By: Aidan Kearney
Cost: $9.99 and 20+ hours
What would you do if you couldn’t permanently die? No matter
how hard you tried, nor how often, you
could not stay dead? In need of an RPG with an incredible amount of writing and
unique characters such as a wise-cracking floating skull? Then Planescape: Torment is most definitely
worth your time.
Released in 1999 by Black Isle Studios, developers of
classic RPGs such as Baldur’s Gate
and Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment is based off of a
unique advanced Dungeons and Dragons
campaign of the same name, converting the table-top mechanics into gameplay
that allows you to pause during the combat to strategize on the fly and an
isometric camera view.
Coming from both personal experience and common criticism,
the combat is less than great. Spells that deal heavy damage are few and far in
between, as are healing items. The game also encourages leveling mental stats
like intelligence and wisdom more than physical stats such as strength and health,
which results in a rather vulnerable character. Fortunately, Planescape: Torment’s combat grievances
can be alleviated by lowering the game’s difficulty slider and talking your way
out of combat.
Thanks to Planescape:
Torment’s heavy focus on dialogue and narrative puzzles, having even a
relatively average amount of points in charisma, intelligence, and wisdom will
allow you to persuade yourself out of many hostile combat situations. Some
situations are unavoidable, but by pursuing the right dialogue trees and asking
as many questions as possible to various NPCs, you’ll more often than not call
someone’s bluff or dissuade them from hostility.
I should give fair warning; the walls of text in this game could
wrap around the Great Wall of China.
Planescape: Torment’s
most notable feature is the protagonist’s journal. The journal is carried by
the protagonist, a heavily scarred undead being called “The Nameless One” with
a severe case of amnesia. Because of his lack of memory, The Nameless One
begins his journal as a way of keeping track of his memories and hopefully discovering
what happened to him prior to waking up in a mortuary, the game’s first major
area. The Nameless One will inform the player of whenever the journal updates
by saying “Updated my journal.”
As time goes on, that quote will be playing in your head on
repeat.
Every event within the game updates the journal with a
summary of what happens. As the player delves deeper into the game’s bizarre
and unpredictable world, the journal rivals the length of a novel.
The Nameless One embarks on the quest for his memory with a
colorful cast of characters, who allhave a mysterious connection to the
protagonist. The characters you meet include a snarky, taunting skull named
Morte, providing much of the game’s exposition, a succubus, a man constantly
surrounded by an inferno with an addiction to fire, and a religious samurai
priest whom each have their own unique personalities and deep backstories which
provide for a great read.
Despite being almost two decades old, Planescape: Torment’s strong writing, strange but alluring world,
and environmentdesign make it well worth playing. Fans of old-school RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale will love this game. It’s available only on PC and often on sale at GOG.com
Image: KillaPenguin
