Planescape: Torment

Rating:
Summary: A PC game set in the Planescape Universe? Get outta here.
Review: Wow. Those were my first words after playing Planescape: Torment for the PC. I have to tell you I am an avid fan of the Dungeon and Dragons Planescape Universe. I own almost every product made by TSR and was quite shocked to see that they were making a PC Game of Planescape. At first I thought it might be like Baldur's Gate. Sorry guys I wasn't really impressed by Baldur's Gate. But like I said after playing it for 30 minutes I was convinced that this was going to be the best game ever. It was really a well done game and faithful adaption of the Dungeon and Dragons Planescape Universe. There are so many good things to say about this game I don't know where to start. Well let me just tell you my favorite things about the game. First and foremost the story. Amnesia works well in a story if used properly, like Memento. That in itself is a great hook which will keep the player playing for hours just to find out who he is. And then I loved the different methods you could use for situations in the game. If you had hight Charisma or Intelligence you were given different dialogue choices that could change the the game. The first time I played I tried maxing out the Charisma, Intelligence and Wisdom stats so that I could regain more memories and have more things to say to the NPC's. That has to be a first in Dungeons and Dragons where I didn't try to get high Strength, Dexterity or Constitution scores. Unfortunately I never finished the game as it was very tough. So I missed out on a lot but what I did play was awesome. I went out and bought the novel, which was good by the way, and read the whole story. There was no way I was missing out on that story. And what a great story it was all the way up to the ending. So if you haven't played this game yet go out and buy it. Don't be deterred by the 2D graphics, once your in the game you won't even notice. In fact I just might load the game up and try to finish it this time.

Rating:
Summary: TOTALLY AMAZING GAME!!!
Review: Planescape: Torment has to be one of the BEST computer RPG games of all time! It has everything one looks for in such a game; from an incredible setting, to a highly original plot, to excellent multiple roleplaying options, to outstanding graphics, to extraordinary accuracy in relation to Dungeons & Dragons, and much, much more!
There is something here for everyone as the variety of challenges is large indeed, including battles, puzzle solving, and dialogue among others.

The game is set in Sigil-the City of Doors- primarily, as well as various other locations within the Planescape multiverse, as it deals with the nameless hero and his efforts to find out more about himself after realizing that he has lost both his memory and his mortality.
The story as a whole is excellent! The plot is so incredibly well written and presented that the gamer feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Moreover, the game does a great job of presenting the distinct cultures and civilizations of the inhabitants of Planescape; Sigil, the Outlands, Baator etc. This has, without a doubt, been achieved as a result of a great deal of research that has gone into learning and understanding the numerous and often complex characteristics of the Planescape multiverse.

Let me tell you, NOTHING, I say NOTHING, compares to the endless hours of gaming enjoyment that I have experienced playing Torment!
Strongly recommended to both Fantasy as well as Planescape enthusiasts along with the Baldur's Gate series.
Trust me, you will not regret it!
In conclusion, together with Planescape: Torment, Torment: the novel, is also recommended! It is BASED on the computer game, therefore it only touches on a limited amount of material presented in the game, but it too is lots of fun!



Rating:
Summary: A good story tormented by disappointing gameplay
Review: I really wanted to like this game, based on all of the praise it has received and the fact that I really don't have the time to play simply mediocre games. After having played the Baldur's Gate series and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought that this would be more of the same immersive fantasy-based gaming. On some levels, this game is successful in creating an interesting world to explore with some fascinating people to meet and things to do. The story itself is quite intriguing and well-written. The problem is that the game is slowly paced for the first several hours and is tedious throughout.

Gameplay: The controls are fairly simple and should be familiar to anyone who has played Baldur's Gate and similar RPG titles. Your character is an immortal amnesiac who must find out who he is and how to resolve his curse of immortality. The character creation options seem flexible at first, but they really aren't. While you can change classes during the game, you had best learn how to do one thing well, or there will likely be problems later. Also, your alignment (moral view) may change based on your actions, but many of the game's quests (including the main one) are scripted for "right" answers that might force your character to play out of character. Also, there are some unreasonable limits placed on combat. In 30 hours of gameplay, I didn't come across one projectile weapon, which meant that all fights were melee skirmishes. Moreover, you can't tell how wounded your opponents are until they actually kill over.

Planescape: Torment is a very text-heavy game, which is both its strength and greatest weakness. Whoever wrote the dialogue and story is a talented writer, and this would have actually made a decent novel. However, much of the dialogue gets in the way of the gameplay in ways that are truly annoying. You'll find yourself running back and forth between people, going through their entire dialogue trees looking for clues (several times). Sometimes those clues will not be found unless you know exactly who to talk to, when, and about what topic. Even then you might not get what you are looking for. Some of the quests are very imaginative, but others are greatly hindered by this ask-everybody-everything-everytime approach.

The dialogue issue would not be such a problem if it did not plague the main quest, but it does. I hate to consult walkthrough guides, but you will probably have to in order to get pass a few of the several places where you simply won't know what to do next, who to talk to, or what item you need. There is an in-game journal that can be useful, but even it won't point you in the right direction on some occasions (and "completed" quests are not always taken out of the "assigned quests" category).

Actually, this is the first computer RPG that I have played that could not hold my interest until the end. This was largely due to the tedious nature of the gameplay. I knew that it was time to quit when I defeated the main boss, just to get a message afterward that said that, in effect, I had not chosen the correct specific dialogue options before defeating this enemy. What??? It was like finally meeting Diablo at the end of Diablo 2, or Dagoth Ur at the end of Morrowind, or Jon Irenicus at the end of Baldur's Gate 2 and winning the fight, just to learn that you had not been nice enough in your dialogue responses before the fight started and thus would have to redo the 30 minutes of dialogue that preceded the encounter. Very frustrating.

Graphics: Visual representation is decent, even by today's standards. Character models look good, as do environments. The game does have a certain drabness about it, which is part of the storyline. But overall, the graphics are fine.

Sound: Decent, but nothing memorable. The weather in the main city of Sigil is always the same, so there are no thunderstorms or other ambient noises. The voice acting is decent, but quite sparse. More of it would have made the story even more immersive and less text-driven. The music was okay, but again not memorable.

Replayability/Value: I couldn't bear to get through one complete playing of the game, so I can't recommend it for repeat plays. If you insist upon playing this game, try to get it cheap ($10 or less). The story and quests seem too linear to warrant doing them a second time, especially since you are the same basic character during every game. There are a few interesting party members, such as Morte and Annah, but NPC interaction here does not measure up to the high standard set by the Baldur's Gate games.

Overall, I cannot recommend this game to anyone except very patient and/or hardcore roleplaying gamers. For everyone else, there are many computer RPGs available now that are clearly superior to the gameplay, story line, and graphics of Planescape: Torment. If you want to play a truely excellent, classic RPG, check out Morrowind, the Baldur's Gate series, or even the Diablo series. Though it has a good story, my suspicion is that Planescape: Torment largely appeals to a specific niche of the computer roleplaying market, which does not mind its tedious dialogue system, linear questing, and bizarre story.

Rating:
Summary: THE EPITOME OF CRPG's!
Review: Words fail to describe the perfect symphony of brilliant ideas, emerging story-line and excellent coding that makes thiw game an unsurpassable classic!

If you can't find it here, try stock houses and e-bay, but you have to have this one, trust me.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing game
Review: I have played a lot of RPGs, RTSs, FPSs, and other types of games in my life. I've been playing games since I was 6 (16 years ago), and there has only been one game that has kept my interest enough to make me want to go back to it almost on a yearly basis. That game is Planescape:Torment. This game is amazing. The first thing most normal computer RPGers will notice is that this is not the usual world you are used to. This is the world of the planes. Most games are done in Forgotten Realms or something like that, this one Bioware did something differant with, which is what they are known for now. They took all the normal RPG elements, kept the best of them, and threw away the rest. Than they found an interesting setting that no one had ever touched before. Planescape is all based around the idea that there are differant planes of existence all around, and all one needs to do to enter another is to find the right key. Well in this game you are constantly using keys to go to new places, and at the same time the story is driven by the fact that you cannot die, and that you have no memory of who you are. It then proceeds to be a story about you finding out who you are in the life that you are now leading, and in the lives you lead before. Each life there was someone you hurt, or someone you endangered. Each life you died and when you awoke you remembered nothing. Play this game, and you will not be disappointed. I bought it originally for 40 dollars, and I'd pay that now for it if I had to. It's so amazing.

Rating:
Summary: This is a good introduction to AD&D
Review: What would happen if there was a place where there existed a portal to anywhere you wanted to go, both real and imaginary? You would find yourself in Sigil, the city of doors, deep in the center of the multi-verse known as Planescape; a place where the mere belief in something will cause its existence. You play the role of 'The Nameless One' an immortal being with a touch of amnesia, in his search to find out about himself.

Gameplay:
Torment utilizes the Infinity Engine made popular by Baldur's Gate, yet it seems to be geared more toward the new RPGer rather than fans of BG. The interface is probably, the only downside to this game. Everything is accessed through a circular right-click menu that is accessed during a paused game. Everything from talking to your characters, changing weapons, casting a spell and using special abilities is run from this window. It's a good idea in theory, yet it tries to do too much with too little. The original quick buttons found in BG were a much more efficient set-up.
The game uses a slightly modified AD&D second generation rule-set. As with the interface, the rule set has been simplified in this game. You have no choice to your starting character. Simply put, you are the nameless - an immortal human male, who starts as a fighter. During the game, you have the option of changing between your starting class of a fighter and a thief or mage. There's no dual-classing, switching to another class is like building a new character, yet switching back, you will find all your previously earned experience saved. Your available party members are not only locked in whatever class you find them in, but are, for the most part, locked in their weapon and armor choices.
What makes this game one of the better RPGs on the market is the story. In your quest to discover yourself, you learn about the story and concept of the planeworlds, an interesting universe where belief is very fabric of being. Though it introduces the player to the world, the story is very linear and you'll find yourself without much choice in the matter besides your decision to play good or evil.

Graphics:
If you've played any of the Black Isle games on the Infinity Engine, you'll be very familiar with the sights and sounds of Torment. It's a bit more zoomed in than the others, and that can lead to confusion when trying to cross long distances without the use of your mini-map. But for being 5 years old and only 800x600 it is very artistically done. A lot of work was put into creating a town that looks and feels like it could be the center of the universe. Besides the obvious, the game has aged very well.

Sound:
The ambient music is excellently done, as well as the voice acting. The biggest problem is in the game's EAX manipulation. If you have this turned on, you'll be hard pressed to hear the voice-acting in any outdoor or cavernous scenes as it just blends into white-noise. Besides that, the only annoyance comes with the apparent necessity to have your characters have a voice prompt after they do *anything*. After you've heard one of your character announce they have stealthed for the umpteenth time, you'll be hoping to never hear it again.

Overall:
While it's a fun game, it's not quite my cup-of-tea. Your character is immortal, you die and wake up somewhere with your inventory intact. For the most part, you can go around with your level one thief and try to take out City Guards with no side effect. The game is just too easy, even at the hardest settings. Add that to the severely linear gameplay and at times it becomes a little slow. It's your typical quest driven RPG without much in the way of side quests. Luckily, you have a variable alignment which can change depending on your actions, and that adds a little to the mix, but not enough. If the story wasn't as well written, then this game would have been a flop, so pick this up as a nice interactive novel, but don't expect a second play through unless the best RPG you've played before this is FF.


Rating:
Summary: Superb yet not perfect game ever (4.5 stars)
Review: The perfect RPG, with emphasis on the RP. Best NPC interaction of all time. Brilliant.

Rating:
Summary: Oh. My. God
Review: The reviews in here speak for this game. Out of 147 reviews of Planescape: Torment, only seven had ratings under five stars. One of those was because they haven't received the game yet, one of them is because they are not aware of the fact that Black Isle released patches on the net to fix bugs in early versions, three because they are simply too impatient to allow the storyline to unfold in all its glory, and two who admitted that it wasn't their kind of game.
But I don't believe them. That's just ridiculous.
Fair enough, if you are a total Ad&D nerd that wants laborious character creation and endless menus, then this is not your game. In this game, your character is shaped by how you play the game, not vice versa. Go and play Baldur's Gate with all your other lonely friends.
This game is the absolute pinnacle of gaming perfection, from the graphics to the cutscenes, to the characters and the many locations wandering the planes takes you to.
And let's not forget about the storyline. My GOD, the storyline. I cannot describe in words the sheer rollercoaster of emotions your character takes you through in the quest to find yourself; the decisions you make and the impact they could have on the multiverse. Also, the man, the legend, Tony Jay, the "Most evil voice of all time" lends his superior talents to the voice of the final boss, an ever-present reminder of the evil that can occur in this strange world.

Anyone who does not agree that this game is sex in a box should have their head examined. Best. Game. Ever. 140 out of 147 reviewers cannot be wrong.