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Planescape: Torment

I haven't been this surprised by or happy with a game in some time. I thought Baldur's Gate was brilliant, but this game is even better. As much as I like typical fantasy role-playing games, this one has so much more to offer. The world is innovative, the storyline is compelling, and the air of mystery just makes you want to keep playing so you can uncover more and more details. Bottom Line: Take everything good about Baldur's Gate, improve it, then add a mysterious and compelling storyline and you have Planescape Torment.

Jednym słowem ludziom z Black Isle udało się stworzyć grę o życiu. Życiu bardzo dziwnym, bo toczącym się na granicy egzystencji, na granicy dwóch światów, jakimi są śmierć i życie. Jeśli chcecie wiedzieć, jak szuka się własnej tożsamości w fantastycznym i brutalnym świecie, to Torment jest grą w sam raz dla Was. Gorąco Polecam!

The interface is wonderful. The only problem I experienced with Torment was the occasional slow-down, easily fixed by exiting the game and reloading it. Other than that minor problem, one I'm sure will be fixed in a future patch, Torment is the pinnacle of role-playing experience. It has an amazing plot, great gameplay, breathtaking visuals, and awesome aurals. You Must Buy This Game. Now. I don't care if you don't like AD&D, which it's based on, or didn't like Baldur's Gate. Torment is THE RPG of 1999, and will probably reign for a good bit of 2000.

Planescape is very, very special. Some might say it's too bizarre and weird, but I found it a refreshingly deep and thoughtful interlude in an otherwise cookie-cutter world of Samegaming™. There's much more to this game than I have described, so many locations and creatures, quests and odd dialogues that it would take 10 reviews to cover them all. There's the sound design, the writing, the cutscenes, the voice acting, all of it top-notch, first-rate. For the hardcore AD&D gamer who loves nothing more than to carefully gauge each move based on that famously complex system, there is plenty to chew on. For those, like me, who just want a great gaming experience, there is little to compare to this game. Fallout 2. Morrowind. Even those towering achievements don't approach the sheer imaginative scope and depth of Planescape Torment.

From the moment the first frames of Planescape: Torment's introductory sequence splashed onto my screen, and in the days which then became weeks of incessant playing that followed, there was a nagging feeling that I had visited this place sometime before. And then it finally hit me: the setting, the mood, the characters, the dialogue - in fact nearly everything to do with this game - had taken me back twenty years ago to the time that I read Gene Wolfe's The Shadow of the Torturer. Black Isle Studios had done it again. For reasons that held meaning only for me (and you may find your own reasons); they had made a game I will never forget.

Interplay hat sich in den letzten Jahren zu einer wahren Goldgrube für Rollenspielfans entwickelt: Baldurs Gate und die beiden Fallout-Spiele gehören zu den absoluten Topspielen des Genres. Jetzt doppelt der Hersteller nach und liefert mit Planescape: Torment ein Rollenspiel, das an die Komplexität von Klassiker wie „Pool of Radiance“ heranreicht und eine ausgesprochen neuartige Spielwelt bietet: Statt durch Fantasywelten oder Science-Fiction Szenarios bewegen Sie sich durch eine Welt, auf die der Ausdruck „krank“ vielleicht noch am ehesten zutrifft.

I was mildly shocked when Interplay's Black Isle division announced the development of Planescape Torment. Having been an avid pen and paper "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" player since early adolescence, I was fairly confident they had bitten off more than they could chew. To my knowledge, no one had ever developed a computer role-playing game set in the Planescape realm, and considering the scope behind such an effort, I was certain it was doomed to fail. One of the unwritten rules of the pen and paper sect is that to have a successful campaign based in Planescape, your party and dungeon master have to be either highly experienced or very naive. A lot of newbies are attracted to the realm of gods and gateways, and due to Planescape's built-in complexities and general weirdness, most games played by non-experts fail horribly. Therefore, when I heard it was being brought to the computer screen, I didn't have a lot of hope.

Take a huge universe with limitless options in the way of creatures and actions. Add to that a rule set that covers every happening in the game. Sprinkle with some excellent story and humor elements. Stir in hardcore RPG trimmings. Let simmer in the Baldur's Gate engine. What you end up with is a feast of a game called Planescape: Torment. If Baldur's Gate wasn't the best RPG to date, as some people say, then Planescape just might take that crown.

Planescape: Torment is without a doubt one of the best RPG games ever made for the PC. It has one of the most involving stories you will find in an RPG, especially one for the PC. The dialogue is superbly written, on the level of fantasy novels and the old Infocom classics. The combat is fairly simple, and although it offers a good amount of options, can be resolved 9 times out of 10 by either running away or mindless hacking and slashing. You will still want to make use of some of the spells just to see the amazing spell animations. Because the abilities of your character and the choices you make earlier have an impact on the story later on and change the way the story unfolds, you may find yourself restarting this game after you've finished to try different options.

And so, where does that leave us in terms of an overall suggestion for the game? When Black Isle released Baldur?s Gate, it enveloped the souls and minds of many gamers that played it, willingly or unwillingly, for months unend. The experience cap was detrimentary; but a few clever people (I pay homage to them now just like I did in the Baldur?s Gate review) removed the limit; that got many people dubbed cheaters, but as I said, there are also people that think AD&D is a form of Satanism. There is no more experience cap in Torment, so those seeking to make an extremely powerful character can, easily. If anything, we should only hope that the expansion packs (should there be any) would be just a bit better than Tales of the Sword Coast? in any case, Planescape: Torment is a yet another astounding title out the doors of the Black Isle factory, and is well worth your jink, as Planescapers would say.

Je moet zo geconcentreerd met het spel bezig zijn dat het is alsof je er zelf staat. Als je niet het geduld hebt om al deze zaken aan te leren of ellenlange gesprekken te lezen, laat deze klassieker-in-wording dan voor wat hij is en reageer je stress af in een 3D-shooter. Planescape Tornment is een schitterend spel voor de gevorderde gamer! Amen.

While the game forgoes the multiplayer aspects of Baldur's Gate, this is no great loss. With so many different ways to get through the game, it's likely that many players will go back through just to see the alternate solutions and discover some of the secrets they may have missed. When it comes right down to it, this game is a masterpiece of roleplaying - the dialogue is some of the most well-written of any RPG, the environments are varied and downright enthralling, the spell effects are mind-blowing, and the story contains some of the most inventive, unique characters players will ever have in a party. Whether or not you're a hard-core fan of RPGs, Torment is a must-have.

The thought, effort and design that went into Torment must have been tremendous. The game is a stunning work of art, full of creativity and originality. It is faithful to the rules of both AD&D and Planescape yet bends them enough to make for a different experience for hardcore veterans without ruining the game. Everything from the storyline to the music is just … right. Black Isle has definitely achieved that magical mix that every developer tries for in every game.

Planescape: Torment is based in the AD&D (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons) world of Planescape. The best-known AD&D world is arguably the Tolkien-esque Forgotten Realms, a medieval-type universe where Dragons run wild, Wizards wield powerful magic, and Elves are in constant strife with the Orcs. The Forgotten Realms has developed extensively over the years and is now more or less defined. If you were to ever join an AD&D campaign, chances are good that it will take place in the Forgotten Realms. Planescape, on the other hand, is one of the least popular worlds due to its sheer complexity, where virtually anything and everything can happen.

Interplay has been doing pretty well with RPGs for the last few years. First they managed to weather a pretty nasty battle with Steve Jackson over the GURPS license, stay on schedule (well, mostly on schedule) and release Fallout, one of the best roleplaying titles to ever hit store shelves. After the loss of Fallout's Lead Designer, Tim Cain (who has gone on to form Troika Games w/ several other members of the original Fallout team), Interplay proved that they still had what it took to make a great adventure with the release of Fallout 2 (although rumor has it that Cain was very involved with the project before he left Interplay), another stellar RPG. One month later, the company showed off BioWare's Baldur's Gate, an out of house project that many consider to be the best roleplaying game of all time.

Planescape: Torment proves that it is possible to make an inventive, fun and refreshing game in this "sea of clones". Creating a computer edition of Planescape system is another triumph for Black Isle Studios.

The cold awakens you. It is a strain to open your eyes. You feel terrible, like you've been through a meat grinder, yet at the same time you feel strangely refreshed. Squinting a bit, you move your head to look around you. Your body lies on a metal table, scarred and mutilated, surrounded by other corpses. In various states of decay and dissection, those other bodies lack your audacity to try and get up again. They lie still, in uncaring death.

Another Stonking RPG from the boys that gave us Baldurs Gate? Well if they follow the same formula then they are sorted and They can expect a very high recommendation from me! I loved Baldurs Gate, It may have come on 5 CD’s but that’s not too bad when the gameplay, storyline and graphics are as good as they were!

Но такие частности общей картины не меняют — если вы, наигравшись в BG, хотели "такую же игру, но другую", то P:T подходит вам идеально. С одной, правда, оговоркой — принцип ограниченной генерации персонажа. А по игре получилось как бы то же самое, но отличающееся от простого сиквела. В данный момент BI заняты изготовлением Baldur's Gate 2, но после просмотра P:T я понял — гораздо лучше им было бы заняться ролевиками на разные темы. Этот прекрасный пример тому подтверждение. Лучшая RPG 1999 года, однозначно.

Abgedrehte Monsterhatz mit epischen Ausmaß für untote Gamer. Das Rollenspiel der Jahrtausendwende!

Interplay sitter idag i stort sett ensamma på den europeiska och amerikanska RPG-tronen. CRPG av den västerländska skolan blir populärare för var dag. Baldur's Gate har (hittills) sålts i över en miljon exemplar, och Planescape kommer nog att tilltala en stor skara det också. Den enda konkurenten i år ser, ironiskt nog, ut att bli Baldurs Gate II, med en brasklapp för ett annat AD&D-spel - Pool of Radiance II. Gillar du RPG så SKA du i alla fall köpa Planescape: Torment. Du kommer inte att bli besviken, det lovar jag.

Planescape Torment is a top notch RPG through and through. With a wonderful aesthetic and engaging story players have a lot of too enjoy in this title, and possibly a lot of sleep to lose too as they play into the wee hours lost in its world.

Planescape: Torment delivers an engrossing tale of identity, mortality and discovery in a bizarre, fantastic setting. Clearly, a great choice for those seeking to role-play and watch their character develop.

L'après Baldur's Gate arrive en fanfare avec ce jeu de rôle surprenant et passionnant. Quand on sait que Black Isle n'est pas prêt de s'arrêter sur sa lancée des jeux de rôle haute qualité, on ne peut qu'attendre la suite en trépignant.

Torment is a traditional role-playing game with an uncommonly detailed story and first-rate graphics and sound. It's set in the complex and interesting Advanced Dungeons & Dragons universe of Planescape, which is a patchwork of wildly different dimensions surrounding a sprawling city that connects them together. In Torment, you play as a nameless character who cannot die and cannot remember his past, and in uncovering his origin, you'll experience one of the year's most fascinating games.

Ich bringe mich in Teufels Küche, wenn ich Ihnen das erzähle - aber ich habe, anstatt mit dem Schreiben dieses Artikels zu beginnen, lieber noch ein paar Stündchen Planescape: Torment gespielt. Ernsthaft: Durch sein einzigartiges Szenario erinnert Torment mich sogar eher an Fallout als an ein klassisches AD&D-Spiel - sicherlich kein Fehler. Dazu kommt die hervorragende Präsentation: Wer braucht den 3D-Karten-Einheitslook, wenn handgemalte oder meinetwegen auch -gerenderte Figuren und Hintergründe so schmuck aussehen? Dazu bietet die Flut von Quests Stoff für mehrere Wochenenden. Allein das dauernde Nachladen geht mir etwas auf den Zeiger. Dennoch: Wenn Sie Planescape: Torment nicht spielen, entgeht Ihnen einer der besten Titel des ausgehenden 20. Jahrhunderts.

Een afwijkende, zeer originele en subliem in elkaar stekende RPG. Sfeervol, rijk aan diepgang en met genoeg aktie en magie om zowel de hardcore AD&D liefhebbers als de Diablo fans te plezieren. En voor de Baldur's Gate aanhang is dit natuurlijk verplichte kost. Hebbuh!

Joillekin muistot ovat ikuista kidutusta, jota ei pääse koskaan pakoon. Joitain jää jäytämään kun filmi pätki millenniumina. Paikallisesta raatokylmiöstä havahtuvalla Planescape: Tormentin sankarilla pätkii niin pahasti, että edessä on seikkailu, jossa etsitään tyystin kadonnutta minuutta ja menneisyyttä.

Planescape is een mooie game. Dat valt meteen op, vooral aan de achtergronden is ongelooflijk veel aandacht besteed. De karakters zijn ook met zeer veel details gemaakt. Helaas is het camerapunt wat dichterbij dan in BG wat een aantal technische problemen geeft, maar ook bijvoorbeeld de selectieronden worden hierdoor nogal lelijk. Er zijn ook dingen die bijna perfect zijn geregeld in PT, zoals je journal. Een van de laatste leuke dingen in PT is dat je alles zelf in de hand hebt. Je maakt jezelf niet door een character generation maar door je acties in het spel.

Avez-vous déjà remarqué à quel point les histoires d’amnésiques ont du succès ? On se choisit un héros mystérieux, on l’imagine au centre d’un vaste complot, tellement complexe que même quelqu’un qui jouirait de toutes ses facultés aurait un mal de tête rien que d’y penser, et on lui fait perdre la mémoire. De nombreux films, romans ou bandes dessinées se sont essayés à cet exercice de style qui perd chaque année un peu plus de son originalité mais qui reste un indémodable multi-genre. Planescape : Torment s’inscrit dans cette grande famille de jeu pour amnésique, et s’est d’emblée imposé sur le trône du chef de file.

Ein Untoter auf der Suche nach sich selbst. Die Macher von Baldur's Gate schicken Sie auf einen Rollenspiel-Horror-Trip der besonderen Art. Woher wir kommen, ist für viele von uns weniger interessant, als wohin wir gehen, wenn das Leben endet. Für die Bewohner des Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Multiversums ist die Frage nach der Ewigkeit deutlich einfacher: Wer in einer der Rollenspielwelten den Löffel abgibt, gelangt ins Planescape-Reich, genauer gesagt nach Sigil, in die Stadt der Toten.

Torment is een origineel rollenspel met een boeiend verhaal, uitstekende graphics en een beklemmende sfeer. De onhandige interface en de onvermijdelijke bugs doen weinig af van het speelplezier.

Hardcore-Rollenspieler, die gerne haufenweise Informationen über völlig fremdartige Spielwelten konsumieren, werden Torment heiraten wollen. Morbides Szenario, frische Monster, irre Partymitglieder, magische Tätowierungen sowie das Dialog-und Rätsel-lastige Spielprinzip wirken gleichermaßen irritierend wie inspirierend. Der Haken: Planescape Torment geht an einem Großteil der Spieler vorbei. Trotz einer automatischen Quest-Buchführung droht der Informations-Overflow. Komplexität und Schwierigkeitsgrad kratzen am oberen Ende der Skala, während die Präsentation sich mit Mittelmaß bescheidet. Nach einigen arg anstrengenden Anfangsstunden bin ich mit Torment dann doch noch richtig warm geworden. Wer Rollenspiele lieber leicht zugänglich und kampflastig mag, ist aber fehl am Platz.

While many of the individual parts of this game are merely average, the whole comes together to create a wonderful experience. The game highlights its good points to such a degree that the average points can easily be ignored. In spite of it being based on an existing setting and using an engine from another game, Interplay and Black Isle Studios have truly created a unique experience in Planescape: Torment, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone with a decent PC.

An original, epic, adult RPG that is gritty, extreme, emotionally enticing, and uniquely memorable.

We all know by now about Black Isle and what they've done to bring TSR BACK among the leaders in computer role playing with Baldur's Gate. Torment is another product using the game system of the guys who invented role playing. The original PlaneScape system was released as a pencil and paper rpg game by TSR a few years ago, and had a lot of fresh new ideas for gaming, but just didn't take off too well. I was quite surprised to see them push the rules (which are essentially the same as the AD&D second edition rules) in a computer game this soon (if ever)... but they seem to have a winning combination with Black Isle. The Premise: you wake up on a slab in the middle of a mortuary, with no idea of where you are, or even who you are. You are zombieville... covered with scars and stitches, and tattoo's all over your body, providing the only link you currently possess to your past.

From a role-playing aspect, the quests and interrelationships between the various characters is fascinating to uncover. But here again, I think the mainstream gamer will get bored quickly with all the question and answer sessions with everyone in the various places you visit. If you really liked Baldur's Gate, or I should say the interface and overall gameplay style, then give this title a try. The graphics are enough to make it a good addition to any collection. However, if you consider yourself to be a mainstream gamer who was attracted to the popularity of Baldur's Gate, then perhaps you should hold off until the actual sequel, Baldur's Gate II is released. The game is more good than bad, but I would be surprised if it appeals to an audience beyond the hardcore role player. It earns an above average 3 1/2 GiN Gems.

Beaucoup trop bavard (même si une part belle est faite à l'humour, de préférence noir) et pas assez "action", Planescape Torment est un jeu qui satisfera avant tout les littéraires et autres amoureux des énigmes basées sur les dialogues et la psychologie. Dommage que l'univers des plans soit aussi oppressant et monotone à la longue...

Um dos pontos mais decepcionantes está ligado à falta de diálogos falados no game, que pode gerar muito estresse ao jogador impaciente e, até afastar quem não está acostumado com o universo de D&D. Há um enorme número de conversas que precisam ser feitas no mundo bizarro de Planescape, mas, infelizmente, não há vozes para todos os personagens. Imagine a decepção de encontrar uma série incontável de outros seres a ver apenas um quadro com múltiplas opções de perguntas e respostas, sem nenhum ruído. Só para complicar ainda mais as coisas, os quatro CDs contêm diálogos em inglês... Se você realmente for fã de RPG e tiver uma paciência de filósofo, Planescape é uma boa pedida.

I was hoping for an immersive, no holds barred life and death quester here, but what I got instead was a flat series of meaningless quests supported by thin characters and endless, flavorless dialogue. If you haven’t got anything else to play, this one will kill a few hours, but don’t expect the fantasy experience that TSR has come to represent.