Shall we discuss Planescape: Torment?
- FRP (ADnD on PC) for the intelligent -(SPOILERS WILL APPEAR)
Recently I journeyed, for the first time, to Sigel - City of portable portals to almost anywhere/when – also called ‘the Cage.’ There I awoke on a slab in the mausoleum. Immediately a floating skull named mort, (similar to Harry Dresden’s). Mort chatted me up. I almost forgot: I have no memories, and I have no name. I have forgotten them. And so it begins. I have played most of the ‘old school’ FRP game/adventures out there.
I’m also a fan of Fallout 3/NV, and Morrowind / Oblivion / Skyrim. The visual realism of modded Skyrim is truly breathtaking. I actually make mods for Skyrim. But the adventure that most immersed me - even haunted me - was Forgotten Realm’s Mask of the Betrayer. Until now. Torment is a very close second.
Torment may be old school. But my experience was, well out of this world. Atmosphere, music, deep characters, subtle romance, and a truly mind boggling and heart rending story line won me over. Immersion, yes. Mental engagement, yes. Emotional attachment, yes. Sleuthing – a bit. Some hack and slash – but dialog, reading, and *remembering* are the essence of this game. If you don’t think – -well - you won’t ever remember. You are free to be good, bad, or just crazy. Your choices matter. The game knows. For example, one exceptional aspect is the ability to say the exact same line and let the game know your intention. And it matters. You might tell a party member or a NPC that you will <fill in the blank>. Your choices include [Truth], [Lie] etc.
It’s truly great storytelling that addresses the essence of our existence. And the ending, if you chose the ‘right’ one for you, is so satisfying, even cathartic.
(BTW: Torment has mods that update the game for current PCs. Official patch, wide screen, UI, bug fix, restored content, all easy to install.)
Those who have played, what’s you experience? High points, etc. Funniest moments. Share your journey?
Reserved, just in case.
To be honest, I don't remember much. I played Baldur's Gate and similar games for the exploration and combat more than the characters and story. Certainly its worth playing because its different, especially if you like reading the large blocks of text.
The part that stood out most was that artifact you could periodically unlock with a conversation if your intelligence/wisdom was high enough. That was pretty cool. I also liked how Mort had specialized items and mechanics. I always say that a junction of theme and mechanics goes a long way for immersion, and this game does that pretty well. Unfortunately its not themes I was particularly interested in at the time. Hopefully I'm just forgetting some of the better moments.
Well i enjoyed several roleplaying games, but fantasy star four was always my favorite due to combination attacks.
I liked the world the most. The facf that if enoigh people believed that something existed in the world of Planescape meant that it DID exist was super cool for me. That and Morte, the talking skull, was awesome. Hell, all the characters were amazing. The fire man, the sentient suit of armor, the succubus chick, all of them.
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