Torment: Tides of Numenera

Gameplay is good, story is good, can see a few options for replayability different styles/tactics. I went intelligence and persuasion. Finished in about 12 hours of game play. Can see why people say it fell short of the original promises but it's still good. I liked it!

Let's face it: comparing Numenera to Planescape is a low blow. PT was (technically still is) based on a well established setting of D&D worlds. Most of the worldbuilding, fractions in the game, monsters etc. were already described! They just took it and used it to create a story. In most cases creators from BI grow up playing D&D. Numenera simply didn't have that support, so they had to figure it out mostly by themselves. For the game itself, it is amazing. It looks beautifull, it gives interesting story, and every single place have something interesting to add to the world around (and looks beautifull). It was so refreshing experience after so many cRPGs that were... simple in their construction. While combat is the biggest flaw of the game (simply by not being enough of it), it was interesting when it happend. I think the compromises they did moving P&P into computer game were well thought. The music and sound are also to my liking. Overall it gave me what I was expecting: good old cRPG with a lot of text in a mysterious world you have to discover by yourself.

A game claiming to be the spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment? I would laugh if that wasn't so sad. This game is no where near to Planescape: Torment's quality. This game has terrible world building to the point that it feels like they are constantly pulling things out their ass. The companions have little to no reason to follow you. The gameplay feels clunky, like it is trying to emulate games of old instead of improving it. What I disliked most is the story. The game is too short and the story leaves way too much unexplained and going by the ending the main antagonist is the one who is suppose to be in the right. This game is not worth $45.

Compared to what you would expect from a game that should not be to heavy on the graphics but heavy on content, the game is very short and the maps very small. The story lacks depth in story and seems rushed. It feels like there is missing a lot of content and reaching the ending did not make want to play it again. The universe is very exciting and the character creation and advancement is refreshing at first, but again. A world so rich, with so much potential greatness... and it feels like the pc is not really a part of the world and it takes only a short while to feel restricted by the character advancement and suddenly it is all over. The npc's never really feel like the are more than shadows and bleak supporting characters and the protagonist feels like he is supposed to be part of a grand epic story, but failed and no matter how grand the scene may seem, it never really feels like you are a part of the world, but more running an ego trip amongst pointless gods that are mainly forgotten. The world wouldn't care one way or another. It feels like the game could be so much more and I had the feeling that I desperatly wanted it to succeed, now that it advertised itself as a spiritual successor to Torment. instead I've got the feeling I should have waited and bought it as a part of a bundle of mildly interesting games I could fool around with a little bit, before getting into some serious games. In this genre of games, I would suggest playing some of the old games instead of going here. 2 stars for being refreshingly new and no more.

A lot of reviews bring in outside reasons for giving this game a low score, which I find a little odd. I have to say, I think THIS GAME, RIGHT NOW, is wonderful and just as fun and interesting as the original Planescape: Torment and is absolutely worth your money. I expect most people are going to be familiar with the style of gameplay, so specific to Tides of Numenera, the systems that allow for spending pool points to accomplish things you're interested in really work well - you can pick and choose what goals you have in mind, rather than finding out mid-conversation or mid-combat that you can't follow that choice. Combat, I could take or leave, just as I could in the original. It does some interesting things and honestly my takeaway is that it's best to spread out your points; concentrate on one area if you like but don't short-change your other aspects. I found the characters fascinating as well; one thing the original Planescape: Torment and Torment: Tides of Numenera do well is to have regular people struggling to survive in this bizarre landscape, where something you find while scavenging might kill you or make you a god. Your relationships are all about dealing with this aspect of the world, and you have choices about how you deal with it and how you help your companions deal with it. I think anyone who's enjoyed Planescape: Torment will enjoy this game - it is rich with imagery and depth, and demanding in all the right ways. Personally, I think it surpasses the original in a lot of respects, but even if you don't think so, it's a damn good game.