anything but AAA.

[@s.p.q.r195]

@@tylerbarse2866 You are probably right for the future. I was talking about the past, I forgot to mention 😅

[@liamflan9553]

@@s.p.q.r195 outerworlds is Not triple A. It’s AA

[@Soulache]

I love that they work on these smaller passion projects. I wish other studios would take note on the matter.

[@megamanx1291]

ubisoft did this often back the day, idk why the stopped. I loved child of light

[@Soulache]

@@megamanx1291 They make easy money from bigger established franchises, no room for innovation anymore. I personally miss their Rayman games.

[@TerraWare]

@@Soulache They should form some indie style teams to tackle smaller games instead of printing open world Ubisoft games.

[@Kwiwiwiwi]

I've always been of the opinion that Obsidian has some of the strongest writing in the gaming industry. Also as a person who has always valued plot over gameplay I will definitely be playing this game now they literally give me what I wanted lol

[@guesswho5170]

Yea I agree. I think nXile is better though.

[@TheLazyFinn]

@@guesswho5170 for me either wasteland 2 or 3 didn't click that much with story, the first half of 2 was good and I really liked first half of 3 but that's kinda it for me.

[@j.sargenthill9773]

it's not just writing, but making the story fit into the gameplay in a way that gives you agency over the story. some games have great gameplay and great stories, but they don't mesh in a way that places your actions in the story. Obsidian are masters of that

[@jimfcarroll]

With a statement like this I had to double check The Outer Worlds ... yup ... Obsidian.

[@Kwiwiwiwi]

@@jimfcarroll What would you say is the problem with the Outer Worlds' writing? I found it funny and interesting and the lore is quite expansive if you take the time to read everything.

[@kenbiemac337]

You had me at "We're going to talk about Obsidian today." What a great development team. I really like all of their games.

[@notchedbandit]

I don't. Outer Worlds is extremely mediocre and quite boring to be honest. Grounded is generic and does nothing new. Alpha Protocol (gameplay) was a complete mess. Their cRPGs got completely overshadowed by a much better game with a much smaller budget (Divinity: Original Sin 2). Only Fallout New Vegas and South Park were great.

[@kenbiemac337]

@@notchedbandit I think in general Obsidian is always focused on story and that is why I love them so much. I'm a reader. I did enjoy Outer Worlds, but its not for everyone, just like New Vegas, and definitely like Pentiment. Grounded I see as them trying something new, and it works!

[@mremington8]

@@notchedbandit agreed, FONV was their crowning achievement, I also wasn't a big fan of outer worlds, way too cartoony - if I wanted to play a k-pop animation I would just play borderlands. also, it wasn't even close to having branching story arcs or free-play open-world karma as NV. If they could revive their NV style on upgraded engines, they would absolutely dominate

[@georgejones5019]

@@kenbiemac337 Out Worlds was great narratively, there were great choices and things that could be done based on verious stats. I wanted some more in the crafting and combat, hopefully they deliver. I'v been playing Grounded and solo it's a fun a challenge, with friends it would be a lot of fun.

[@fehbing7997]

Outer worlds i actually thought was good gameplay wise But narrative and character side of things were horrible Atleast for me personally

[@DEVILTAZ35]

So far i have only put 20 minutes into Pentiment and laughed when i got an achievement for convincing someone i needed to keep a certain book lol. There is another for stopping to smell the flowers a number of times. I always liked Obsidian's sense of humour.

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Totally. I love the subtle and dry sense of humour. Beautiful

[@georgejones5019]

Obsidian is really strethcing their wings with some of these projects. I've been playing Grounded and it's a bit of a challenge starting out, but it's a lot of fun exploring and learning the map.

[@MiraYouKnow]

Man I was so lost on grounded I wanted to get into it but couldn’t and I rarely see people online playing it

[@vullord666]

@@MiraYouKnow Opposite for me. I always here people talking about it and playing it online. Though I'm personally more of an RPG player so I'm waiting for avowed and outer worlds 2.

[@MiraYouKnow]

@@vullord666 did you finish outer world 2? The graphics so dope u can get lost as to what to do on there as well as grounded

[@sickzappybeef9209]

2:20 tiny correction: it’s the 16th century.

[@yogisie]

I’m really excited about playing this. This looks really different.

[@neilcognito]

No game is for everyone, tbh. When it comes to Game Development inspiration -> Obsidian is the best. They don't limit themselves to one style, one method or one genre.

[@sirdan357]

This is the kind of stuff that makes sense for gamepass. The lack of voice acting is a huge turnoff for a story based game though. Hopefully it gets an update like Disco Elysium did.

[@ukmaxi]

It depends, not every game needs VA. It's a formula that works for AAA Japanese games even. If the dev team wanted VA, they would have got it, so I do not expect an update for VA.

[@Pengun3]

Disagree, I'm currently playing through pathfinder wrath of the righteous which is a massive rpg/story driven game and it only has a handful of voice acting, a lot of it's read and the hybrid nature fits the game perfectly. I also played Disco Elysium prior to the voice update and I thought it was fine.

[@sirdan357]

@@Pengun3 It was much better with voice acting, much more immersive as with any other story based game in existence. The trailer for Pathfinder put me to sleep so I won't comment on that.

[@sirdan357]

​@@Drakevid This game had a tiny team and budget, which was the only reason why they were allowed to make it. The reason is irrelevant anyway since it was a mistake to not include VO.

[@Pengun3]

@@sirdan357 Difference in opinion, I'll say the voice acting in Disco Elyisum was very good, but I still enjoyed it without. Pathfinder I personally absolutely love, but it's a niche game. I also really liked citizen sleeper that released this year and also I really loved signalis that just recently released. None of them had any voice acting, so I disagree with you, not every story game needs voice acting to be good. However, I will say I'm not the majority here, so your opinions probably more popular, which is fine.

[@DruncanUK]

If you really need background music, search KZbin for something like "Medieval ambient music". There are SO many to choose from and play it on your phone or tablet while you play. Works great for atmosphere while playing tabletop games too!

[@TheAirsnape]

As someone who just finished Murder On Eridanos for the second time, I reject the Obsidian not known for Murder Mysteries statement

[@squishy2471]

Definitely looking to try this one out. Matty, thanks for the handheld suggestion. That is something I was actually wondering going into this.

[@DEVILTAZ35]

I will just add after playing another couple of hours of stuffing around in Pentiment, i just got up to the 'murder' scene they showed in the trailer. I love this game. It is so brilliantly done it has completely taken me by surprise. This is the way to do complex narrative.

[@cosmicxchaos]

Obsidian really seems to be comfortable letting smaller teams break off and work on passion projects. Anyone who followed Grounded development knows they balanced content updates with user experience improvements really well. I'll definitely check out Pentiment.

[@infinitysynthesis]

It's Xbox who is letting them do this.

[@DEVILTAZ35]

i wish they would fix the shadows in that game though lol. They are a blobby mess at times and even flicker at other times

[@mister-pinkman]

I don’t think this game is for me but I think it’s cool that games like this are still made. It warms my heart that not every game follows the main stream formulas

[@lennaertvanmierlo2955]

This game is great! A true hidden gem, described as “the greatest game you’ll never play”, and that is good. Great and humorous writing in a setting that’s rarely explored. Only for people with an attention span of more than 5 seconds. 4,5/5.

[@jkitty542]

I think Pentiment may be my game of the year. These dense, story heavy RPGs are exactly what I live for.

[@Stev0BabaGhanoush]

Absolutely loving this slow burn story and old school gameplay. Fantastic breath of fresh air for the modern consoles.

[@lars_rosenberg]

I agree that voice acting would have been a huge bonus. In Disco Elysium it really makes a difference, because the voice acting is so good and it helps create the atmosphere. As for the rest, no game is for everyone, what matters is that this game is good, well written and made with love. I'm really hyped for it.

[@mr.manaos1158]

I think depending on how the game performs and what people say (or maybe it doesn't really matter), they could do an update that adds some voice acting or all of it. Kinda like DE, but that had some voice acting from the get-go

[@hELLLcs]

They 100% need it. Its a first party xbox game... i mean comon it needs a bit more budget imo

[@kminrzymski]

I don't think so. Not having voice actors fits here perfectly. They clearly decided that font is the carrier of character emotion in here

[@MrBrownieGaming]

Damn, my catholic education and history major about to help me in a video game😂

[@emarskineel]

This game’s art and the UI, from what I’ve seen here, are gorgeous.

[@Maggai]

It doesn't have music?? The ign review spoke very highly of the music, and in one the little pentiment documentaries they talked about how they got this group of musicians that works on this ye olde style of music for the game. Could there be a bug that makes music not play?? Obviously I haven't played it, so I have no idea either way.

[@gosusteele]

Yo that Evangelion opening remix you got going is straight 🔥

[@jkitty542]

Hopefully they're able to patch in a soundtrack and voice acting. IGN gave it a 10, so perhaps that will convince Microsoft to give it a post launch budget.

[@benjammin8184]

It's an odd choice of setting and subject, but I enjoy my "Broken Sword", "Assassin's Creed" and other games with religious lore and setting. I love the art style here and it's yet another unique-looking, jazzy controlled, quirky mechanical piece of work from Oblivion. They can have my money just to keep brainstorming and pushing the envelope with these games.

[@anthonytitone]

This game looks perfect for me. I’ve always wanted more historically based games especially with such a beautiful art style, for a long time all we’ve had is Assassins Creed

[@IDPhotoMan]

Just like Disco Elysium wasn't for everyone. Some of these smaller games are fascinating. They aren't just Halo, Modern Warfare, Fable, Oblivian, etc... clones like everything seems to be these days. Refreshing to see.

[@TheRealMightyHokie]

I thought the biggest benefit of being a Born-Again Christian was getting to go to Heaven. But now I know it's that I'll be able to understand Pentiment!

[@alpsalish]

There is no tangible benefit to being a born again.

[@DeadDoveProductions]

Not for me. I love Obsidian, but it isn't what I hoped for when I heard they were making a murder/mystery game. With how fantastic Murder On Eridanos was of a dlc for Outerworlds I just wanted more of that. Third person, first person, or even crpg it wouldn't have mattered, but this doesn't interest me a bit. Hope the best for the people that do like it though

[@colbymclemore7642]

I absolutely love this game. I consider it a bit of a small masterpiece.

[@JazzzRockFuzion]

I’ve got it pre-loaded on Game Pass! As a massive fan of text-heavy RPGs like Disco Elysium and Torment: Tides of Numenera, this sounds right up my alley! Can’t wait…

[@DEVILTAZ35]

I was really disappointed no Series X update for Tides of Numenera though.

[@mosesdouglas4325]

I'm not the only one! 😄

[@UncleSkiBum]

Glad the first clip was Matty running into a dead end..enjoying game so far, a bit slow but just kinda fun and chill. I changed the font as was hurting my eyes and also sped the text up. As I don't have a handheld playing it on my massive 60 inch 4k TV but still having a good time.

[@Gogo32monkey]

Yeah, I don't think this one's for me. No hate on the game, if you're into it, more power to you. Just not my thing.

[@ioannisdenton]

seeing all the handholding of god of war Ragnarok i am glad this isnt made for everyone

[@CasepbX]

That's all AAA games, except for From Software games.

[@waynelewis9110]

If you want a more difficult experience with God of War: Ragnarok, you pick a higher difficulty. The people who are complaining about “handholding” chose an easy difficulty. They literally are complaining about a self-made problem.

[@ioannisdenton]

@@waynelewis9110 they talk all the time, too many cutscenes, jeus we played 4 hours on weekendand 2.5 hours were speaches and cutscenes. they never leave you alone to slve the puzzle, they talk all the time.

[@JasonSmith-uy1pm]

For anyone interested in a captivating story about a similar instance, early adoptions of Christianity and the rise of "Lutherism" in Germany, Dan Carlin's Hardcore History episode 48 'Prophets of Doom'. It may help contextualize what Matty was talking about understanding what the people of the time were thinking or living through...

[@scottreach6228]

Pre installed. Now patiently waiting.

[@muzamilnabinadroo]

I agree with the title of video. I saw my brother play the game for a website's review & I can confirm that either people will like it totally (me included) or hate it. It gives me a sense of the reception Scorn met. Anyway if this genre fits you get it it's an amazing time.

[@georgejones5019]

Scorn had some notable issues that should have been found and addressed in development. Such as the save problems or the punch gun hitboxes.

[@muzamilnabinadroo]

@@georgejones5019 I know about Scorn's technical issues but here I was referring to the general design of the game which many people would obviously not like.

[@Kobalt_Rax_the_one]

@@georgejones5019 They did put out an update , that addresses the chekpoints especially .

[@Kobalt_Rax_the_one]

And this is the kind of games that i find the most interesting , too much copy paste , fallowing one formula , trend usually in AAA that it gets really boring .

[@TheRealClaylex]

This game would be nice to play on the switch or even steam deck.

[@jayray1714]

Browser based game of the year?

[@gustavomachado6113]

Thanks for the review Matty! The lack of music is a unpleasing surprise.. I pay a lot attention to music in games, was expecting something really nice from Pentiment because of its atmosphere, not having any audio will certainly bother me! But Im still excited to try this game tomorrow

[@beyasal]

a cruel angel's thesis playing in the background, great choice

[@cesarzepeda8291]

Any obsidian fan who has played pillars of eternity 1 or 2, probably thinks the writing in pentiment is a piece of cake

[@thedarkdescent2387]

Does anyone know if this games getting a physical release? I want it for Christmas but can’t get it as a gift if it’s digital only :(

[@Rickmanou81293]

Matty being the son of a pastor is not surprising somehow

[@dammyoyesanya4656]

Hey Matty why not try 13 Sentinels: Aegis rim. It’s the only game I can compare to Pentiment. It’s a side scrolling, visual novel style story game with RTS. Awesome game, gripping story and mystery and some of the best use of time travel in a video game.

[@Ferrier70]

There is a middle ground for voice. It’s the computer generated voice assistance in the option setting. I beat the the game with it, and it worked great. Surprised a lot reviewers didn’t even notice this small feature.

[@cole9693]

Oh damn what's that music in background? Sounds so familiar but modified

[@moscowvicent831]

I'm excited to play ever since I played kingdom come deliverance I love history so these types of games are willing to try

[@StephenYuan]

I am glad that Obsidian is allowing its creators to work on smaller, more niche games. These non-blockbuster titles allow them to try new techniques, new subject matter,which should prove valuable on their AAA titles. Games like Pentiment justify the existence of Game Pass.

[@KRG30001]

Wow just finished. The game is all about art but is a triumphant piece of art itself

[@benl2140]

What's the name of the spng playing in the background? I know I've heard before, but I can't remember where, and it's driving me crazy.

[@eyadalshabibi9600]

Loving the Evangelion Opening playing in the background.

[@ioannisdenton]

I READ text much faster than listening slowly. In almost all game si skip dialogue as i am blasting through subtitles. so no problem here

[@DevDinish]

I need an alpha protocol remake and a sequel such a fun game where choice really mattered

[@Soulache]

Same. Alpha Protocol was seriously underappreciated.

[@DevDinish]

@@Soulache the relationship building style was fun too

[@Soulache]

@@DevDinish I love choices that affect the experience for individual players, it makes the experience more personal. Mass Effect did it best but Alpha Protocol came closest.

[@MikeThorton]

@@Soulache LMAO. no way. mass effect choices mattered so very little in comparison to AP

[@diogobruno4930]

I thank you, friend, for this review. I am a huge Josh Sawyer fan, but this game is not my cup of tea. I prefer something like Disco Elysium or Planescape Torment (Geneforge too). The game is not bad, not at all! I see it like this is my problem and not the game's fault.

[@adambejarano1592]

A very sincere and great review! I think I'll personally love it a lot but now I know what better to expect. You do a good job keeping things very spoiler free.

[@jkitty542]

A year on and I'm glad this game is being introduced to a wider audience. Hope it sells well on Playstation and Switch. Quite disappointed it was snubbed at the Game Awards. They definitely need to alter the eligibility window to account for those games that release in the tail end of the year.

[@MrKidtendo64]

Had no idea about the daily system, which gives me Persona vibes. I'm usually a fan of most Bethesda products and I'm currently downloading this now. Really looking forward to it!

[@tyronetnj79]

Got it pre-installed! Obsidian is my favorite developer so I’m definitely checking it out

[@therabbi9848]

This game is so damn good. One of those games I really wish I could play for the first time again. Absolutely loved it.

[@KatalistProductionsKozzySasha]

Can't wait for this, love everything Josh Sawyer does and I love the unique setting and time period for it. I love that we get games like Pentiment and Grounded while Avowed and Outer Worlds 2 are being worked on. I am thankful that Josh Sawyer was able to make this game, he always wanted to do a D+D game (Icewind Dale), a Fallout game (New Vegas) and a Medieval Murder Mystery (Pentiment).

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Pentiment is absolutely amazing, if you’re a nerd about human culture/history. If you’re into mysteries, history, art, or art history. The art is gorgeous, the writing is fantastic, and the sound is hypnotic. It’s not for “exploding helicopter” gamers, but for history nerds it’s a triumph. Honestly i learned a ton while playing, but the game is all about the characters.

[@ParanoidAandroid]

I think it’s definitely my kind of game, so I’ll be playing

[@Ray-dl5mp]

Kinda cool that your handheld recommendation ended up working out really well for Switch owners. Comes out on Switch today! Great review!!

[@a1racer441]

While it looks interesting I don’t think it’s for me.

[@thekeccles1996]

Super stoked to play this one, love history and this time period, and the art style absolutely hooked me in from the first time I saw this one revealed. I'm okay foregoing voice acting in games like this because of time/budget constraints, and this is an extremely dialogue-centric game so it certainly would've been a lot of time, money, and effort to implement. But I'm pretty disappointed to hear about the lack of music in this one. I adore when smaller indie or AA titles can really put a stamp on their games with music and audio (the soundtrack from Hades comes to mind). And the music picking up in the trailer for this game really gave me hope for an interesting, authentic soundtrack with strings and swelling rhythms and such. That being said, I'm still gonna play it, probably gonna love it, and overall I'm super happy to see some of the minds at Obsidian being given the freedom to make new games like this.

[@dennzer]

I thought the lack of voice acting would drive me away but no it’s amazing it’s like reading an amazing adventure book

[@lewislovelord8977]

Appreciate the very realistic and honest review. It sounds like it will and should find it's audience, unfortunately that audience doesn't sound like me but hope those who play it, love it.

[@AstarionWifey]

so wholesome

[@hugooliveira5578]

Yeah. Not for me. If I want to read i pick up a book. Not a videogame.

[@b0sch0]

Is that the melody of Evangelion in the background ?

[@sladestryder5264]

So any one else noticed A CRUEL ANGEL THESIS melody playing in the background!!! Me and Matty are men of the same culture I See !

[@crushlemons]

Neon Genesis evangelion track never gets old.

[@MrBrandog88]

I was wondering why the background music was so familiar. Had to check down here to see if I was crazy

[@connorpeppermint8635]

Just noticed the background music is from persona (4?) who made this cover?

[@CreyoPlaysDaily]

I think games like these are important because it reaches an audience most games don't. And as someone going to school to be a pastor my interest is definitely peaked. Praying for you matty love your videos bro!

[@MrBasch07]

Is that Cruel Angel's Thesis in the background? Really nice.

[@ps4gamrr]

This is the type of game I scheduled as my final game of 2022 during Christmas break to play on my iPhone / Backbone via Xbox Cloud Gaming. It is a game to slowly plod through, not one to seek to finish and/or play amongst other titles. It’s why the freak Chris Ray Gun will not finish it.

[@ps4gamrr]

Just watched your game of the year episode. How is sonic frontiers ahead of Pentiment which naturally then missed your list?

[@MrCcs15]

I just noticed that's Cruel Angels Thesis in the background. Good shit.

[@dimitarbelchev3062]

No voice acting? Lame.

[@lisa1162]

It was Coronel Mustard in the Library with the Candle Stick. 🤔

[@cluclap]

Seems like every xbox exclusive is either not for everyone (scorn/pentiment), or for no one (games getting delayed/canceled)

[@Vonstab]

It would have been interesting to see some classic 'designers notes' from Josh Sawyer about the lack of voice acting and limited sound with no music. I suspect VA may very well be a question of budget but the lack of music may be a design choice, as good and impactful as game can be the lack of it can be immersive as well in the right circumstances. For example I always play Fallout 4 Survival without music and it enhances the experience for me personally. And if Pentiment gets too silent I can always play it together with a playlist of actual period music (the advantage of being really into this period of history.) It is great to see that Josh Sawyer got the opportunity to create such a niche game, not only because it is very much my cup of tea but also because it is the kind of passion project that improves creativity.

[@Choteron3]

Loved Pillar of eternity games so i cant wait for another Josh Sawyer game

[@TheBanana167]

Where’s this song in the background from? I’m not remembering the name

[@jamesocallaghan2699]

This looks to me like a Josh Sawyer passion project. I am so down for that!

[@AstarionWifey]

I’m a Medievalist soooo I love it ❤ I feel more games should have this style/genre for history lovers

[@JonborgVA]

hmmm that text is kinda hard for me to read I hope the game has an options to make it more easier to read

[@Eeriekid]

This game is a perfect 10/10 for me. This game is AMAZING. Definitely more on the intellectual side than the action side of RPGs. But i love that this game makes you think deeply.

[@duggsudgaming]

i am excited for this game as much as i am excited for the upcoming hogwartz one

[@stoney5137]

I really could use an interface like this while watching Game of Thrones / House of the Dragon.

[@jaxsonburch4914]

Matty, are you going to do a review on God of War? Thanks

[@Helloim_anthony]

We know that’s not happening on this channel

[@jaxsonburch4914]

@@Helloim_anthony I hope he does. I’ve been playing it recently and it’s amazing. I love Xbox but there’s nothing even close to it on the platform

[@abandonall]

Tbh pentiment looked atrocious to me from the beginning. Not for me. Alpha protocol however...

[@TheScarecrow78]

I can see that this game would be a turn off for some but man its right up my alley.

[@AlfredFJones1776]

I like Obsidian. I don’t like their weird culty fans.

[@epicfox567]

I wasn’t impressed when announced and now me and my friend are hooked on the story. With a friend this game is a lot of fun! Never played a game like this either and I love it

[@IfYouSeekCaveman]

Didn't expect the lo-fi evangelion music

[@TheCrusaderBin]

That evangelion music almost drove me insane, kept repeating.