Obsidian Entertainment Reveals PC System Requirements for Pentiment — How Demanding Is It?

Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming adventure game is quite accessible.

The video game developer revealed in a tweet the systems requirements for Pentiment, its 16th Century-themed adventure game, on Nov. 14.

It also revealed that the game would also be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X on release day.

Pentiment System Requirements Details

Obsidian Entertainment revealed in its tweet that the minimum system requirements needed for gamers to run Pentiment on PC are surprisingly low.

According to the game developer's tweet, gamers are required to have at least Windows 7 (SP1) 64-bit as their OS, an Intel Core i3-3225 processor, 4GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GTX 650 Ti graphics card, and 12GB of available space on their hard drive.

These system requirements mean the Pentiment can run even on low-end laptops and PCs with entry-level hardware, which is surprising for a game released in the early 2020s.

However, the game's graphics, which were showcased in its official developer overview and the game's behind-the-scenes video, is simple, with the game using artwork inspired by classic medieval manuscripts and some of the earliest printed books in the world, per Game Rant.

Additionally, the game doesn't have any voice acting involved, pert The Gamer. As a result, the lack of voice acting helped keep the game's hard drive requirement as low as possible.

Instead of having a fully voiced dialogue, the game uses various fonts to convey its character's personality, much like a person's handwriting does. A more elegant font helps show that a character is sophisticated and from the nobility, while a more simplistic one is for the peasantry, the low nobility of the land, and even the foreigners of the realm.

With these development choices in mind, it's no wonder that Pentiment is accessible even on low-end (or old) PCs and laptops, while also delivering a unique experience with its art style and narrative.

Pentiment Game Details

Pentiment is a narrative-focused adventure game that features choice-driven storytelling set in 16th century Bavaria, a time when Europe is at a crossroads of religious and political change, per the game's Steam webpage.

You may remember that the 16th century was at the height of the Renaissance Period, a time in which individualism, science, and the arts are flourishing after the ravages of the Bubonic plague from 1346 to 1352, per History.

Players will step into the shoes of Andreas Maler, an illustrator that got involved in a series of murders in Tassing and Kiersau Abbey over the course of twenty-five years. The game will have them conduct their investigation of the murders and have them make choices that will ultimately decide the fate of the community with lasting consequences.

Without voice acting, Pentiment relies on fonts to help give personality to its characters. However, this reliance on fonts also helps the player gauge a character's emotions, with the fonts shifting to better reflect a character's actual identity if the player suspects someone.

Obsidian Entertainment wanted to develop a game like Pentiment because it focuses on its story, providing a more focused and contained experience.

The game developer also hopes to explore new gameplay systems that focus more on narrative, rather than a game's other aspects, such as gameplay and graphics.