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In Pentiment, not only can players choose what to say in a conversation, but they can also decide what is worth doing with limited time during the day, and they can choose the main character’s background. This guide will list all available background options to help players that haven’t made a decision yet on what is best suited for them.
All Background Options
Throughout the entire playthrough, players will control Andreas, a man that has just returned from his Wanderjahre. They will have the opportunity to decide where he spent his wandering time, what he was up to, and what stayed with him after his time at university. These choices are made right at the start of the game but they will remain with the player until the end of its 15-hour playthrough.
Andreas’s Past
Right after leaving the house at the start of the game, Andreas will talk to Big Jorg outside - a fella curious about what Andreas was up to during his Wanderjahre, before coming to Tassing. This is the first choice that the player will have to make. It’ll influence the languages that Andreas can understand during the playthrough (he’ll able to read different texts and books) and also what kind of geographical locations he’s familiar with.
During the same conversation with Big Jorg, the player will also have to decide what Andreas was doing while at this place. This choice will influence the type of personality that Andreas has and what kind of social interactions he can have with people.
Studies
A little later on, Andreas will have a long conversation with Baron Lorenz Rothvogel and more information about his past will be unveiled. This time the background information will regard his studies at university. First, the baron will ask about Andreas’s area of study—this determines what he’s specialized in.
After this, Baron Lorenz Rothvogel will ask Andreas to name two of his favorite subjects during his time at university. This is the decision with the most complex of choices which might be why the player has to pick two from the list. This will determine the skills that Andreas has obtained and can use to his advantage during the playthrough.
Gameplay Consequences
The various traits and specialties that Andreas has based on available options will have an impact on the game’s story. There are certain parts of Pentiment that have nothing to do with Andreas’s background and can always be accessed either way, such as finding the secret library door. However, there are other parts of the story that will depend on what Andreas is like.
Sometimes Andreas’s background will only open up new dialogue options that will lead to a fun response, but it’s also possible that they have a bigger impact on the game’s story flow and what happens next.
Some quests have more than one possible route. Andreas can try and get through the quest by using rhetoric, or his theological knowledge. Understanding a specific language might make things easier at a time but another instance will occur when choosing another language would’ve helped.
During a conversation, Andreas might have to persuade certain characters and certain aspects of his background might be of help but others might actually make the task more difficult. One of the first situations in which this happens is when trying to convince Sister Illuminata to let him keep a forbidden book written in French. If he doesn’t know any French, he won’t be able to read its contents. Nevertheless, he can attempt to “rescue” the book from being destroyed.
There are certain backgrounds that will certainly help persuade Sister Illuminata, such as the orator background or knowledge of theology. Choosing the other dialogue options that might not fit the target character might actually aggravate the situation and make it take a turn for the worse.
At the end of the conversation, the game will tell the player what positively and negatively influenced the discussion between the characters. So, it’s important to analyze the situation carefully and then decide what to say and what skills he should use for his own advantage.
Pentiment is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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