Players who have had a chance to dive intoPentimentin the month since its release have been treated to one of the most engrossing narratives in gaming of recent years. With the pedigree of RPGs likeFallout: New VegasandPillars of Eternity,Obsidian Entertainmentonce again delivers withPentiment’s unique 16th-century murder-mystery tale. Over the course of the game, players will encounter two different murder scenarios along with a handful of suspects each with the means and motive to carry out the deed. As the artist Andreas Maler, the player must deduce who the most likely killer is in each case given the available evidence.
As a game with a mixture of point-and-click adventure, visual novel, and traditional role-playing mechanics,Pentimentoffers a unique approachto its mystery-solving gameplay. The player must guide Andreas through the small Bavarian town of Tassing and the neighboring Kiersau Abbey, interrogating potential suspects and uncovering clues using the traits they assign to the artist at the start of the game. Despite the need to find the culprit for two separate murders, there is never a conclusive answer to who actually committed both of these atrocities which has opened the door to fan speculation as to who the most likely culprits are.
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Ottilia Kemperyn
Ottilia—also known as Widow Kemperyn—is the wife of the late farmer Rannig and one of the potential suspects in the murder of Baron Rothvogel. Andreas witnesses her curse the Baron upon his arrival in Tassing, leading him to believe she may have motive for his murder. If the player spends timehelping Ottilia with some work around her homestead, she will reveal that she hated the Baron and blames the injuries he caused for her husband’s death. Along with this motive, Andreas can discover a broken tool in her house that matches the killing wound on the Baron, thus establishing means as well.
Lucky Steinauer
The local stonemason, Lucky, is another potential suspect in the Baron’s death as Andreas will catch the two arguing during an earlier part of the game. Unable to decern what the argument was about, Andreas must covertly follow Lucky on his trip through the woods to go fishing wherein he will discover the grave of Lucky’s daughter, Beate.Sharing a meal with Lucky and his wife, Agnes, helps reveal that he blames the Baron for her death after their affair resulted in pregnancy during which she died. After witnessing the strength possessed by Lucky while repairing a wall with large stones, Andreas has enough evidence to conclude Lucky had both the physique and motive to kill the Baron.
Prior Ferenc
As the head of the Abbey’s scriptorium where Andreas works,Prior Ferenc is a potential suspect in the Baron’s murderafter he catches the Prior secretly recording something in a book when he thought no one was around. Upon investigating this book, Andreas learns that Ferenc was involved in a plot to blackmail Baron Rothvogel and establishes this plot as a motive for his murder. Confronting Ferenc about this blackmail plot results in his cagey behavior, further fueling suspicions that he was involved in the murder.
Sister Matilda
When first arriving at the Abbey, Andreas notices the negative reactions the nuns have to the Baron’s presence. During the investigation, searching the library through a secret door reveals thatthe Baron had previously attempted to seduce Sister Matilda, resulting in her beating after refusing his advances. This incident gives Sister Matilda a motive for murdering the Baron, and investigating the convent’s garden will reveal Matilda’s spade covered in dried blood which establishes a potential murder weapon.
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Martin Bauer
One of the two suspects in thesecond-chapter murder of Otto Zimmerman is one of the local farmers, Martin Bauer. In the first chapter of the game, Martin is noted for being a thief and a layabout who runs off after the murder of the Baron. In chapter 2, Martin returns a seemingly changed man—honest, hard-working, and willing to settle down and take care of his family. During the investigation into Otto’s death, many of the townsfolk will note that Martin doesn’t seem the same as before and his temper seems particularly bad as of late. This gives Andreas cause to suspect he could be involved in Otto’s murder as he was seen having a heated disagreement with the victim.
Hanna Berger
The other suspect in Otto’s murder is the wife of the innkeeper, Hanna Berger. While discussing the murder with townsfolk at the inn, Andreas learns that Hanna is worried that all the talk of peasant revolt circulating the village will be bad for business as travelers will avoid making the pilgrimage to see the relic kept at the Abbey. Being that Otto is the leader of the revolt, she would have the motive to kill him and prevent further chaos. Beginners might not know that exploring the Roman aqueducts near the village reveals atryst between Hanna and the miller Lenhardtwhere she refuses to deny being involved in Otto’s death.
Most Likely Culprits
As there is no correct answer to the question ofwho murdered Baron Rothvogel and Otto Zimmerman, players are left with only the evidence they’ve collected during their playthrough. While each suspect in the Baron’s murder has the motive and means to commit the crime, the most likely culprit is the stonemason Lucky. His anger towards the Baron for what he did to Beate is more than enough of a motive to kill someone in the heat of the moment. Andreas also learns that the Baron was likely pushed which resulted in a fatal head wound as the cause of death rather than a stabbing, as previously thought. Lucky’s strength would make him the one most likely to cause a fatal head injury with a strong shove.
Otto’s murder is a bit more straightforward, although still left intentionally ambiguous. Themost likely culprit, in this case, is Hanna Bergeras successfully persuading Martin results in his admittance that he is not the real Martin Bauer, but an imposter and acquaintance of the real one who died during a highway robbery. This explains why something seemed off about Martin’s return to Tassing and pins the death of Otto on the only remaining suspect, Hanna.
Pentimentis available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
