Obsidian’s new RPG, Pentiment, looks simple at first, but it has one of the most unique gameplay systems in recent years.

Pentiment is a role-playing game (RPG) made by the famous developer Obsidian. Players who aren’t used to this type of game might find it a little scary. In fact, this mix of an adventure game and a role-playing game is one of the best ways to get into the genre. It’s easy to make a character, and there’s no fighting at all, let alone fights that happen over and over in dungeons.

Pentiment does have a lot of dialogue, as well as great writing and a never-ending web of choices, people, and problems that are all linked to each other. When the game complicated, getting lost almost inevitable, but it’s not the best part. So, a hint here and there should help most players.

Character Creation Doesn’t End At Big Jorg

Even though talking to Big Jorg is the first step in making a character in Pentiment, it doesn’t really change what Andreas can and can’t do. Instead, what he says about his past in this conversation will determine what kinds of books he can understand and how much he can talk to each character.

The conversation with Baron Lorenz, where the player chooses what Andreas studied in college, is much more important to making a character. First, players choose which of theology, law, and medicine Andreas will focus on. They will also be able to choose two skills from a list that includes latinist, logician, orator, astronomer, occultist, naturalist, and orator.

When In Doubt, Use The Map

In Pentiment, it’s easy to get completely lost, running through the same rooms without knowing which way to go and wondering why the monastery was built like a roundabout. Players who aren’t very good at getting around should use the in-game map.

Even though the in-game map looks like a page from a book, it shows Andreas’ location and some of his goals just like any other video game map. Since there is so much to do in Pentiment and so little time to do it, it is important to take the right road.

Don’t Forget To Do Side Quests

It’s important to remember that even though Pentiment doesn’t have a user interface that tells you how to get to the next goal, its map does show some of Andreas’ goals. Some of them are only available at certain times of the day, and others might not show up until you reach a certain point in a story.

Even though the map is often helpful, many quests don’t depend on a specific place or time but on talking to the right people. In those situations, it’s best to check the right tab and read the in-game notes.

Background Based Choices Aren’t Always Better

Some of Andreas’s choices show what he is thinking about right now, while others come from his skills, his background, and the things he likes to do. None of these options are better than the regular ones just because they aren’t always available to all players.

Players shouldn’t choose a dialogue option just because it has a cute picture, not only because it might not be the best choice, but also because it might not make sense for their version of the main character. Even if they are just playing a role, the people in Pentiment hate it when the Andreas they know turns out to be a totally different person. No matter what seems like the best move, the best choice is always to stay consistent and trustworthy.

15th Century “Hyperlinks” For Those Not Good With Names

Pentiment is a great option for players who would rather remember people by how they look than by their names. As was the case in other Obsidian games like Pillars of Eternity, there will be a link to the in-game wiki next to many names, places, and historical facts mentioned in conversation.

When you click on a red-underlined word in Pentiment, the game window shrinks to an icon, which is an illustration from an old book. Notes about or pictures of the words that underlined are often written in the margins of this page. Every time a character’s name comes up, players will be able to see a picture of them.

Look Everywhere, As Soon As Possible

The way time works in Pentiment is surprisingly forgiving. Players need to have certain conversations or go to lunch with someone in order to use up time. It’s always a good idea to look around the overworld, since it doesn’t take much time and the map of Pentiment is surprisingly small for all the secrets it holds.

Players should not only look everywhere, but they should also do it as soon as possible. Even though it doesn’t happen often, if you don’t deal with some clues at the right time and before a certain date, they might go away.

Talking To People Right Before Supper Doesn’t Consume Time

Some players might not like the idea of losing time, and for good reason: time limited and valuable in 8 Ball Pool. Even though it not required, the best way to make sure that interacting with the environment doesn’t accidentally move time forward is to look around right before lunch or dinner.

Taking a break for supper takes time, but there doesn’t seem to be anything else in the game that can speed up the clock when it’s time to eat. Even though there are some exceptions to this rule, like sleeping all morning after doing something at night, you shouldn’t do those things right before you eat.

Pentiment can played on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. You can also get it through Xbox Game Pass.