Torment: Tides of Numenera

First, let's set the main things straight. This game is for those people who enjoy the "story" and "talking" parts of RPGs most. If for you the main aspect of a game is "combat", be it realtime action, or thoughful strategic turn-based combat, this game is not for you, don't buy it. If you're of the former sort (like I am), then I highly recommend buying this game. Now, for the specifics. I've completed this game in ~38 hours, in a fairly completionist playthrough. Note that you'll spend the majority of time playing this game reading through dialogue and exposition and figuring which options to choose in response. So basically this is an enhanced "choose your own adventure" book, but one which is very well made and has a good story and interesting charactes. Original Planescape: Torment probably had a better story, but this one is still quite great, and the reactivity of the dialogues is very impressive. The writing itself is very nice. To summarize, if you like good fantasy/sci-fi books and you like the "story" and "talking" parts in RPGs, definitely buy this game.

You explore with dialog not your feet. Dialog is front and center, it is deep, you can constanly iintereact with NPC's, whereas combat is not the primary focus yet if you itch to combat you can still get in there and have pretty decent combat animations. This is a refreshing breath of fresh air from the big named games which virtually all other RPG's follow. There are so few games with this much depth that playing Torment: TON is an absolute amazing.

I think they did damn good, all in all. I'm surprised to see so much criticism of the turn-based system - I think it's great. It's FAR better than the awkward-as-hell pauseable real-time. I know, I know, how could I dare insult it! It's garbage, guys, sorry. Nothing is more frustrating than either having to 1) depend on AI or 2) turn it off and try to manage every single character, click by click, in half-second increments.. or better yet 3) tell them what to do, them sorta half do it, then do something else stupidly and die. It's not fun. It's bad design. Recent games - PoE, Tyranny, Dragon Age(s), etc., all suffer from it. I should be enjoying the strategy and planning it, not frantically and wildly flailing to get anyone to listen without pausing every second. Now, back on to Torment itself. In my opinion, it's Good. Good good. The world is good. It feels right. The characters and themes are strange and insane and varied, but none of it feels forced. Despite being totally nuts, they fit. It all fits, and that makes it hit home. I found myself about 6 hours in and having only done TWO combats, and only having traversed about five game screens. That's a lot of freakin' time to spend talking, puzzling, learning, and enjoying the world. The writing is good, the world is good. The gameplay, about 14 hours in, works. I haven't even done a ton of combat yet, and I'm pretty fine with that. The companions are interesting. The items are strange and varied. Looking at the game, ignoring delays and such which are neither here nor there for the ultimate state of the game, I think Torment is a solid 4.5 stars.

Much like with "Tyranny", I've decided to leave a review after spending some time with this game to let all you, RPG fans an opinion which might help you with the decision whether to buy this game or not. I have not been involved in beta-testing nor Kickstarter, so I believe I speak the truth saying that my review isn't "tainted" with either false love nor hater smithe. Instead, what I'm about to write, is the impression the game leaves on someone who has played a lot of RPG in his life and is VERY demanding of games in this genre. Lets start with a fact that I've always considered "Planescape: Torment" one of the best cRPGies ever made, even to this day; the game was truly ahead of its time, where your dialogue option depended on how you shaped your character, the story progressed different in response to your choices and both the world and characters were unique and memorable. Certainly by claiming to be its "spiritual successor", Numenera had A LOT to live up to in my eyes. All the more reason that I am pleased to say the title does seem to deliver from what I saw thus far, at least for the most part. I'll break down the most important sections, so that you'll have a better idea on what to expect, if you decide to buy it. Lets start with one of the more important aspects of an RPG for me - the story and setting. As most of you probably know, Numenera takes place in the Ninth World... which is, supposedly, Earth millions of years in the future, where knowledge of "worlds past" has been, for the most part, completely forgotten. Due to this, the characters living in it are pretty much fantasy characters, that have to deal with inventions of very advanced technology. Magic and technology both exists here, but the line between them is blurred and artifacts can be part of either of these categories. Such a setting, that mixed sci-fi and fantasy elements is rare in fiction, even less so to make the setting be both believable and entertaining, yet Numenera manages to achieve this, as far as I'm concerned. The story is intriguing, though those that played Planescape may find it somewhat distasteful as it uses THE SAME core elements in its plot: again you're an amnesiac who (technically, because that's not entirely true) can't die, dealing with your past lives (so to speak), trying to find the truth while escaping a powerful force that's out to get you, moving through a world alien and unique to the point you can expect pretty much anything. Yeah, sound familiar? Still, the story manages to interest me - the familiar points have been messed with to give them a sense of originality and the spin on those is inspired. Basically, from what you know, yo're a "castoff" - a body that has been used by the Changing God. This God has moved on to the next one, thus throwing you onto the world with no memories of your existance up till now. The body itself is occupied by another consious (you) and you are but the newest in the long line of such castoffs. To make matters worse, you are being hunted down by THE Sorrow and the only clue you have is a Resonance Chamber that is supposed to help you. If you wanna survive, you certainly need to do something about this hunter, so for now the mentioned Chamber is as good a place as any to start your search. Much like with Planescape, Numenera's strength is that you unravel the story yourself in a way you desire, so I'm not gonna say more about it. For now, I can acknowledge that it seems entertaining... as are NPC, two of which you can recruit early on. Those who played Planescape won't be disappointed - your party members are unique, even by Numenera standards and have rich backstories, so rest assured that the exploration of this alien world will be littered with secrets and twists that should keep you interested. It helps that graphics are nicely down - they are kept in the spirit of old RPGies (using "Pillars of Eternity" engine); the backgrounds are marvelous in my opnion, easily making you fall in love with the Ninth World as you admire the landscape. The characters themselves, sadly, come a little short in that regard, particularly their animations. These are not bad, mind you, but I have found them distracting at the start; for the lack of a better word, I would call them clumsy and since the resolution is set high from the "get-go", these characters being faceless feels a tad annoying, especially considering the details of their surroundings. Still, I would put the graphics in the "pros" column - certainly as a whole they made a far better impression on me than "Tyranny" did in that same regard. Numenera starts, like most RPGies, with character creation, but it has various mechanics that differ it from regular RPGies in that regard; at the beginning, you are presented with an interactive intro that provides you with several choices. These choices, at the end of the prologue, are used to initially prepare your character. Mind you, you can change pretty much anything the game chooses for you through that process, but for those who aren't patient enough to get through character creation, that may be a good way to shorten the experience. There are no races to choose from, though you can pick the gender of your character (as far as I could tell, their portrait is set too, so again - same as Planescape). Once you complete the intro, you get to character creation proper and this is were differences with other RPGies are evident. Lets start with the fact that your character doesn't have any attributes like Strength, Dexterity or Charisma. Instead, you are given three "pools", each providing you with a certain number of units. These pools are Might, Speed and Intellect and can be used to help you pass some of the tests you encounter during your travels. For example: if you're trying to move something heavy, the game provides you with a certain procentage of success. If you wish to up your chances, you need to spend units from a certain pool (in this case - Might), with each unit being worth +20% commonly. Once you drain these pools dry, you'll need to rest to refill them (though "critical successes" help sustain these pools longer... be adviced though that a 100% success rate doesn't equal Critical). It's a simple mechanism, that helps you lower the "luck factor" on tests - if you believe a certain check is important, you can always buff it up by 60% in stead of counting on a "lucky roll". Classes also determine the pools somewhat; in Numenera you get to choose one of three, which correspond to typical classes in RPGies - you have Glaive, who is a warrior-type and gets more health and Might than the other two, Nano, which is an equivalent of mages (least health and bonus to Intellect) and Jack - in many aspects similar to a rogue as he's supposed to be more diverse in abilities than the other two, but being an expert in nothing (in that aspect, he's probably closer to D&D's Bard class). Once you choose the above, you move forward to pick your abilities; these work most like feats from D&D or abilities from "Dragon Age" - they grant passive (meaning constant) or active bonuses (like a spell for Nanos). Dependable on your class, you'll have access to different abilities, of course, though some are accessible to more than one profession. After that you choose skills, which in turn work similarly to abilities from D%D - generally you can train yourself in skills such as Persuasion, Lore, Concentration etc. Numenera actually uses a simple system here: there are "only" 4 levels of knowledge within any skill - inability (you're hindered in these tests), novice (no bonus nor hindrance), trained (you get a buff) and expert. Dependable on your level in each skill, whenever you try to perform an action requiring knowledge in that area (like "Quick Fingers" for reflex or "Deception" when trying to lie) your success rate is adjusted by the score you have in them. Finally, at the end, you choose a character type (like "Charming", "Observant" and the sort), which can be considered perks/quirks from early "Fallout" games (haven't played the newest installments of the franchise yet) - basically, when you pick it, you get a bonus to something (commonly some skills), but in exchange you're hindered somewhere else (again - commonly a different skill). This really forces you to THINK what sort of character you wish to be and helps determine your playstyle for the upcoming playthrough. Once you complete the process of character creation (again you don't receive a name like in Planescape nor Mass Effect - you are simply "The Castoff"), you start the game proper. The gameplay is nothing out of the ordinary when compared to "old school" cRPGies nor their latest incantations such as "Pillars..." or "Tyranny", but be warned: there's A LOT of reading involved and I can't stress "A LOT" enough. Basically, if you think Planescape gave you a lot of text to read, I assure you - Numenera is no "better" in that regard; about 90%, if not more, of the narrative is done through text, which sometimes tend to be a tad too poetic. For the most part, I appreciate it, the read is enjoyable and if you liked the way Planescape presented things, I don't think you'll mind Numenera following its example... I do, however, think that at times it tries too hard to make deep descriptions. Either way, if you wish to follow the story, be adviced that you'll HAVE to read a lot and, due to this, the game may move a tad slow at certain times. You can interact with a lot of things in the world of Numenera, either by reading the description or ACTUALLY interacting with the enviroment and I must say that some of these interaction lead to surprising results - from just the first few, starting locations these actions may literally kill you, bring you experience or equipment. Your curiosity can be both a blessing and your own downful in these instances, so you need to make your decisions carefully. Dialogues are done in a manner that is somewhere in between Planescape and the latter "Pillars..." or "Tyranny" - your responses are determined by a number of factors and just having access to one doesn't mean you'll automatically succeed in it. However, the oposite is also true - even if you didn't train a certain skill, you can still succesfully pass the test by using up your pools for it. This certainly allows the gamers to sigh in relief that there isn't a situation which will be unsolvable just because they neglected a certain skill. An even bigger plus is that failure in a test doesn't necessary means you fail whatever it is you're doing; commonly it only means you'll need another way and there ALWAYS is another way... heck, sporadically, failure opens up an even better way to resolve certain issues than what you originally planned! This brings me to one of the games biggest strengths - your choice MATTER and in a very visible way. You may not always see the consequences of your actions immediately, but these consequences are there and not in the way "Mass Effect" series does them, when they're often just cosmetic as you'll always reach the same spot; here your experience will differ if you've done something differently. This will certainly help with the game's replay value - I can admit that even though I played Planescape many times, there are STILL some instances when I stumble upon something that I have never experienced in that game before and not for the lack of searching. I believe Numenera strives for the same kind of experience and that is a HUGE plus in my book. The choices are aplicapable to combat as well - much like with Planescape, Numenera allows you to avoid most fights, if only you're able find a way out of it. Heck, even when the fight begins, you can STILL try to talk your enemy down. I certainly don't recall any cRPG that allowed diplomacy once the battle began. And from my own experience I can tell you - the first instance where you CAN try yourself in combat, you can diffuse the situation in AT LEAST three different way, not all leading to the confrontation! The idea of "Player's choice" is given a very literally meaning here. And, to top that off, depending on which way you decide to handle that "skirmish", the consequences will be different too. But, if you already start combat and wish to see it through, than Numenera offers a system that is something of a mix between the recent "old school RPGies" (Pillars and Tyranny) and what "Temple of Elemental Evil" provided: round is composed of characters going one after another in sussesion, depending on their initiative. On your turn, you can move your character AND perform an action (moving a second time is an action too). Actions can mean interacting with the enviroment (because, yes, you CAN do that), talking, attacking etc. Furthermore, some characters have abilities that, in D%D terms, constitute a "quick action" - meaning performing them doesn't cost the character their move nor action. It's beneficial to look out for these things. The reputation system within the game is also different from most; here, dependable on your choices, you get attuned to one of five tides, each represented by a color. These tides show what kind of personality you have an wary from being selfish, through curious, emotional, just and the like and the fact with which Tide you're attuned to at the moment is NOT without meaning within the game either, furthering the importance of shaping your character into the one you want him/her to be. The inventory is done nicely - anyone who played Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Pillars should feel right at home. As a plus, Numenera keeps "quest objects" separate from the rest, so you needn't worry about losing some, crucial item. Generally, party management is done well in my opinion and doesn't take long to adjust, especially if you're familiar with the titles I mentioned in this paragraph. Overall, I'd say that fan of so-called "old school RPGies" should be pleased with Numenera - the graphics (particularly backgrounds) are beautiful, the story seems strong, NPCs are well thoughtout and game mechanics are good - unique and technically simplified, yet allow for a variety of character shaping and tactics. The biggest plus though is the fact that your choice DO influence your experience in a manner Planescape worked - there are many ways to resolve a problem and test failure is not equivalent to failure overall, which makes the gaming experience more realistic and helps to draw you into the game, feeling like you're really there on a journey in sted of sitting before your PC and reviewing statistics. There are some "hickups", as with most games: those that get tired of reading will have a HUGE problem with this game, because it's incredibly text-heavy. Those that had trouble with Planescape, Pillars or Tyranny shouldn't expect to handle Numenera any better; possibly this game is the "worst" of the bunch in that regard. Also character creation is a bit underdeveloped - while not a big issue, the descriptions in it use game terminology which isn't always self-explanatory (for example at the time of character creation, you still don't know what Cyphers or esotecy are, unless you looked it up on the net or in a manual), which in certain cases can be pretty hindering when you're playing for the first time. Luckily, this problem is not very spread in character creation and it mostly affects the players who wish to try Nanos as their first PC. Furthermore, those accustomed to terminologies from other games may find this part confusing as what Numenera calls "skills" their equivalents elsehwere are called "abilities", while "abilities" have different designation in other games still. However, regardless to that, character creation in Numenera takes time, so don't expect for the process to be quick like in "Mass Effect" or "Witcher"... this is really old school level of time consuming... which, for me, is not a problem, but can be bothersome to less patient players. Also characters themselves could use improvement in terms of their animation and graphics in my opinion. Despite this, from the hours I've played so far, I'm happy to say that Numenera hasn't let me down thus far. I imagine I'm nowhere NEAR completing it (side quests and exploration consumes much time and I am certainly gonna try to discover as much as I can in my playthroughs). I expect to be dazzled by this title for weeks, if not months of the nearest future. Numenera claimed to be the spiritual successor of "Planescape: Torment" and while I was deeply skeptical that ANY game could fill those shoes, I have a hunch that this title may actually pull it of... it certainly has throughout the time I've spent with it thua far. Hope this helps you get a clearer idea as to what you're paying for, if you're considering buying this game. As usual, if you have any question, feel free to send me a note and I'll try to reply you in a timely manner.

Amazing. Yes, you have to read A LOT. Yes, the combat is not technical enough to be interesting on its own merit. Yes, character customization (visual, at the very least) is not strong. The world is worth it. You're on earth, a billion years in the future. The very sand you walk on is made of little bits of technology. Unimaginable intelligences manipulate bizarre societies to acheive incomprehensible goals. Reality-warping psychics war with inscrutible mind parasites. It's bonkers. I played the numenera tabletop rpg as well, and this perfectly captures the feel of the setting. Your quest is epic in every sense of the word, yet you know it's just one story among innumerable others of equal complexity. You get glimpses of wonderful new ideas in the majority of your interactions with the world (nearly every item is unique and has at least a paragraph of backstory to place it in the world). I was having trouble imagining a world with a doomsday machine around every corner, commonplace time travel, and true AI. Somehow, it just WORKS. The game is great at making you ask "what would that be like?" and "how does that work?". How would you function if you were one among an infinite number of alternate versions of yourself, and you could communicate with these versions? It's a human GPU! What would you do with the energy of a star? Sometimes, I just stopped and thought about the possibilities. It's not going to be for everyone. If you're willing to read a dense, weird, compelling, choose-your-own-adventure sci-fi, this is for you. What does one life matter?