Pentiment

Very intriguing game with a variety of choices that form the path you'll take and the future available dialogs. Rich story and lively character/environment design. Only thing is, its kind of an easy game, rather than a brain teaser/ detective game. But the story makes up for that.

I have mixed feelings about this game. It has outstanding art, and the story starts really well. If it ended at Act 1, I would praise it highly, despite its various historical inaccuracies (more on those below). Sadly, the quality declines steadily from there. Starting with Act 2, the illusion of meaningful choice disappears, the dialogue becomes increasingly tedious, and the new characters fall flat. Act 3 brings this decline to its logical conclusion, turning the game into a largely linear sequence of bloated dialogue. The finale is especially cheap and baffling, feeling more like a parody than a serious conclusion. I'm also conflicted about the historical accuracy. A lot of things here are astonishingly well done: [list] [*][b]The visual style is heavily inspired by actual late-medieval and early Renaissance manuscripts[/b], and many details of manuscript art and typography are remarkably accurate. For example, references to God in dialogue appear in red, reflecting real manuscript conventions. [*][b]Everyday life is largely period-appropriate[/b], from food and work to homes and meals. There are even tiny details that most players would probably never notice - for instance, the pigs look like medieval pigs rather than their modern descendants. [*][b]Social realities are much more complicated than a simple division between nobles and peasants.[/b] Different groups have distinct interests and genuine grievances. You also see the difficulties a single woman could face when inheriting property, although the presentation of such cases is somewhat oversimplified. [*][b]The broader historical backdrop is also strong:[/b] the Reformation and the Peasants' War, the transition from manuscripts to printing and the resulting decline of scriptoria, and so on. [/list] That said, being somewhat authentic does not necessarily mean being historically accurate: [list] [*][b]The game compresses chronology[/b] and portrays some historical transitions as happening much faster than they did in reality. The shift from manuscripts to printing is a good example. [*][b]Characters frequently express distinctly modern worldviews[/b], particularly when it comes to gender roles, sexuality, personal relations, and identity. At times, they feel less like medieval people and more like 21st-century people dressed in medieval clothing. [*][b]The dialogue is also noticeably modern.[/b] Characters banter constantly, use contemporary-sounding jokes and insults, express sarcasm in familiar modern ways, openly discuss their feelings, and have casual conversations about complex ideas. [*][b]Religion is nuanced to an extent, but the distinction between paganism and Christianity is too neat.[/b] In reality, folk practices could be heterodox or superstitious without necessarily being regarded as "pagan". [*][b]The game features far too many foreigners for a middle of nowhere.[/b] The Ethiopian monk in Act 1 is the most obvious example: why is he travelling to a remote abbey in Bavaria, where is he going, and why is he travelling alone? How does he manage to cross dangerous medieval roads by himself? Such characters are presented almost like 21st-century tourists. [*][b]Literacy is unrealistically widespread.[/b] A rural villager being able to read letters or simple messages is plausible; comfortably reading complex books and following theological arguments is not. Having half the village able to do so is even less plausible. [*][b]Many individual situations are possible, but extraordinarily unlikely.[/b] The abundance of foreigners and highly literate commoners are examples. Magdalene, the Act 3 protagonist, is another: she is unusually empowered by late-medieval standards. [*][b]Demographics are also distorted.[/b] Families are too small, with only one or two children being typical. [/list] Yet I'm giving this game a thumbs-up, as it's still better than the vast majority of history-themed crap out there.

Little detective-investigative game settled in medieval age. The art and athmosphere are incredible.

精彩绝伦的故事，但如此详细真实的历史故事实在是压得我有点喘不过气，作为一个刑辩律师，如果可以我希望能在二周目的第一章获得将真凶绳之以法，我希望这些人可以度过更好的一生。

이건 갓겜.. 중세시대를 세밀하게 묘사하고 그림체도 중세시대 목판화 같아서 책에서 튀어나온 듯한 느낌이구요.. 주인공의 성격이나 전공에 따라서 달라지는 능력치와 미묘하게 달라지는 선택지들이 재밌습니다. 또 진실이 어떻든 간에 주인공에게 살인범을 지목시키는게 좀 압박에 죄책감도 들지만 모든게 게임의 의도인 것... ! 후반부에 안드레아스의 꿈에서 아들 등장할 때 눈물바다 ㅠㅠ 여러번 해도 재밌고 다른 등장인물들에게 정들어서 내가 그 마을에 살고 있는 거 같은 느낌도 들어요...

It's so beautiful. It makes me mad how good it is

Un'esperienza storica in tutti i sensi, apprezzato suoni disegni e personaggi. Anche se non ho collezionato tutto, mi sono divertita a fare scelte un po' insolite e a vederne le conseguenze.