"This a truly stellar ground-breaking RPG set in the AD&D Planescape setting."

Since I wrote a FAQ/Walkthrough for Planescape: Torment (hereafter just Torment), I felt that I should probably give it a review as well. Let me just say that this game is perfect for any fan of CRPGs (Computer Role-Playing Games), especially those of you who are more interested in plot and character development instead of the simple hack 'n' slash style of play. I've played all of Interplay's other recent RPG releases (Fallout, Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate), and I must say that Torment is my favorite.

PLOT: 10

The story in Torment is more intriguing and more tightly scripted than any other game I have encountered. All of the main characters are clearly defined and, depending on how you play and what you do, can evolve over the course of the game. Each is intricately woven into the plot and is not just, "Hey, we need an attractive female archer-type to bump into the main party in the forest section." There is an unprecedented level of depth and richness in the story-telling, so much so that even after having beaten the game four or five times, you can still go back and play it several different ways and discover new things. I'm a sucker for a good story, especially after some of the tired old ones that keep getting recycled: You are a lone wandering warrior who travels from land to land improving his fighting skills by challenging the very best in the world; unfortunately, there is some great evil demon/mad scientist/gang leader who wants to rule the world.

GAMEPLAY: 6.5

Torment's engine is a modified version of the Baldur's Gate engine. The view is closer and more zoomed-in, giving the characters more definition. The interface is a simple point-and-click, but there are convenience issues with the oftimes clunky right-click pop-up menu. Also, there are tons of glitches with the Autopause feature and spell targeting. There is also a really annoying slowdown bug that crops up after you play for a couple of hours straight (I guess the lesson here is "Get a life."). Without the annoying bugs, I would have rated the engine at 8. Hopefully, these problems will be cleared up with an update patch.

EYE CANDY: 9

As previously mentioned, the view in Torment is more zoomed-in than in Baldur's Gate. This lends a lot of depth and design to the characters. Each of the characters also has a wide array of actions and movements that are very fluid (Who could forget the Grace stretching animation?). There is a huge assortment of different character and monster models in Torment, which is a tremendous improvement over Baldur's Gate. I really like the fact that each of your party members looks totally different than anyone else. Baldur's Gate may have started something very fresh and innovative, but Torment takes it to an entirely different plane of existence (ha ha).

EAR CANDY: 8

The sound is pretty good in Torment and there is plenty of recorded dialogue that really enhances the game. Also, they got some recognizable voice talent which is a huge plus. The music is above-average fare, but some of the numbers are really nice, especially Deionarra's theme. There's nothing truly outstanding here (except perhaps Deionarra's theme), but everything is well above the norm in terms of quality and the abundance of dialogue is a welcome addition.

OVERALL: 9

Is this game worth buying, glitches and all? Definitely. This really is one of the better games I've played in quite some time. After playing too many games like Tekken 3 and Unreal Tournament, you need to take a break and play a thinking man's game. This game is a must for all CRPG fans; and if you ever get stuck, there's a great FAQ/Walkthrough out there for your reading pleasure. ;)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/11/00, Updated 01/11/00