{"id":7799,"date":"2010-09-30T10:05:00","date_gmt":"2010-09-30T08:05:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T22:00:00","slug":"planescape-torment-crpg-of-legend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/features\/7799-planescape-torment-crpg-of-legend","title":{"rendered":"Planescape: Torment – CRPG of legend"},"content":{"rendered":"

For CRPG (Computer Role-playing Game) fans of the Black Isle era, Planescape: Torment is spoken of with reverence. Torment players will largely agree that it’s the story that sets it apart. The scope of the narrative, the array of characters, the plethora of dialogue options, the fresh CRPG setting of the amazing Planescape multiverse and its attached canon – Torment had all the right ingredients to blow the gaming minds of its time. If there could be gaming equivalents to literary classics, Planescape: Torment would probably be topping the list. Why talk about a 10 year old game? Well, aside from the fact that it is a CRPG of legendary status, it’s just be re-release via GoG<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Torment was released in December 1999 by Black Isle Studios, which had recently made a name for themselves with Fallout and Fallout 2. The game was developed on top of a modified version of BioWare’s Infinity Engine, which was originally used for Baldur’s Gate. The game received critical acclaim, as was hailed as one of the best CRPGs of its time, an accolade which still sticks today. Unfortunately, as is the way of the fickle gaming market, it didn’t sell particularly well, only turning a small profit.<\/p>\n

The game’s setting instantly set it apart from the standard RPG high-fantasy fare. You won’t find any goblins, elves, or dragons running about in Torment. The Planescape universe is part of the Dungeons & Dragons stable, and is connected to their other universes, such as the popular Forgotten Realms. Torment is the first and only game to use the Planescape setting.<\/p>\n

The Planescape setting can be described as an all-encompassing meta-verse. There are countless planes of existence, including all the popular versions of heaven and hell, divided along the combinatorial categories of good and evil, lawful and chaotic. The setting is very rich in lore, and the Torment developers didn’t shy away from exploring it – the game script boasts over 800 000 words. Putting things in perspective, the 100 hour epic of Baldur’s Gate II contained 1 200 000 words, and the recent Dragon Age (sans DLC) contains 900 000 words.<\/p>\n

The Planescape Multiverse – right click > view image for large version
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This quantity did not diminish the quality in any way. Players begin their journey as The Nameless One, awakening in a mortuary in the City of Sigil, which is considered to be the centre of the Planescape realm, if not physically, then certainly metaphorically. Sigil is known as the City of doors – it is full of portals which lead to any and all other planes, and these might be activated at any time by the knowledgeable or unwitting.<\/p>\n

The Nameless One is covered in scars and mysterious tattoos, and he has no recollection of who he is, or his purpose. An interminable sidekick immediately appears – Morte the floating skull – who reads the tattoos, revealing that they are messages from The Nameless One to himself. Thus the first quest is delivered, and The Nameless One embarks on an epic to rediscover who he is.<\/p>\n

The Nameless One<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Players will soon discover the beauty of the game’s dialogue system, which is so central that it becomes a crucial game mechanic, rather than merely a peg to hang a story from. Conflict can be avoided entirely through clever dialogue choices, and there are more than enough options to keep players guessing. All the while, everything is just so damn interesting to read (and boy, you better like to read).<\/p>\n

Of course, being completely memory-less, The Nameless One will often stumble across a crucial titbit of information nestled deep within a conversation tree – info which will frequently grant experience, occasionally unlock a new quest, and hopefully uncover a little more about the mysterious protagonist. Rushing through the dialogue would be a grave disservice to the game, and the wrong way to play it.<\/p>\n

Along the way, The Nameless One collects a motley crew of companions, each with different skills. Whilst combat is often unavoidable, sometimes bloodshed is required. The combat mechanics weren’t entirely revolutionary, but the incredible spell effects made up for this. Some spells even warranted their own cutscene due to their power. Players will discover that technically, The Nameless One cannot die – the reason for this will be discovered over the course of the game.<\/p>\n

Torment used the familiar isometric view perspective, and the modified Infinity Engine allowed for more detailed backdrops and character sprites, lovingly crafted by artists before being converted to their digital gaming form. Gamers revelled in the opportunity to experience the strange, often macabre Planescape fantasy setting in interactive visual format.<\/p>\n

\"Planescape<\/p>\n

Rounding off the dialogue and visuals was a superb audio experience. Recorded dialogue was reserved for crucial encounters, but it was produced and delivered with believable passion. The ambient effects augmented immersion in the gameplay, as did the more direct sounds of combat. All the while, a diverse and haunting soundtrack accompanies the player and The Nameless One through their journey.<\/p>\n

Torment has a dedicated fan following, and website such as Boot Strike<\/a> host numerous enhancements and user created bug fixes that have kept the game alive over its 10 year history. Anyone interested in firing up their old copy would be well served by checking out the widescreen patch, and extra quests (which were cut from the final product, but left in the code).<\/p>\n

For those gamers who missed out on this classic, some great news has emerged. Good Old Games has just released Planescape: Torment<\/a>, compatible with modern operating systems and sporting a bunch of bonus content, such are 104 artworks and the game’s soundtrack. It remains to be seen how and if the various user created fixes and modifications will work with the GoG version, but this will likely be cleared up in a few days.<\/p>\n

The title will cost just US$9.99 (±R70) which I personally reckon is a great asking price for such a legendary CRPG title. I’ll bet that in another 10 years time, aging gamers will still reminisce about Planescape: Torment.<\/p>\n

Discuss Planescape: Torment on the MyGaming forum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t