"1982-2001 ...and the winner is?!?!?!?"

...Planescape: Torment. I've been playing video games since I was 4 years old ('82) when I got an Atari 2600. Since then, I've played tons of games on almost everything and anything considered to be a gaming device. So, mid-January of 2001 I arrived at home with 4 brand new PC games to tackle for a bit. It's now late March. 3 of those 4 PC games still have plastic wrapping on them. 1 of those PC games actually has another commercial copy sitting beside it. That game(s) is what I consider to be gaming's crowning achievement.

When video games first arrived, they were simple programs designed to entertain and have fun with. Later they became industrialized showcases of technology, oftentimes forgetting their roots and purpose. Some succeeded, some failed. Now with such scrutiny placed on the gaming business today, developers and publishers are under the gun to produce something new, entertaining, compelling and fun. In 1999, Black Ilse delivered a bombshell.

Planescape: Torment (P:T) excels graciously as a sensual experience disguised as a video game. The single most overwhelming part of P:T is it's story and immersion. Never before have I been so captivated and enthralled. The tale within P:T easily destroys anything Hollywood has or can create. It is role-playing in a true sense, oftentimes deviating from standard RPG elements and implementations (and succeeding immaculately).

Story-

Nothing I can say will persuade, prepare or protect you. You’re dropped into lion’s den of a world filled with the most awesome settings and characters you’ve ever met. The problem is, you can’t remember anything. You will discover the world as the character in true RPG style. The story and writing in P:T represent the pinnacle of human creativity. It smites Baldur's Gate. It destroys the revelation of 'The Matrix'. Lewis Carroll and Salvidor Dali's spirits are comforting each other. Stephen King is sweating the lead that will make the bullets and if you're jaw dropped when Bruce Willis discovered he was dead, have 911 ready on your speed dial. The characters, story and character's stories will have you spellbound.

Characters-

Get ready. They’re weird, funny and scary- and they’re out there. A hilarious floating skull, a philosophical zen-warrior, a beautiful thief with an Irish accent (and a tail), a gorgeous succubus whose has given up sex, a mage condemned to burn for eternity, a self animated suit of armor, a programmable robot companion, a giant philosophical iron golem, a man with a shape-shifting head, rats that combine their mental power to roast you with hardcore spellcasting, factions and factions of weirdos, dragons, planeswalkers and even items with personalities. The list goes on. The most important difference between P:T’s characters and other games, is that they never become human shields for your main character (ehem!…Baldur’s Gate). They all have unique situations and stories and you WILL have feelings for them eventually. After learning Dak’kon’s entire story, you’ll lay down a level 6 ass-whuppin on any thug that even looks at him the wrong way.

Graphics-

640x480. Infinity Engine. Large characters. Let none of these compliments or complaints deter you. The in-game graphics are extremely well done. Characters are large, colorful and detailed. Spell animations are top-notch, sometimes resorting to cutscenes a la Final Fantasy. The backgrounds are artistic masterpieces. The places you visit in the game are alien, unncanny and outstandingly detailed. Everything from character stat screens to your journal and map screen are touched with the lovely looks of the Gigeresque theme of P:T. You'll be flipping through the photographic character compendium like you were at the Louve. The cutscenes are all delicious. A few good words would be; polished, refined and captivating (of course, this refers to how well some of the nastier scenes are portrayed as well. Think ''human soup''.)

Sound-

You're party talks. The NPC's talk. If you jump into a battle you'll hear battle music. If someone smacks you in the head with a club, you'll hear it. One on your character's special abilities is to the verbally taunt other characters. The voice-acting (and I hear there are some celebrities here) is amazing. When you’re in a bar or a market, the conglomerate chatter is very lifelike and occasionally someone will yell above the crowd and crack you up. Very ambient, very exciting, very subtle, very funny, very sad, very mysterious, very immersive. You get the idea.

Gameplay-

Standard RPG interfacing and customization over an AD&D skeleton gets the job done. Your main goal is to discover who you are. You cannot be killed by conventional methods. You will simply reanimate with no penalties whatsoever (I know this sounds lame, but trust me, Black Ilse knows what they’re doing). Dying is very instrumental, however, and can be used to get through certain puzzles and traps (especially ones that you set for yourself -???- believe me it just keeps getting better). Also try killing yourself in front of a few people and see what happens. Although fighting takes the backseat to intelligent conversation and exploration (you’ll receive tons of experience points through conversations alone), there just seems to be some moments (and characters) that won’t respond to reason. P:T allows you to choose your alignment through your actions- it is not predetermined. Also, your stats are a major factor in how the entire gaming world responds to you and how you can approach each of the numerous quests. It’s extremely well thought out and affords any player with any style an honest chance at completing the game. It’s a good movie, a good novel and a good game in one box. P:T is very texty, but extremely rewarding. There have been some bugs, but that’s what patches are for. Absolutely must be played.

There is no excuse for missing out on this game. I guarantee that it will be one of the greatest games you’ll ever play. This game has raised the bar so high, it gives me a nosebleed just thinking about it. Go get Planescape: Torment now. Most stores now sell it for $9.99 to $19.99. There’s just no reason not to.
“There cannot be two skies”

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/29/01, Updated 03/29/01