Torment: Tides of Numenera

I loved Planescape: Torment. When I heard Torment: Tides was coming out, and I was very excited to revisit a world that was touted as the "spiritual successor" to one of the best RPG's in history. Unfortunately, my excitement was not warranted. I really tried to hang in there with this game. I managed to soldier through all the way to what I'm assuming was the end battle. But after dying, I just couldn't do it anymore. The game just isn't fun. The writing is good, and the universe that's been created seems at least somewhat interesting. However, in terms of game play there "is no there there". I don't mind reading flavor text and in-game content in RPG's - been doing that for years. But Torment takes it too far. This game is more like reading a novel than playing a game. As a matter of fact, huge areas of the game take place SOLELY with still photos and large blocks of text. It's like a choose your own adventure game. I do hope the developers get a chance to make a second game in this universe, as there is potential there. Unfortunately, they missed the mark with this effort. It seems rushed and half-finished, and I felt that the producers were more interested in writing a novel than they were in making a game. Maybe they should've done that.

This is very much a matter of personal taste. As such, I'll write a bit about what I like, so you can estimate how much your taste overlaps with mine: My favourite game is Planescape: Torment (alonside Brian Reynolds' Alpha Centauri and Homeworld). I like a good story and good writing in many of my games (though I won't shy away from Factorio, KSP or Minecraft). I also like the Numenera setting and mechanics, and have roleplayed a tiny bit IRL using it. --- Tides of Numenera presents itself as a spiritual successor of Planescape: Torment. I feel that it fails short of its predecesor in many ways, chiefly in the quality of its writing and that of its story. Let's pause here for a moment. I feel the writing in Planescape: Torment is the best in any video game I've seen. Torment: Tides[...] has merely good writing, sometimes excellent, but it falls short of Planescape: Torment. The story itself is less interesting - I simply care less about the main conflict - although the sidequests are fun. The characters are less memorable than those in Planescape. But: it's hard to equal Chris Avellone's writing and FemSheps's (I mean, Jennifer Hale's) voice acting. --- Compared to the Best Game Ever, it falls short on every account (except combat mechanics, which are improved). Is it a good and fun game on its own? Yes. Engaging, enjoyable and relatively well-polished on release. 8.5/10. --- As a final note: the game feels like a game made by fans. Something akin to Pandora and Civ: Beyond Earth compared to Alpha Centauri. And, well, fellow creators the creator seeks, not fans. Saying the above in another way: it feels like the game tries to recapture Planescape: Torment instead of trying to stand on its own. Is it a good idea? Never. Is it what I funded on kickstarter, and what was promised to me? Yes it is. Whose fault is it? Mine.

I do understand the disappointment of some of the other users, that the new Torment is not like its predecessor, but that does not make it bad game. First point to understand about this cRPG is that is less RPG and more of adventure game and it is standing on different design pillars than PS:T Numenera is using a Cypher rpg system - system which is focused on simplification and attention to fluid player experience - no complex formulas, no complicated rules. I have played p&p version several times and I can confirm it really works well. The computer implementation in this case is well done and faithful to its original, but that can be the reason way it can feel too simple and dull. Especially in comparison with AD&D rules used in PS:T offering dozens of abilities and spells. So from this point of view, yes the game can feel simplified. But the main attraction of PS:T wasn't the RPG, but the story, environment and writing. In this comparison both games are getting closer to each other. There a lot of elements which are ripoff from original PS:T, but are elegantly transfered to new environment. Although the story of the main protagonist is not so interesting and novel as of it predecessor, the game has still lot to offer. I would even dare to say that the story and side quests are just kind of a filler leading your way trough the main attraction of this piece - the world of Numenera. Trough the p&p original I have come to love world of Numenera and I really like its premise. There is a lot of side information spilled when talking even to most mundane characters and the world itself is explained trough extensive dialogs and clever writing, creating plastic description of its inner regularities and breathing life to it. So although its focus is different than of the PS:T and could be perceived as a disappointment of direct continuation of its ancestor, it is still a rewarding experience, but it would require a change in your expectations.

liked: Unfamiliar setting. Often several ways to solve problems. The Numenera & some of the technology. Merciful download size for a modern game (compared to the likes of Doom, which I still can't afford to download). The ending. Understand why many didn't like it, but I found it to be a good conclusion. disliked: Having to travel through several maps to rest. No great struggle or moral dilemma for most of the game, just errands. The artwork; stodgy design, indistinct lighting. Belabored, odd-looking character animation. Writing often read like the padded parts of a novel you'd normally skim over. No day/night cycle. Unremarkable music & audio. Very basic fx. Combat is slow & awkward. would like to have seen: A more otherworldly feel to it, eg: Wayne Barlowe's Hell, Fantastic Planet, Machinarium, or a Beksinski landscape. Visionary art-direction. Same goes for sound... actually its more important; artwork can be experienced in a totally different way by just changing the soundtrack. Gameplay options change with your dominant tide (better replay value). Less tedious combat & recovery - making inevitable things (like going to town and resting) quickly implied should always be an option. Otherwise the game just wastes real-world time with no payoff. Combat could feel more brutal, unpleasant and sordid. Make the player doubt their decision to fight. Great example is the last battle of Icewind Dale II; wished I could swap sides and fight my way back to raze the ten-towns after that encounter.

The original Planescape Torment is my favourite game. I've played through it several times in 5-6 years since I first stumbled across it. Tides of Numenera is a different game in many ways, but the dedication to the narrative is obvious, the setting is interesting, and result is one of the finest games I've every played. Play it, and accept that it is different from the original; it's one of the best ever.