Released on November 15 on Xbox consoles as well as on PC, developed by the highly renowned studio Obsidian, “Pentiment” is a very original title, set against the backdrop of a 16th century Europe in the throes of religious and political turmoil.
In video games, there are studios which, like in the cinema, have more aura than others. Among them is undoubtedly Obsidian Entertainment, founded in 2003. Having collaborated on the series Baldur’s Gatewe owe him masterpieces such as Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II Where Fallout: New Vegas. We will also add for good measure the delirious and ultra faithful South Park: The Stick of Truthor Outer Worldsa solid retro SF game with dieselpunk.
This development studio – bought by Microsoft in 2018 – has a very high reputation in the field of role-playing games, and more specifically in games based on “choices and consequences”. His brand new title, Penance, released on November 15 and developed by a small team of 13 people, is quite amazing; wonderfully mixing fiction and great History, capable of being very sharp moreover, in an adventure with multiple narrative branches. An adventure whose form is as important as substance.
What does it look like? The trailer below…
“In general, I tend to view fictional conflicts through a materialistic historical prism, that is, they are rooted in the material needs of individuals and societies, even when the setting is fantastical or post -apocalyptic” explains Josh Sawyer, the Game Director of the game. Who adds: “In Penance, these conflicts are based on historical records, even if they are embodied by fictional characters. I think it will help players feel a little closer to these characters and what they’ve been through over the course of the game’s 25-year history.” So much for the pretty profession of faith.
Wrapped in a magnificent visual case reminiscent of The Very Rich Hours of the Duc de Berry, Penance unfolds a fascinating plot set at the beginning of the 16th century, in a small (fictional) town in Bavaria called Tassing. You play as Andreas Maler, a highly talented and renowned artist, specialist in illuminations and wood engraving.
Obsidian Entertainment
He took advantage of the exceptional setting offered by the neighboring abbey of Kiersau to exercise his talent. One of the last where copyist and illuminator monks coexist and exercise their art, backed by a very vast library which also has its share of forbidden books… Until the day when a murder is committed within the walls of the abbey, forcing Andreas Maler to carry out the investigation and to take decisions, in a limited time… Choices which could moreover turn out to be absolutely dramatic.
We were talking about the name of the rose in the title. It is not a simple effect of homage to the work of Umberto Eco brilliantly adapted to the cinema. This story of forbidden manuscripts against a backdrop of theological dispute between the Franciscan monks and the papal authority is an accepted reference in Penance, even appearing at the end of the game in a suggested bibliography and having abundantly nourished the creative imagination of the studio. A rather rare initiative.
What is absolutely fascinating is the game’s ability to mix with a confusing intelligence many historical aspects, all intertwined: the importance and weight of corporations; the role and place of women in society; the preponderance of knowledge emanating from the ecclesiastical world; the theological disputes between the pontifical power and the Lutheran religious current which is gaining ever more influence; the bonds of vassalage between the lord and his subjects; the importance of solidarity in the peasant world still imbued with pagan beliefs…
Obsidian Entertainment
We will even add the events that have been called the German Peasants’ War; social and religious conflict that took place in the Holy Roman Empire between 1524 and 1526, in various regions now divided between five European countries. And we quote here only a handful, already very abundant, of the subjects approached in Penance.
When we told you above that the game ventures into very specific territory… With this in mind, we welcome the initiative to offer the player an abundant glossary, referring to historical terms and different events, which helps a little more to immerse themselves in the frame of their subject.
The dialogues, very, very numerous, have been the subject of very particular attention, including visually. The font style will change depending on Andreas’ perception of the social status and upbringing of his interlocutor. The typeface has stroke masks that allow each letter to be drawn as if it were handwritten and the character is writing to you.
As fonts reflect handwriting, characters can make mistakes and typos are rewritten in real time. Printing becomes more dominant in the early modern period and is reflected in the printing press typeface invented by Johannes Gutenberg, where certain characters are engraved in one stroke.
Obsidian Entertainment
As a corollary of this very textual approach, it can also turn out to be tedious, even if it is possible to speed up the display. As this game uses stylized fonts and writing effects which may be difficult for some readers, the “Easy Read” font option, accessible from the menu options, improves readability by disabling certain fonts and writing effects. writing.
Benefiting from an excellent lifespan (between 15 and 20 hours of play), a very original artistic direction and rarely seen in a video game, an interesting story which also knows how to be demanding without necessarily leaving the player on the side of the road, Penance is certainly a great discovery.