Game passes have proven their worth over the years. It's a way to step outside of our comfort zone and explore games we would normally hesitate to buy. Not only are they a great way to explore our tastes, but they are also a great way for developers to create more weird and wonderful games.

The game "Pentimento," which director Josh Sawyer says would not exist without Microsoft's subscription service, certainly does. He appeared on Waypoint's "Radio" podcast (opens in new tab) and told host Rob Zacny, "If it wasn't for Game Pass, I wouldn't have thought of making Pentiment. Literally, I would not have done it.

He said.

Sawyer cites the "old mentality of publishers and developers" and their desire to focus on "bigger teams, bigger investments" for higher returns.

"And that's not really the point in this environment [of Game Pass].

He added, "I don't think I would have even bothered with the traditional model, because nobody would have wanted to pick it up. Even if my boss had supported it, it would have been very difficult to get a publisher to pick it up. That's why this particular environment is the only way I really see it being feasible."

Sawyer said that Xbox was "very supportive" of Pentimento throughout its development. Especially because it's a very niche and unusual game. So the process is quite different from the old publisher model. But so far it has been different in a good way."

Even though Sawyer is making a game for "a small audience that's into the idea of the game," I've seen many people jump in and praise the game, including Josh Wolens, who in his Pentiment review (new (opens in tab)) gives Obsidian's murder mystery an impressive 88." Pentiment is a rarity: a relatively short, gameplay-light narrative adventure from a studio known for long, mechanic-heavy RPGs." He wrote: "Obsidian has a firm grasp of the subject matter and knows exactly what it wants to do with Pentiment." As soon as I finished the game, I knew I wanted to start it up again.

It's nice to see Microsoft not only supporting more niche games, but also that developers will benefit from Game Pass. Let's hope Wes Fenlon is right and the service is maintained as it is so we don't have to say that Game Pass can't continue to be a great value forever. (Open in new tab)