Planescape Torment is truly special.
When I played it for the first time, it was already "a classic" and more than 10 years old. Yet, it felt fresh and new and completely floored me with everything it had to offer.
The party members are some of the deepest and most compelling characters I ever had the pleasure of getting to know.
The eerie setting and atmosphere with its sense of mystery, adventure, poetry and philosophy simply blew me away. It manages to buck every single trope and convention that has ever been conceived in (esp. tolkienesque) fantasy fiction. And it does so effortlessly and without even explicitly trying to do that.
And on top of all that, this game gifted me with my favorite "magic moment" I have ever experienced in any medium ever. I cried during that moment. And not out of joy or sadness. I cried because I was so overwhelmed with the serene beauty and gratification of this one moment and how every single fiber of this game lore, setting and storytelling were woven together and intertwined to create this exact moment.
With this game, the Black Isle Studios and Chris Avellone built a monument not only to the power of storytelling, but also to the ability video games have of utilizing that power.
And it is for these reasons, and many more, that this is my absolute favorite video game of all time, as well as my favorite story out of any piece of fiction I have ever consumed in my entire life.
And even now, more than 20 years after its initial release, Planescape: Torment has lost none of its toppling radiance. Not even visually.
This game is one congealed triumph.
11/10
.
.
.
make it 12/10.
When I played it for the first time, it was already "a classic" and more than 10 years old. Yet, it felt fresh and new and completely floored me with everything it had to offer.
The party members are some of the deepest and most compelling characters I ever had the pleasure of getting to know.
The eerie setting and atmosphere with its sense of mystery, adventure, poetry and philosophy simply blew me away. It manages to buck every single trope and convention that has ever been conceived in (esp. tolkienesque) fantasy fiction. And it does so effortlessly and without even explicitly trying to do that.
And on top of all that, this game gifted me with my favorite "magic moment" I have ever experienced in any medium ever. I cried during that moment. And not out of joy or sadness. I cried because I was so overwhelmed with the serene beauty and gratification of this one moment and how every single fiber of this game lore, setting and storytelling were woven together and intertwined to create this exact moment.
With this game, the Black Isle Studios and Chris Avellone built a monument not only to the power of storytelling, but also to the ability video games have of utilizing that power.
And it is for these reasons, and many more, that this is my absolute favorite video game of all time, as well as my favorite story out of any piece of fiction I have ever consumed in my entire life.
And even now, more than 20 years after its initial release, Planescape: Torment has lost none of its toppling radiance. Not even visually.
This game is one congealed triumph.
11/10
.
.
.
make it 12/10.
3 Comments
Okay I have to ask, what moment are you talking about?
For me personally, I can vividly remember many sublime moments from Torment, but the first thing that will ever come to mind will always be TNO experiencing Deionarra's thoughts in the sensory stone, but I can see anyone having a different favourite with a story so emotionally and magically rich.
For me personally, I can vividly remember many sublime moments from Torment, but the first thing that will ever come to mind will always be TNO experiencing Deionarra's thoughts in the sensory stone, but I can see anyone having a different favourite with a story so emotionally and magically rich.
Yeah, Deionarra's thoughts are extremely powerful and very high up in my book as well, but I actually mean the moment when you open the Bronze Sphere at the end of the game and, after this beautiful piece of text, remember your true name.
I think the way that this moment is built up and how it reinforces the major themes of the game is just so magnificent.
And it hit me even harder, because I discovered it all by myself due to pure gut feeling. I carried the Bronze Sphere with me throughout the entire game, tried opening it several times and, on a hunch, tried it one final time inside the fortress of regrets.
It was just so powerful and beautiful to me :'-)
I think the way that this moment is built up and how it reinforces the major themes of the game is just so magnificent.
And it hit me even harder, because I discovered it all by myself due to pure gut feeling. I carried the Bronze Sphere with me throughout the entire game, tried opening it several times and, on a hunch, tried it one final time inside the fortress of regrets.
It was just so powerful and beautiful to me :'-)
Goldfield
3 years ago