i gotta know, for how long are we gonna keep attributing good things to the death of henry kissenger? dont get me wrong im totally down, but how long do we have before the magic wears off?
It was one of my absolute favorite games of last year and maybe ever for sure. I think it's the sort of thing that's going to be inherently pretty niche, but for people into art, history, or just a damn good human story, this is a masterpiece.
@@itsaUSBline If you haven't already seen it there's an excellent episode of Friends per Second where they get Josh on to talk about the game and it's really insightful. He's such an intelligent and charming fella
George, as a longtime viewer, please do not abandon this kind of project. Your academic focus is the core of your approach to the media you interpret. You ask big questions, you aren't content with, well, "content," and you do really see some core worth in digital media which links to the great works of the past. I am an academic-you must be to some extent as well-and I have always wished to put the kind of thought and effort into considering the deeper questions you attempt in regards to current digital media like games. It is very gratifying to see you return with this new focus. To be clear, I mean this both in reference to this video and your Illiad project. The unfortunate fact is this kind of video will not draw the same attention as your MGS content in virtue of its academic tone. TH-cam plays to the masses, not the few who think along these lines. You will not have the same amount of views that you once did. I do not think that is a bad thing, just a different one than you have had in the past. These are better things to spend videos on, regardless of their impact on the masses. I look forward to your next video. This is really good stuff.
Oh, I love this. Pentiment is my favorite game of all time (and the best historical rendering of the early 16th century I've ever seen). You also do a really great job getting what makes it remarkable while also trying to avoid spoilers in a game that I have never felt able to do justice without spoiling it. But, some wider reading than the bibliography gives some useful clarifications, so - some thoughts! 3:05 - it's actually not a Bible, though you're right that the first sentence is taken from the Gospels. It's actually the first page of Umberto Eco's *The Name of the Rose* translated into Latin. Which is no less thematically resonant, given how much Kiersau draws on the Aedificium. 12:50 - I strenuously disagree that the minigames are there for the sake of the bored player. They're rendering historical labor, and given how important work and food are as places where conversation happened, having a simple embodied practice is actually really potent to communicate not just what early modern peasants would talk about, but when and how they would talk about it. One of the main goals of the game is to do history, and blending dialogue and practice evokes that really well, even though (or perhaps even because) the actual games are quite routine and dull. 16:44 - Piero is particularly wise and prescient, but saying that he is "divorced from the ignorance of his time" I think doesn't do justice to the medieval mind. You're right to say that artistic skill was considered a sign of the divine spark within humanity, but Piero here echoes the early 12th century chronicler Henry of Huntingdon, archdeacon of Reading Cathedral, who writes in his Historia Anglorum "Now I speak to you who will be living in the third millennium, around the 135th year. Consider us, who at this moment seem to be renowned, because, miserable creatures, we think highly of ourselves." He prefaced this by thinking to 1000 years before his time, and how much meaning was lost, and apologizes if his chronicle also fails to communicate what matters about the world. 18:55 - The book that Illuminata wants destroyed is Marguerite Porete's *Mirror of Simple Souls*, an early example of a theologically thorny genre known as "bridal mysticism" (Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich are more famous examples, the latter of whom gets cited in the bibliography). You explain the logic of why she doesn't like it right, but knowing the specific book that's under concern helps make why it was decreed heretical, and how it intersects with what we learn about Illuminata through the other books that she doesn't like but doesn't want burned. 20:44 - I really don't like you calling theology a "mass psychosis." Belief is not psychotic, though it is psychological, and what is hopefully clear is that a tremendous amount of learning, discussion, and commentary goes on around belief to refine and develop it. That's not irrational behavior at all! 25:55 - On "dark ages." Scholars really don't use the term anymore, because 1) the economic and cultural collapse in the 6th and 7th centuries was not as catastrophic as Gibbon thought (though there was deurbanization), and it implies a lack of culture and writing that simply isn't supported (Gregory the Great's Dialogues from the end of the 500s are longer than the *entire corpus* of Classical literature!). For a really brilliant look at Late Antiquity, I'd recommend Chris Wickham's *Inheritance of Rome* (and honestly his entire bibliography). 28L27 - Pfeiffer and the movie are both referring back to Pieter Bruegel's *The Peasant Wedding*, which also has spoons-in-hats! 30:18 - RIP Natalie Zemon Davis 34:46 - this is something that sort of goes back and forth across pre-modern Christianity. You get the theory right, and there's a lot of high medieval writings about heresy and sin. But, the practice seems to be deemed overall more important. The 4th Lateran Council of 1215 says that everyone must perform the confession of sins once per year, a loosening of canon law from earlier periods, because people, especially peasants, weren't doing it! The same council also says that bad practice is a result of bad education more often than inherent sin, and exhorts bishops to do more to educate the unlearned in proper behavior towards God and the Church. By the 1500s, there is much more concern about individual piety and internalized belief, spurred by centuries of movements (Wycliffe, Hussites, and now Luther) that believe that the Church hierarchy has become untrustworthy and has completely divorced practice from piety. A more general note on the justice system: it bears mentioning that, for the most part, we are dealing with specialists in canon law for our investigations. Imperial secular law works fairly differently, though it also relies heavily on character witnesses and the victim or neighbors doing a lot of the work of investigating, apprehending the criminal, and dragging them before a sheriff or judge. It still doesn't have anything like modern forensics, and the main thrust of the argument works well, but a lot of the specifics of why the judgement is so concerned with wicked thought even over wicked action is a quirk of canon law.
I think in general you can combine you’re critique and also the same thoughts I had as a history student with just saying that bunnyhop doesn’t appreciate the historical Frame he is talking about and the people that live in it. It’s not surprising in fact it is something expected. Since the renaissance you had people describing the medieval age as barbaric and superstitious and that only intensified in the last century’s. The entire founding myth we have in modern times is, well, that we are modern and that the wheels of progress are not only inevitable but also always positive. I got annoyed at first but when I realised that the entire point of Historians is to open up their experience to others and educate them. There was a podcast with a scholar who talked about this in context of game of thrones and lord of the rings who explained it way better I’m gonna search for the link. But in general what I don’t enjoy is the self assured arrogance he talks about topics while not seeing his own errors and limitation of his time. The „religion as a mass psychosis“ line is reducing something that is important for the vast majority of people other the entire human history and also right now is just the iceberg. In general essayist on TH-cam (especially the ones that talk about religion/history just repeat the same talking points I can hear in every university in the world. It doesn’t make me hate their videos and absolutely not them as aspersion but it is tiresome and very much diminishes their work in general as being constricted
The first page that you erase is actually the first lines of "The Name of The Rose" by Umberto Eco, translated in Latin. It does quote the Bible and is full of religious meaning, so your analysis still stands. :) Just mentioning this because Josh Sawyer said it in some interviews, "The Name of The Rose" being a big inspiration for the game.
I'm kinda baffled that he obviously did so much research into old literature that inspired the game, but not the much more obvious, modern, and direct inspiration.
@@triplesocksI thought the same thing, but it kind of made sense considering the material he focuses on in this video are all accounts of real people. Franz Schmidt, Menocchio, Albrecht Durer, and Andrei Rublev. The Name of the Rose is one of the biggest inspirations to spot in Pentiment and it's one of my favorite books, but I can see why it'd be skipped over to instead focus on stories from specific individuals from that period in history. The one book that was mentioned here that I've read was The Faithful Executioner and it was a really stellar read so I'm glad it got covered here. And I've now got a copy of The Cheese and the Worms on order! Man I loved this game.
I bought this game on your recommendation, holy crap why is this game so under appreciated?! Amazing game!! I noticed the game has a freggin BIBLIOGRAPHY in the credits. So cool.
Oh my god he's alive. I'm crying tears of joy right here. I haven't even watched the video yet, but seeing this pop up made me so happy. I will watch ASAP.
parasocial relationships have never been more evident to me then on this channel, where even though I have a girlfriend, many friends, and a home, hearing george's voice feels like hearing from an old friend and immediately takes me back like a decade ago. I get the same feeling when errant signal makes a new video, and it feels like the best writers I remember should be so so so so so much more important now. I hope they're all doing better than well.
I totally feel u, bro! -- allow me to add that, I think, hearing George or Chris (I'd add Gervais, Geller, and Kat [from Pixel a Day] here as well) feels great cuz they are people that actually taught us something -- they were the first experience I've had with videogame criticism as opposed to product reviews. Expanding the experience beyond just playing or ending a game.
Another critic, that came totally unexpected to me is Nakey Jakey! His vids on the outdatedness of certain studios designs comes full of surprising points on what and why we do things (or care about our actions) in games.
I believe the "other story" in the first page is not a Bible, but the prologue of Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. Probably the game's largest inspiration.
I absolutely love Pentiment and also need to recommend The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco which is referenced in Pentiment and is also on the list. While its easily described as "medieval monk murder mystery" it's so much more than that and it's easily my favourite book.
As mentioned in another comment it is also the opening of that book, translated into Latin, that you are actually erasing at the start of the game; not the Bible.
I am actually flabbergasted that this game slipped under my radar until now. This is so up my ally it’s ridiculous, and if I haven’t heard of it I have to imagine most people haven’t either. This is everything I love about video games, and slots neatly into my pantheon with the usual suspects. If you didn’t make this video, I don’t know how long it would have taken to find this. Thank you!
I have missed you Bunnyhop. I remember your video on MGS2 in High School got me way into post-modernism for a ehile, essentially causing a complete cultural perception shift. Many years later I still watch (and fall asleep) to very long video game analysis - videos on TH-cam. And for me, you started that trend. I hope you are doing well, and this was a great video. I'll make sure to pick this up during the winter sale, it sounds right up my alley.
Thank you george. I watched the start of this awhile back and as a fan of history, I was enticed. Just finished my first playthough. What a beautiful and thought provoking game. Your video sold me on giving Pentiment a shot in the first 15 minutes. Finishing your video now, after completing the game once, I think you did a brilliant job of selling the experiance, balancing revealing tibits of the game, and acknowledging the barrier to enter in a fair way. Thank you, George!
This is bizarre. I was looking up this game yesterday. I've been playing New Vegas and remembering how fucking genius Obsidian can be at their best, and then looked up this game, being their most recent release. And then George comes back and release a video about this game that I've never heard before until yesterday hahah. I love coincidences like these.
Oh absolutely. I mean, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Dungeon Siege III are a bit shoddy, but like I said, when at their best, they put out nothing short of masterpieces.
As a hobby historian, this game makes my heart so so happy. As someone with a brain that cannot read for leisure, it makes me sad. Still I am extremely glad it exists.
Oh man. I had written off Obsidian after Outer Worlds. I have a similar mindset to you, now, at this stage in life - thank you for this video. Definitely going to pick this up.
Way to call out Herodotus in the opening. He was dead wrong about Egyptians urinating in the opposite direction as all other humans and I've never gotten over it.
I can't believe this game went completely under the radar for me. out of all people I'm happy it was you that brought it to my attention. I'm also glad it inspired you to make this wonderful video. sincerely, a long time lover of your videos
Thanks for the stories George. You always make it feels like these games with specific historical context require people who're highly versed in those history to tackle in order to get a better breadth of the game. And then you're here providing additional value, or pique interest towards it.
I don’t understand why this game went so unnoticed. I had never heard of it until this video, and yet 10 hours in and it’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for. Now the many Reddit posts that list disco Elysium, outer wilds, Obra Dinn, forgotten city, golden idol, (maybe tunic and Subnautica?) can add another one to the list
I am very happy to see this in my feed. YT was hiding superbunnyhop uploads from me and now I have 2 years of content to catch up on. So, basically like 6 videos.
As a history nerd myself since I was a kid, I love that you've gone so hard into talking about games with historical themes. I certainly haven't minded the pivot (hell I'd just recently rewatched some of your history-focused videos), and I hope you can keep making these informative videos!
glad to have these vids back! some of the best stuff on here, but (hope it doesn't cause a delist or edit especially if after a bit or anything its minor) weird repeat of nearly identical lines at like 15:50 to 16:05 unless this is a gag i missed, doesn't seem intentional, missed these deep dives on games tho, gotta pick this game up after being disappointed by outer worlds
Hi George, long time fan of the channel and (and even once a Dad and Sons discord user!). Glad you're back on it even if rooty-tooty-shooty isn't your jam anymore, thrilled to see you upload. No one else talks about games like you do, and I still remember things you say in your videos, as well as how you "read" a game.
Okay I would pay 5 million Pentobux for you to do a full spoiler analysis of this game. I've learned many new dimensions to the game with this, thank you.
Thank you! I was desperate for content regarding pentiment since its so niche that so few people cover it at all. It really spoke to me on a level moreso than most media ever has including film, tv, books, other games, and music. It makes me very happy to see it covered at all by a creator who makes high quality content.
It is so nice to see a new video from you, and an excellent one at that! Whether this is a one-off or you're planning on uploading regularly, I hope you're well.
This really showed off how cool Pentiment is, I would have never discovered the game myself. I’ll be gradually working my way through the reading and watch list before approaching this game, but I’m excited to start
Just finished this game last night and BOOM... perfect timing. Magic, Angelology, Theology... bro, you're carving out a perfect niche and I'm so grateful. Hope you keep making what you love. It's leading you down a fascinating road.
Told all my gamer friends that this was last year’s best game and none of them believed me. Guess it’s a bit of a tough sell. One of the things I loved is that it’s actually more of an RPG than you expect going in - you can have different “builds” for your Andreas that can change conversations and outcomes. What a game!
Randomly got this game last year during steam summer sale. I was surprised how much I liked an interactive choose your own adventure game and got all the achievements
I was confused about why Pentiment kept on going for as long as it did. Only at the end I realized that it’s less about solving a murder and more about a medieval community going through religious, economic and political change. Everyone has a perspective, and it’s often nuanced and half-hidden through religious speak. It’s about people trying to make the best of their changing circumstances.
your intro felt like a knife in my chest that has been finally observed. that would have been my sentiment, if not for the recent ressurgence of Titanfall 2. andletmetellya George, it is still a heckofalot of fun to kill bad guys
This was a wonderful video. I have always appreciated your ability to cross reference your reviews with wider historical and artistic landscapes. It's rare on this sote to see such a loving attention to historical detail. It's one of the things that attracted me to the channel way back when. As far as I am concerned, the wait for videos is always worth it. I hope you have a wonderful day
I played this game via Game Pass last year and couldn’t really fully make heads or tails of it. I loved the style, the fonts, the story, but I was a bit clueless most of the time as to what was really going on and didn’t catch the metaphors. You’ve helped me understand this game a lot better now, so thanks!
Kinda mindblown that as you talk about the conversation with the book burner, the french on the page is poetically saying the subtext you're talking about... in french.
Omg I was searching literally a few days ago trying to find out where you've been. This video just auto played and I'm glad to turn my screen n see it was a new upload 😊 Glad to have you back 👍
I'm genuinely shocked at how little attention Pentiment has been getting from the Ultra Thoughtful Video Essay crowd. I could probably talk for an hour just about the game's closing credits music! (Which has incidentally skyrocketed the game to my favourite video game soundtrack ever!)
Thanks, Henry Kissinger! You revived George.
Only death can pay for life...
For neither can live while the other survives
A good trade, I’d wager.
i gotta know, for how long are we gonna keep attributing good things to the death of henry kissenger? dont get me wrong im totally down, but how long do we have before the magic wears off?
@@SoulSukkurhasn’t even been a week man, we’re still celebrating
He remembered the youtube password.
It was the N word
Nah, he said Kissinger died, so he is back.
Oh thank god, maybe he should get a password manager before this happens again?
He remembered the TH-cam password!
Get him, boys!
@@jplayer073which leads us to todays sponsor...
Holy shit George is back, and talking about the game from last year that I loved and almost nobody even acknowledged
It received plenty of praise, but went under the radar. Overlooked, but certainly didn't went unnoticed or unappreciated!
It was one of my absolute favorite games of last year and maybe ever for sure. I think it's the sort of thing that's going to be inherently pretty niche, but for people into art, history, or just a damn good human story, this is a masterpiece.
@@itsaUSBline If you haven't already seen it there's an excellent episode of Friends per Second where they get Josh on to talk about the game and it's really insightful. He's such an intelligent and charming fella
I love this guy so much and I really want to make sure he knows that he is loved so much.
I don't like him.
@@Cartograph176 u r stinky
I like all 3 of you!
George delving into increasingly George games is one of the most satisfying things to see on TH-cam.
“Increasingly George Games” sounds like a indie game studio
I played this game and I immediately deeply hoped that you would go over it
My wishes are granted, it's a Christmas miracle
George, as a longtime viewer, please do not abandon this kind of project. Your academic focus is the core of your approach to the media you interpret. You ask big questions, you aren't content with, well, "content," and you do really see some core worth in digital media which links to the great works of the past. I am an academic-you must be to some extent as well-and I have always wished to put the kind of thought and effort into considering the deeper questions you attempt in regards to current digital media like games. It is very gratifying to see you return with this new focus. To be clear, I mean this both in reference to this video and your Illiad project.
The unfortunate fact is this kind of video will not draw the same attention as your MGS content in virtue of its academic tone. TH-cam plays to the masses, not the few who think along these lines. You will not have the same amount of views that you once did. I do not think that is a bad thing, just a different one than you have had in the past. These are better things to spend videos on, regardless of their impact on the masses.
I look forward to your next video. This is really good stuff.
Oh, I love this. Pentiment is my favorite game of all time (and the best historical rendering of the early 16th century I've ever seen). You also do a really great job getting what makes it remarkable while also trying to avoid spoilers in a game that I have never felt able to do justice without spoiling it. But, some wider reading than the bibliography gives some useful clarifications, so - some thoughts!
3:05 - it's actually not a Bible, though you're right that the first sentence is taken from the Gospels. It's actually the first page of Umberto Eco's *The Name of the Rose* translated into Latin. Which is no less thematically resonant, given how much Kiersau draws on the Aedificium.
12:50 - I strenuously disagree that the minigames are there for the sake of the bored player. They're rendering historical labor, and given how important work and food are as places where conversation happened, having a simple embodied practice is actually really potent to communicate not just what early modern peasants would talk about, but when and how they would talk about it. One of the main goals of the game is to do history, and blending dialogue and practice evokes that really well, even though (or perhaps even because) the actual games are quite routine and dull.
16:44 - Piero is particularly wise and prescient, but saying that he is "divorced from the ignorance of his time" I think doesn't do justice to the medieval mind. You're right to say that artistic skill was considered a sign of the divine spark within humanity, but Piero here echoes the early 12th century chronicler Henry of Huntingdon, archdeacon of Reading Cathedral, who writes in his Historia Anglorum "Now I speak to you who will be living in the third millennium, around the 135th year. Consider us, who at this moment seem to be renowned, because, miserable creatures, we think highly of ourselves." He prefaced this by thinking to 1000 years before his time, and how much meaning was lost, and apologizes if his chronicle also fails to communicate what matters about the world.
18:55 - The book that Illuminata wants destroyed is Marguerite Porete's *Mirror of Simple Souls*, an early example of a theologically thorny genre known as "bridal mysticism" (Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich are more famous examples, the latter of whom gets cited in the bibliography). You explain the logic of why she doesn't like it right, but knowing the specific book that's under concern helps make why it was decreed heretical, and how it intersects with what we learn about Illuminata through the other books that she doesn't like but doesn't want burned.
20:44 - I really don't like you calling theology a "mass psychosis." Belief is not psychotic, though it is psychological, and what is hopefully clear is that a tremendous amount of learning, discussion, and commentary goes on around belief to refine and develop it. That's not irrational behavior at all!
25:55 - On "dark ages." Scholars really don't use the term anymore, because 1) the economic and cultural collapse in the 6th and 7th centuries was not as catastrophic as Gibbon thought (though there was deurbanization), and it implies a lack of culture and writing that simply isn't supported (Gregory the Great's Dialogues from the end of the 500s are longer than the *entire corpus* of Classical literature!). For a really brilliant look at Late Antiquity, I'd recommend Chris Wickham's *Inheritance of Rome* (and honestly his entire bibliography).
28L27 - Pfeiffer and the movie are both referring back to Pieter Bruegel's *The Peasant Wedding*, which also has spoons-in-hats!
30:18 - RIP Natalie Zemon Davis
34:46 - this is something that sort of goes back and forth across pre-modern Christianity. You get the theory right, and there's a lot of high medieval writings about heresy and sin. But, the practice seems to be deemed overall more important. The 4th Lateran Council of 1215 says that everyone must perform the confession of sins once per year, a loosening of canon law from earlier periods, because people, especially peasants, weren't doing it! The same council also says that bad practice is a result of bad education more often than inherent sin, and exhorts bishops to do more to educate the unlearned in proper behavior towards God and the Church. By the 1500s, there is much more concern about individual piety and internalized belief, spurred by centuries of movements (Wycliffe, Hussites, and now Luther) that believe that the Church hierarchy has become untrustworthy and has completely divorced practice from piety.
A more general note on the justice system: it bears mentioning that, for the most part, we are dealing with specialists in canon law for our investigations. Imperial secular law works fairly differently, though it also relies heavily on character witnesses and the victim or neighbors doing a lot of the work of investigating, apprehending the criminal, and dragging them before a sheriff or judge. It still doesn't have anything like modern forensics, and the main thrust of the argument works well, but a lot of the specifics of why the judgement is so concerned with wicked thought even over wicked action is a quirk of canon law.
I think in general you can combine you’re critique and also the same thoughts I had as a history student with just saying that bunnyhop doesn’t appreciate the historical Frame he is talking about and the people that live in it.
It’s not surprising in fact it is something expected.
Since the renaissance you had people describing the medieval age as barbaric and superstitious and that only intensified in the last century’s. The entire founding myth we have in modern times is, well, that we are modern and that the wheels of progress are not only inevitable but also always positive.
I got annoyed at first but when I realised that the entire point of Historians is to open up their experience to others and educate them.
There was a podcast with a scholar who talked about this in context of game of thrones and lord of the rings who explained it way better I’m gonna search for the link.
But in general what I don’t enjoy is the self assured arrogance he talks about topics while not seeing his own errors and limitation of his time. The „religion as a mass psychosis“ line is reducing something that is important for the vast majority of people other the entire human history and also right now is just the iceberg. In general essayist on TH-cam (especially the ones that talk about religion/history just repeat the same talking points I can hear in every university in the world. It doesn’t make me hate their videos and absolutely not them as aspersion but it is tiresome and very much diminishes their work in general as being constricted
Thank you for writing this out! I noticed some of these points as well and was hoping someone would add some clarification.
The first page that you erase is actually the first lines of "The Name of The Rose" by Umberto Eco, translated in Latin. It does quote the Bible and is full of religious meaning, so your analysis still stands. :) Just mentioning this because Josh Sawyer said it in some interviews, "The Name of The Rose" being a big inspiration for the game.
There is also the mural in the church with the labyrinth.
I'm kinda baffled that he obviously did so much research into old literature that inspired the game, but not the much more obvious, modern, and direct inspiration.
@@triplesocksI thought the same thing, but it kind of made sense considering the material he focuses on in this video are all accounts of real people. Franz Schmidt, Menocchio, Albrecht Durer, and Andrei Rublev.
The Name of the Rose is one of the biggest inspirations to spot in Pentiment and it's one of my favorite books, but I can see why it'd be skipped over to instead focus on stories from specific individuals from that period in history.
The one book that was mentioned here that I've read was The Faithful Executioner and it was a really stellar read so I'm glad it got covered here. And I've now got a copy of The Cheese and the Worms on order! Man I loved this game.
@@McPhisto wasn't that also in a book in the library?
E from h d3r
Damn, I really miss this channel's heyday, circa 2014-15.
Me2 :(
all things must end
I bought this game on your recommendation, holy crap why is this game so under appreciated?! Amazing game!! I noticed the game has a freggin BIBLIOGRAPHY in the credits. So cool.
Hell yes! I just showed my class your video on Umurangi Generation and excited to hear you were uploading a new vid. Thanks!
Sometimes I forget. And then I am reminded. This is an excellent channel.
I think this video definitively answers who the dad is in Dad And Sons.
Damn it feels good to have you back, George.
And he’s gone for another year
Oh my god he's alive. I'm crying tears of joy right here. I haven't even watched the video yet, but seeing this pop up made me so happy. I will watch ASAP.
George is pretty awesome
parasocial relationships have never been more evident to me then on this channel, where even though I have a girlfriend, many friends, and a home, hearing george's voice feels like hearing from an old friend and immediately takes me back like a decade ago. I get the same feeling when errant signal makes a new video, and it feels like the best writers I remember should be so so so so so much more important now. I hope they're all doing better than well.
I totally feel u, bro! -- allow me to add that, I think, hearing George or Chris (I'd add Gervais, Geller, and Kat [from Pixel a Day] here as well) feels great cuz they are people that actually taught us something -- they were the first experience I've had with videogame criticism as opposed to product reviews. Expanding the experience beyond just playing or ending a game.
Another critic, that came totally unexpected to me is Nakey Jakey! His vids on the outdatedness of certain studios designs comes full of surprising points on what and why we do things (or care about our actions) in games.
If u recognize that you don’t really know the person and keep in mind they have their own life it helps with parasocial stuff like that
I believe the "other story" in the first page is not a Bible, but the prologue of Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. Probably the game's largest inspiration.
I absolutely love Pentiment and also need to recommend The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco which is referenced in Pentiment and is also on the list. While its easily described as "medieval monk murder mystery" it's so much more than that and it's easily my favourite book.
Ah glad to see this comment, I couldn’t help but think of the book and the movie as he was talking
As mentioned in another comment it is also the opening of that book, translated into Latin, that you are actually erasing at the start of the game; not the Bible.
That's actually so much cooler than the bible
It's great to have you back, George!
I am actually flabbergasted that this game slipped under my radar until now. This is so up my ally it’s ridiculous, and if I haven’t heard of it I have to imagine most people haven’t either. This is everything I love about video games, and slots neatly into my pantheon with the usual suspects.
If you didn’t make this video, I don’t know how long it would have taken to find this. Thank you!
You owe us nothing George
But thanks for doing what you do
Holy shit. I was going to just listen to this while I worked, but the intro convinced me to make this an EVENT. George has returned!
I am so happy right now. I don't care what type of gaming-related stuff you are talking about, you are one of my favorite TH-camrs on the site.
I have missed you Bunnyhop.
I remember your video on MGS2 in High School got me way into post-modernism for a ehile, essentially causing a complete cultural perception shift. Many years later I still watch (and fall asleep) to very long video game analysis - videos on TH-cam. And for me, you started that trend.
I hope you are doing well, and this was a great video. I'll make sure to pick this up during the winter sale, it sounds right up my alley.
My favorite channel from high school covering my favorite game I played this year, thanks George 😊
Thank you george. I watched the start of this awhile back and as a fan of history, I was enticed. Just finished my first playthough. What a beautiful and thought provoking game.
Your video sold me on giving Pentiment a shot in the first 15 minutes. Finishing your video now, after completing the game once, I think you did a brilliant job of selling the experiance, balancing revealing tibits of the game, and acknowledging the barrier to enter in a fair way. Thank you, George!
From that list you should definitely read Baudolino by Umberto Eco!
This is bizarre. I was looking up this game yesterday. I've been playing New Vegas and remembering how fucking genius Obsidian can be at their best, and then looked up this game, being their most recent release. And then George comes back and release a video about this game that I've never heard before until yesterday hahah. I love coincidences like these.
Honestly Obsidian never really stopped making good games, the only game that had a somewhat lukewarm reception was Outer Worlds.
Oh absolutely. I mean, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Dungeon Siege III are a bit shoddy, but like I said, when at their best, they put out nothing short of masterpieces.
This game was such a delight. And your video was a perfect addition 👏
As a hobby historian, this game makes my heart so so happy. As someone with a brain that cannot read for leisure, it makes me sad. Still I am extremely glad it exists.
Oh man. I had written off Obsidian after Outer Worlds. I have a similar mindset to you, now, at this stage in life - thank you for this video. Definitely going to pick this up.
Always nice to see a video from you, I am going to check out this game because of this video.
I think mini games serve the same purpose as "quiet time" (from your previous video). A glue to hold all memorable pieces together.
Missed this stuff, fellow old person
Way to call out Herodotus in the opening. He was dead wrong about Egyptians urinating in the opposite direction as all other humans and I've never gotten over it.
George you're a great guy, love your videos! Your video about quiet time still sits in my mind everytime I enjoy media!
one of my favorite channels back with a video of one of my favorite recent games. hell yeah.
This is awesome. I literally just finished Pentiment last week, and it's been stuck in my head. Finally, George reviews the most George game ever.
Seeing Andrei Rublev in this vid touched my heart man. And if not for your video I would’ve never discovered this game. Thanks old man! Much love
I can't believe this game went completely under the radar for me. out of all people I'm happy it was you that brought it to my attention. I'm also glad it inspired you to make this wonderful video. sincerely, a long time lover of your videos
Welcome back, Bun man. Been missing your brand of videos.
Thanks for the stories George. You always make it feels like these games with specific historical context require people who're highly versed in those history to tackle in order to get a better breadth of the game. And then you're here providing additional value, or pique interest towards it.
Hi George, nice having you back.
My GOTY of 2022 that I wish way more people had talked about. So thank you for this!
I don’t understand why this game went so unnoticed. I had never heard of it until this video, and yet 10 hours in and it’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for.
Now the many Reddit posts that list disco Elysium, outer wilds, Obra Dinn, forgotten city, golden idol, (maybe tunic and Subnautica?) can add another one to the list
I'm really digging this historical and literary analysis arc of the Super Bunnyhop Super George show.
I am very happy to see this in my feed. YT was hiding superbunnyhop uploads from me and now I have 2 years of content to catch up on.
So, basically like 6 videos.
Damn George so many games to play and you have to come back from the grave to make me wanna play Pentiment again (thank you I guess)
One of my favorite videos of the year.
Thanks George! I hope you and yours have a Happy Chistmas and Merry Holiday season. Until you post again. Cheers.
You make astounding work look easy, it's always a joy to see.
As a history nerd myself since I was a kid, I love that you've gone so hard into talking about games with historical themes. I certainly haven't minded the pivot (hell I'd just recently rewatched some of your history-focused videos), and I hope you can keep making these informative videos!
Omg I was jusy thinking about you the other day. Glad you're back
Haven't finished the video yet but just wanted to say glad you're back! :)
The fuck did you and Joseph Anderson have a pact to come back together lmao
glad to have these vids back! some of the best stuff on here, but (hope it doesn't cause a delist or edit especially if after a bit or anything its minor) weird repeat of nearly identical lines at like 15:50 to 16:05 unless this is a gag i missed, doesn't seem intentional, missed these deep dives on games tho, gotta pick this game up after being disappointed by outer worlds
Yeha was going to comment that as well. Seems like a double take and one was supposed to be cut
Thank you for coming back!
Welcome back! *THE HYPEST GAMEPLAY ON TH-cam*
It's great to see you again dude.
Almost a year is far too long. Missed you man , nice video with the same level of research
Thanks for popping up again with the esoteric gaming content I couldn't have imagined I needed.
Hi George, long time fan of the channel and (and even once a Dad and Sons discord user!). Glad you're back on it even if rooty-tooty-shooty isn't your jam anymore, thrilled to see you upload. No one else talks about games like you do, and I still remember things you say in your videos, as well as how you "read" a game.
Well said
He lives! Glad to see on my faves back in the game
Looks like I am going to watch all your videos one more time. Skål from Denmark.
Thanks for the vid. Always great.
Okay I would pay 5 million Pentobux for you to do a full spoiler analysis of this game. I've learned many new dimensions to the game with this, thank you.
Thank you! I was desperate for content regarding pentiment since its so niche that so few people cover it at all. It really spoke to me on a level moreso than most media ever has including film, tv, books, other games, and music. It makes me very happy to see it covered at all by a creator who makes high quality content.
What a lovely and powerful video, thank George for the well researched and spoke videos
It is so nice to see a new video from you, and an excellent one at that! Whether this is a one-off or you're planning on uploading regularly, I hope you're well.
Always a treat to get a new Super Bunnyhop video :)
I love that every time you upload these days, it‘s the most George video ever.
This really showed off how cool Pentiment is, I would have never discovered the game myself. I’ll be gradually working my way through the reading and watch list before approaching this game, but I’m excited to start
Great to see a nice video from you again
I didnt realise the shift into books now but im glad youre back super bunnyhop :)
So glad that you’ve made another video, George. Wasn’t sure if you’d closed up shop over the last year or not.
Just finished this game last night and BOOM... perfect timing.
Magic, Angelology, Theology... bro, you're carving out a perfect niche and I'm so grateful. Hope you keep making what you love. It's leading you down a fascinating road.
He's back. I'd love to see more stuff like this, maybe go full booktube
Welcome back, George. what an excellent time to post a new video.
One of my favourite of last year, super happy you've covered it!
As someone that counts The Name of the Rose as one of my favorite books, I have been thoroughly convinced I have to play this game
Like literally a week or two ago I came to this channel wondering if anything had been uploaded and saw it was still dark. Funny timing.
Told all my gamer friends that this was last year’s best game and none of them believed me. Guess it’s a bit of a tough sell.
One of the things I loved is that it’s actually more of an RPG than you expect going in - you can have different “builds” for your Andreas that can change conversations and outcomes. What a game!
Randomly got this game last year during steam summer sale. I was surprised how much I liked an interactive choose your own adventure game and got all the achievements
The steam deck has allowed me more chances to play games while raising kids, and these are exactly the types of games ive been playing.
Good to see you back bunnyhop
I was confused about why Pentiment kept on going for as long as it did. Only at the end I realized that it’s less about solving a murder and more about a medieval community going through religious, economic and political change. Everyone has a perspective, and it’s often nuanced and half-hidden through religious speak. It’s about people trying to make the best of their changing circumstances.
phenomenal video, i am home sick drifting through old books and now I found your video and I know what I will spend my sick days with. Bless you
your intro felt like a knife in my chest that has been finally observed. that would have been my sentiment, if not for the recent ressurgence of Titanfall 2. andletmetellya George, it is still a heckofalot of fun to kill bad guys
Top-tier video, as usual.
Glad to have you back George!
This was a wonderful video. I have always appreciated your ability to cross reference your reviews with wider historical and artistic landscapes.
It's rare on this sote to see such a loving attention to historical detail. It's one of the things that attracted me to the channel way back when.
As far as I am concerned, the wait for videos is always worth it. I hope you have a wonderful day
and just when the world needed him the most
he returned
As a big fan of art history this game and the talk surrounding it is absolutely consuming my brain
I played this game via Game Pass last year and couldn’t really fully make heads or tails of it. I loved the style, the fonts, the story, but I was a bit clueless most of the time as to what was really going on and didn’t catch the metaphors. You’ve helped me understand this game a lot better now, so thanks!
Crazy that I’ve been following you for 10 years now. Excited to see you come back!
Awesome vid. I've been meaning to get this one in the upcoming sales.
Been a long while, I’ve missed your vids. 🎉
Kinda mindblown that as you talk about the conversation with the book burner, the french on the page is poetically saying the subtext you're talking about... in french.
Welcome back to TH-cam! I look forward to watching this video. I've missed your commentary and insights
Glad you're back! Where Book 5?
Omg I was searching literally a few days ago trying to find out where you've been.
This video just auto played and I'm glad to turn my screen n see it was a new upload 😊
Glad to have you back 👍
I'm genuinely shocked at how little attention Pentiment has been getting from the Ultra Thoughtful Video Essay crowd. I could probably talk for an hour just about the game's closing credits music! (Which has incidentally skyrocketed the game to my favourite video game soundtrack ever!)