An Ode to the Torment
Rich takes us back to Planescape
I'm getting on for twenty years of hardcore gaming - MMORPG addictions, Nintendo fanboy-dom, sticking bits of card under ZX spectrum tapes to encourage them to load, the N64 emulation scene, a soft-mod Xbox turned into a living room centre-piece (I'd like to see that - Ed), a long term addiction to tinkering with PCs, and the rest... but there is one game over the years that has captured my heart unlike any other before and whose deep-seated reign in my mind has at times looked almost completely unchallenged.
It isn't the game which took up the most on-paper hours of my life (World of Warcraft), and neither is it the most addictive title I've ever played (Ultima Online); although having played through the game approximately ten times from start to finish, I can be pretty certain I still haven't read all 800,000 brilliant words penned into the game's script.
Additionally, it probably isn't necessarily the most challenging, compulsive, or even outright fun game I've ever played. But this is a title which truly inspired my emotions, and captured my imagination. The game which was noted by the New York Times for a level of detail and quality of written text that "prompted some players to cast about for literary peers."
Outstandingly unique, intelligently comedic, and incomparably atmospheric; the masterpiece I'm talking about is Black Isle Studio's Planescape: Torment. Feelings of love, of loss, and of determination and fascination are associated to the mere recollection of the game's name. This is a game which truly influenced my life, the game was released in 1999 and its philosophical themes and thought-provoking dialogue were partially my inspiration, after a life-time of studying pure science, for choosing a typically arts-related subject - Philosophy - as my university degree back in 2001.
The main story-line, the self-discovery of an immortal who only suffers the symptoms of amnesia where a normal man would encounter death, acts as a solid overcoat to the true beauty at the heart of the game - the engrossing artistic tangle of sub-plots, metaphors, expression, and imaginative themes. One such recurring story node is central to this, the brutally profound effect which the protagonist's many lives have had on the individuals who have come and gone in the PS:T universe.
For those who get sucked in PS:T is a game which will cause the thinker to challenge his very perception of the real world, and will shortly after lighten the mood with base-level tongue-in-cheek humour - not dissimilar to the dialogs in Fallout and Fallout 2 with which PS:T shared much of its development team. Much to the credit of lead developer (read: creative coordinator) Chris Avellone, the interweaving of the graphical design, musical score and novel-like finesse of the game produces something that is more emotionally immersive than anything else synthetic I've come across.
A towering juggernaut of a man with the complexion of a corpse, The Nameless One awakens on a mortuary slab with no memories, a splitting headache, and what appears to be a message from himself tattooed onto his back in paranoid verse. His quest then begins, to discover who he is, where he was, and why he is immortal. To begin with his only aid comes in the form of a floating skull named Morte, who seems to be happy to tag along for reasons unknown. But whilst being helpful, this comically-inclined disembodied head-case shies away from what seems to be the important questions with sarcastic humour, and personality flaws which he blatantly acts-up. As the story progresses it appears clear that his hidden identity is heavily intertwined with The Nameless One's past.
The original TSR designed setting of Planescape certainly played no small part in the uniqueness that the game offered. The setting is so all encompassing, so oblique, and so finely detailed that its difficult even to summarize. The planes are basically a whole load of universes - one such universe, which is scoffed at by those who dwell on the planes - is the prime material plane, which is where all your tedious AD&D adventures such as those encountered in Baldur's Gate take place.
The more interesting of the planes are outer planes, these are the places represented by the nine types of alignment modelled in the AD&D world - Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Good, all that jazz. True neutral is represented by the plane of the Outlands, and within the centre of the outlands is an infinitely tall spire, at the top of which is a surrounding doughnut-shaped object. On the inside walls of this impossible shape is the city of Sigil; called the city of doors because it is here in the centre of everything where all the weird and marvellous creatures and creations of the planes come together. This is where the game Planescape: Torment begins, on a stone slab, down in the lower-basement level of the mortuary, in one of the wards of said city.
Uniqueness and extremely well thought out personality depth define all seven of the player characters who can join The Nameless One's party, every one has a deep and rich history tangled within incarnations of The Nameless One's past. These stories are integrated throughout the game, but not least of all in that PS:T allowed you, unlike previous Black Isle games, to hold conversations with your party characters whenever you desire. These turned out to be very well conceived and often in-depth conversations which, if the right options were chosen throughout the conversation sequence, could massively affect your game - causing the character in question to experience stat gains, generate unique items, leave the party (permanently), or even attack the player.
The game is enriched by many imaginative and fascinating locations. One that jumps to mind are the halls of the Society of Sensation. A private membership faction who's pursuit of the aesthetic is such a powerful driving force in their life that members will go to great lengths to seek out new sensations. The Brothel of Intellectual Lust is likewise creatively designed - a place for men of high society to come and converse with a variety of female-ish creatures from across the planes, ran by a self-described "fallen" succubus who now abstains from stealing the souls of mortal men.
Aesthetically, PS:T would struggle to be more pleasing. Although the game is played in a frustratingly simplistic 2D isometric view, the graphical backgrounds and character models have been artistically crafted with care and with faith to the Planescape setting. The voice acting is absolutely top-notch, no line is too hammy. Instead the script is casually played out by actors with natural, localised accents - cockney being heavily featured. Furthermore, the game's music is close to perfect as well... unique, fitting, and very memorable. The mix of tribal and ambient tones make up the perfect accompaniment to a man's quest to find the nature of his existence.
If the game was still available for purchase, (it isn't) I'd recommend organ donation in order to acquire it. Planescape: Torment was quite simply a masterpiece. The culmination of several arts, the bringing together of a creative world; literary genius; inspired music; frequently black humour, and a sense of adventure like no other game before or after. Liberate yourself cutter.
Comments
Planescape: Torment is available via GameTap. Great article and tribute to a monumental game.
"I feel stronger" just reading this and letting the memories flow back. I will play through it again some time in the next year, as an evil character for the first time. I miss the 2D Infinity Engine and consider the 3D NWN engine to be a huge step back for style, playability, and atmosphere.
"Updated my journal". Every time anyone mentions anything about PS:T I hear the nameless one invoke that line.
Yes, yes, Torment is "intellectual", it's "well written".
Now when is someone going to say something about the broken gameplay, shallow RPG elements, tedious and watered down combat, borked game balancing and the shoddy second half of the entire game?
Come on folks.
GOG needs to sort out the licensing issues PRONTO. I want to part with $10 for another copy of this game.
I agree with Blasphemer, this is not a game, this is a freaking book, it is the "gaming"(if you can even call it that) equivalent of Harry Potter. I hate this game so much i once went to its Wikipedia page and everything that said "RPG, Role playing game, etc" i renamed to "Point and Click adventure game" because it has puzzles and text... and the combat sucks ass, come on, you can go threw the whole game with only going through one fight, ONE
If a game can be art, then this is it. One of the best games ever made, not really good as a game itself, but *perfect* as an interactive story that grips you, immerses you completely and makes you think. The character development was also superb since The Nameless One could end up being however you want him to be. Good. Evil. Chaotic. Lawful. And the ending. Oh, how I love the ending. The only game that ever made me feel emotions, and even have an impact on my thinking.
This should be mandatory to be played if you study Philosophy. Seriously. It's just that great.
JarlFrank, any RPG is not meant to be a work of art. RPGs are mainly about maths, combat, strategy, not fancy 20 minute long dialogs with very long words. Not only that, but the combat was shallow, easy, and, oh no, what combat? Lucradious is right, you can complete the game with one fight. THAT is the most pathetic thing in any RPG I have ever seen...ever.
So RPGs aren't meant to be works of art, and if you are wondering, there is only one game that is a work of art, Ico. Play it, you will like the game much better than PS:T.
Thank you Richard Nolan; PS:T is truly a forgotten gem. It's so good that words usually do not do it any justice. Thanks for this small piece of praise.
@Garf: If you want good storylines or philosophical works that make you think , go and read a book. Video games are not art and neither is PS:T. I've never played a game that is so unbelievably dull as Torment. All you do is read dialogue. That is it. There's no gameplay at all. Well, unless you count the tedious "whack-a-mole" combat as gameplay. I might sound a bit radical here, so bear with me: I play games for the gameplay and challenge. I don't play games to flog my intellectual dolphin and discuss philosophical concepts.
Planescape is a great game for literate people. Not many of them left. LOL to the guy who said Ico is a "better" game. I just spilled my manhattan all over my desk and you still made me break a smile.
PeanutButter'
You simply have a severe case of ADHD. Now go back to playing Titan Quest
I love how all the retards here back lashing at the "haters" dont have any retort, they are simply say "nuh-uh". It's because deep down they know we're right. Bazillion is barely a word. And so because he has good reasons he has ADHD? Phail.
Whatever. PS:T isn't so much an RPG as an epic tale you get to play in. Expecting "strategic combat" and "adherence to a strict ruleset" is quite besides the point.
PS:T is easily available on bittorrent. You'll have to do a bit of work to get it to play on XP, but well worth it if you're interested in the best story-driven RPG ever made.
Rich Nolan, did you finish your philosophy degree? How far did you go with it? What branch did you take?
@Smoove D
There is only one epic world you play in and that is the playboy mansion.
Games aren't art, the introductory level philosophy in Planescape: Torment is juvenile, sure, it's a good read, but it's not James Joyce or even Danielewski for that matter.
Quite frankly, it's pretentious and only enjoyable in the sense of the word "deep" by those who have not had the pleasure of indulging in more defining literature.
The above should be quoted for truth.
point is that PST, while no major work of art or philosophy (aren't they siblings anyways) manages to touch upon these good subjects without being pretentious or blatant about it while still presenting great characters and a deeply human story, in my opinion.
for those who think that combat is what makes any game a game well, no, that's pretty much idiotic. In torment's case, swimming in the beautiful sea that is the dialog and writing in that game is much more interesting. no one will deny the combat sucks, but at least the higher level spell animations were flashy to look at.
and it's not about being better or worse gamer (which in itself is ridiculous anyways) but enjoying what is presented, and criticise it for it shortcomings according to what it was meant to be.
of course a DnD game shouldn't be about combat, that's just idiotic apparently, since almost ALL of the actual PnPRPG it's based off of combat. Quite frankly this is a GREAT game simply because it's so easy because i can read, drink some tea. Do some clicking. Occasionally do a puzzle, rinse wash and repeat. But when the first battle came up in the game(ten seconds in) i got really sweaty and nervous. Then i got glad knowing that was the only fight i actually had to perform in the game to proceed. Now i feel like "swimming" in a pool of phail because apparently im supposed to enjoy this hideous game.
Anyone and everyone who thinks that RPGs are about combat and tactics please, for the love of God, stop posting.
RPGs are about the ability to direct your own tale - that may involve combat, it may not... but the ability to define your ROLE in the world is what makes an RPG.
The fact that the game can be played with only one battle if you so wish is one of the biggest indicators the game is an RPG.
Anyone who says otherwise... you're more than welcome to go post your thoughts at RPGCodex or a site like No Mutants Allowed... see how well accepted your 'reasoning' is. :P
What can change the nature of a man?
I think PS:T was the only game to ever make me think long and hard about the meaning (and possible answer) of a question.
Also the only game to make me shed a tear. Cmon the end was sad!
let's start a petition for planescape 2 , hopefully before it ends up with fallout 3. i lack the skills to make a site about it.
or we could actually try to find enough people to make a fan made torment 2.
and kids ....
rpg = role play game, it's about story and atmosphere , not fight, slash and loot. much less the looks of female characters, just take your hand from your pants for a sec and use the other head
@Glen: Yes, oh yes that lovely question presented to is the only time in my rather extensive computer gaming history (besides The Witcher) where I actually stopped to think about what the "right" anwser would be in terms of exp rewards and such, but instead of what I personally think.
My answer was "Regret".
Planescape torment was absolutely the best game ever made in my opinion.. it almost makes wow as a Popcap game in story background and role playing...
the response to this article is hilarious!
here you have a beautiful, mesmerizing game which stands out above the crowd. And it's being criticized for absolutley moronic reasons that will stand out above another crowd i can think of....
"the combat, the combat!"
"too many words"
i want to express my thanks to black isle studios for emphasising on conversation, storyline and (god forbid) role-playing over combat and tactics, if for nothing else, just to deter idiots like these away from such a gem.
and why can't a game be art?
a film, song, story or image is considered art, yet a medium that contains all four of these is not?
try telling designers and developers that there games do not constitute art
and the ability to complete the game with apparently only one battle is amazing level design, you're not forced to play this way and that is the point.... choice! it's choices like these that are used as major selling points for RPGs that can pull it off
This game changed my life(seriously), at least the philosophical aspect of it. The power of "BELIEVE"!
For those on the issue of combat...I think you are just too into the Diablo style RPG, I mean Diablo is great and all, but much more hack n slash...which you guys like eh?
Good summary.
PS:T is one of the best games ever made imho. Ten years later and we have WoW. It is sad because this showed that games could be so much more than just a mindless distraction.
What can change the nature of a man?
Planescape Torment isn't a game? It's more like a book, an interactive novel? Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the video game, whether art or entertainment is the only medium that is defined by interactivity. In other words, an interactive novel is still a game, and not a book.
The text in the game is part of the gameplay - it might feel unusual just because it plays a larger role than in most games even within the CRPG genre, but it is still interactive, and helps to shape the story that the gamer experiences. If you want to target a game that borrows text in a non-interactive context look at Lost Odyssey, or for a more obvious example of blatant genre crossing, the Metal Gear franchise.
And why a video game can't be considered a work of art is beyond me PeanutButter, when titles of a similar nature in other mediums (say Watchmen for e.g. within the comic medium) have been typified so. Of course you'd have to turn to your own definitions of art, but art to me is any piece of work that gives a lasting impression, and Planescape on a personal level most definitely delivers.
It's so rare in a game to have a story so naturally told on a purely gaming level (and not as a pseudo videogame/film such as Metal Gear or Final Fantasy) with characters as effecting as they are. Having discussed the game with other people, despite the outcome of the game being entirely linear, the characters to each of us were painted variably, depending on what choices we made, or what we did or didn't discover.
This is one of the medium's greatest potentials for developing worlds that are essentially shaped by individual experience, a feat that can most effectively be achieved in an interactive environment - i.e. the video game - so to deny Planescape Torment the title of video game is slightly perplexing.
Sure, the combat is heavily flawed (to my knowledge the fighter class seems the only one worth pursuing), the graphics have become dated, and the second half of the game is significantly inferior to the first. But put enough effort in, and this game keeps giving back in spades regardless. All works of art are in someway inherently flawed, and Planescape's cracks are at times larger than should be, but credit must be given where credit is due to an exemplary of the title flawed masterpiece.
I applaud to every line except the one stating that the Baldur's Gate games were tedious. I'm probably a fool for this, but I don't think some work needs to be thoroughly intellectualised to be commendable and enjoyable.
Anyway, Planescape is also a timeless achievement and benchmark in storytelling for me.
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