It’s five out, two in, today on Game Pass, which hardly seems fair. But when the ‘ins’ are day-one releases that look as stylish as Keanu Reeves in some silk pyjamas, then it’s not all bad.
The ‘ins’ are Pentiment (Cloud, Console and PC) and Somerville (Console and PC), while the ‘outs’ are Art of Rally (Cloud, Console, and PC), Fae Tactics (Cloud, Console, and PC), Next Space Rebels (Cloud, Console, and PC), One Step from Eden (Cloud, Console, and PC) and Supraland (Cloud, Console, and PC).
Let’s kick off with Pentiment. It’s probably not the game that Microsoft imagined when they acquired Obsidian Entertainment, but they’re running with it. Now, imagine the Bayeux Tapestry has come to life, or the illustrations from an oversized Canterbury Tales are a video game. That gives you the art style. Now use it to create a narrative adventure with some fiendish puzzling and dialogue branches. Voila, Pentiment!
You are Andreas Maler, an artist who finds himself embroiled in scandal and murder within the Bavarian Alps. It’s probably not where he wants to be, as the punishment for these crimes could see him hung-drawn-and-quartered, or sentenced to an iron maiden. So, he has to charm, run, and puzzle his way out of this impossible situation. We get some Terry Gilliam, Monty Python-era vibes from the frantic goings-on.
It says a lot about us that the word Somerville gets us singing “Don’t Leave Me This Way” in an extremely high-pitched voice. But that’s age for you. This sci-fi adventure has nothing to do with the Communards, however, and more to do with The War of the Worlds.
Set in rural England, you are separated from your family when aliens arrive. The world is going to pot, but you are determined to become a family unit once again. What develops is a narrative adventure that shares some similarity with Little Nightmares and Limbo, but with a lonesome father as the main character, and aliens swooping about, likely looking for something to probe. It looks hugely atmospheric and plenty beautiful, and we can’t wait to give it a go. Expect a review soon.
We are expecting announcements imminently about the rest of November. It will likely mean that the following list of previously announced games will get bolstered. You can certainly expect Gungrave G.O.R.E (Console, PC, Cloud) on November 22nd, and Warhammer 40,000 Darktide (PC) on November 30th.
Are you going to get your thrills from aliens or medieval torture? Let us know in the comments or on our social channels.
