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‘Pentiment’ director wants you to know how his characters eat


Obsidian Entertainment’s Latest game, penitentget its title from the term regret, a change made by an artist while drawing. Its origin is from Italian Coinsmeans change of mind or repentance. penitentIts purpose is to show that history, like oil on canvas, can be covered, then rediscovered or forgotten.

The game, which has received rave reviews, is set in 16th century Bavaria during the Holy Roman Empire, an area now part of Germany. The player controls Andreas Maler, a college-educated journey artist who has been embroiled for more than 25 years in a series of murders and scandals that took place in the fictional locations of Kiersau Abbey and Tassing. Inspired by Umberto Eco’s The name of the rosethe game tries, like Eco’s novel, to capture the texture of history, the traces of fonts and ink, of manuscripts and woodcuts.

It’s then a passionate project from the game’s director, Josh Sawyer, who is perhaps best known for the much-loved game. New Vegas falloutas well as directing nostalgic and avant-garde modern RPGs pillar of eternity. On Twitter and IRL, he shows enthusiasm for penitentIn its context, a time of monumental social and technological upheavals that began with the Reformation and ended with the introduction of Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the solar system.

To learn more about penitentFor WIRED’s uncanny appeal, WIRED joined Zoom with Sawyer to talk about Eco, what murder mysteries, dual abbeys, and this newer art form can tell us about history. original modern. He also recommends some great books.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

WIRED: I’m interested in the relationship between penitent and this time in history. Why 16th century Bavaria?

Josh Sawyer: In college, I studied modern history. I like the transition between the late medieval and early modern times, because there was a lot of social change going on. Changing religious institutions, academic institutions, and social structures. Capitalism began to appear almost nonexistent. There is a lot of contact between cultures, as trade takes people around the world. So this period has always been really exciting for me, just because things are going.

The Middle Ages are often misunderstood, aren’t they?

People think that the Middle Ages is a long, uninterrupted period, with nothing happening, just wars or whatever. But there was a huge spike and change over the course of a few centuries, towards the end of the period. So that’s always been really appealing to me. Also, my family history: My grandmother was born in Bavaria. So there’s a lot that makes it more natural to me than some other parts of history, and that’s what I’m personally interested in.

Why are there so many historical games, don’t you think?

I think it’s funny that we’re asking that now, when there’s been a real drought for a long time. History contains everything cool that has ever happened. It’s easy to build amazing worlds and stories from well-researched historical backgrounds. When it’s done well, I think players appreciate that they’re immersed in something that reflects the real world we live in.

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