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{{Infobox | image = Planescape-torment-box.jpg | developer = [[Black Isle Studios]] | publisher = [[Interplay Entertainment]] | designer = [[Chris Avellone]] (lead)<br />and others<ref name="credits">{{cite web |url= http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=19285&tab=credits |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' – Credits |publisher= [[Allgame]] |accessdate= March 19, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqxrBpmj |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> | engine = [[Infinity Engine|Infinity]] | version = 1.1 | released = [[December 12]], [[1999]]<br />'''GOG.com''':<br />[[September 28]], [[2010]] | genre = [[Role-playing game]], <br> [[Visual novel]] | modes = [[Single-player]] | ratings = {{Vgratings|ESRB=T|USK=12+|ELSPA=11+|OFLC=M}} | platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]] | media = [[CD-ROM]], [[DVD-ROM]] | requirements = ''Minimum'' * 200[[Hertz|MHz]] [[Central processing unit|CPU]] w/ [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]] * 32[[Megabyte|MB]] [[Random access memory|RAM]] * 4MB [[video card]] * 4X CD-ROM drive * [[DirectX]] 6.1 * 650MB available [[hard disk]] space * [[Windows 95]]/[[Windows 98|98]] | input = [[Computer keyboard|Keyboard]], Mouse }} '''''Planescape: Torment''''' is a [[visual novel]] [[role-playing game]] developed for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] by [[Black Isle Studios]] and released on December 12, [[1999]] by [[Interplay Entertainment]] and re-released as a digital download at [[GOG.com]] on [[September 28]], [[2010]]. It takes place in [[Planescape]], an ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (''AD&D'') [[fantasy]] [[Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings|campaign setting]]. The game's [[game engine|engine]] is a modified version of the [[Infinity Engine]], which was also used for [[BioWare]]'s ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'', a previous ''AD&D'' game set in the [[Forgotten Realms]]. ''Planescape: Torment'' is primarily story-driven; combat is given less prominence than in most contemporary role-playing games. The protagonist, known as The Nameless One, is an [[immortality|immortal]] who has lived many lives but has forgotten all about them, even forgetting his own name. The game focuses on his journey throughout the city of [[Sigil]] and other [[plane]]s to reclaim his memories of these previous lives. Several characters in the game may join The Nameless One on his journey, and most of these characters have encountered him in the past. The game was not a significant commercial success but received widespread critical praise and has since become a [[cult following|cult classic]]. It was lauded for its immersive dialogue, for the dark and relatively obscure Planescape setting, and for the protagonist's unique persona, which shirked many characteristics of traditional role-playing games. It was considered by many [[video game journalism|video game journalists]] to be the best role-playing game (RPG) of 1999, and continues to receive attention long after its release. ==Gameplay== ''Planescape: Torment'' is built on [[BioWare]]'s [[Infinity Engine]], which presents the player with a two-dimensional world in which [[player character]]s are controlled from an [[isometric projection|isometric perspective]].<ref name="gsreview">{{cite web |url= http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/planescapetorment/review.html |title= Planescape: Torment for PC Review |first= Greg |last= Kasavin |date= December 21, 1999 |publisher= [[GameSpot]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0mi |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="allgame overview">{{cite web |url= http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=19285&tab=overview |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Overview |first= Derek |last= Williams |publisher= [[Allgame]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqyChj0q |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> The game's rules are based on those of ''[[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition|Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]''.<ref name="gamestudies" /> Players take the role of "The Nameless One", an [[immortality|immortal]] being on a quest to learn why he cannot die.<ref name="gamepro" /> Exploration around the painted scenery is accomplished by clicking on the ground to move, or on objects and characters to interact with them.<ref name="pt manual">{{cite book |first= Matt |last= Norton |title= Planescape: Torment Instruction Manual |accessdate= March 17, 2009 |year= 1999 |publisher= [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] |location= Irvine, California }}</ref> [[Item (gaming)|Items]] and [[Magic of Dungeons & Dragons|spells]] may be employed through [[Keyboard shortcut|hotkeys]], "quick slots", or a [[Pie menu|radial menu]].<ref name="spyreview2" /> An alternative to armor is the use of magical [[tattoo]]s, which can be applied to The Nameless One and certain other characters to enhance their abilities.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |url= http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/circuits/articles/27game.html |title= A Universe Where Ideas Can Trump Actions |first= Seth |last= Schiesel |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= 27 April 2000 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0nL |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> The game begins with [[character creation]], where the player assigns [[attribute points]] (such as "strength", "intelligence", "charisma") to The Nameless One.<ref name="pcg review" /><ref name="spyreview" /> The Nameless One starts the game as a [[Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)|fighter]], but the player may later change his [[Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)|character class]] to both [[Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)|thief]] and [[Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)|wizard]], and back to fighter, after finding corresponding tutors.<ref name="pt manual" /> The player may recruit adventuring companions over the course of the game; there are seven potential [[party (role playing games)|party]] members, but only a maximum of five may accompany the player. Conversation is frequent among party members, occurring both randomly and during conversations with other [[non-player character]]s.<ref name="spyreview" /> ''Planescape: Torment''{{'}}s [[gameplay]] often focuses on the resolution of [[Quest (term)|quests]] through dialogue rather than combat, and many of the game's combat encounters can be resolved or avoided through dialogue or stealth;<ref name="spyreview" /> a review of the game in ''incite PC Gaming'' says that "The game is almost entirely story driven, and by asking the right questions you should only have to get violent a handful of times."<ref name="incite" /> The Nameless One carries a journal, which helps the player keep track of the game's numerous quests and subplots.<ref name="gamestudies" /> Death of the [[player character]] usually imposes no penalty beyond [[Spawning (computer gaming)|respawning]] in a different location.<ref name="euro" /> [[Alignment]] in ''AD&D''—which determines a character's ethical and moral perspective on the independent axes of "good vs. evil" and "law vs. chaos"—is a static property, chosen by the player at the start of a game. In ''Planescape: Torment'', the character begins as a "true neutral" character (that is, neither good nor evil, and neither lawful nor chaotic) and throughout the game, based on the character's actions, this property is incrementally changed.<ref name="gsreview" /><ref name="escapist">{{cite web |url= http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_7/47-Planescape-Torment |title= Planescape: Torment |first= Chris |last= Dahlen |date= August 23, 2005 |publisher= [[The Escapist (website)|The Escapist]] |accessdate= March 4, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0no |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> Non-player characters respond to The Nameless One differently, depending on his alignment.<ref name="gamestudies" /> A review in ''[[Next Generation Magazine|NextGen]]'' reported that "the game caters to both the goody-goody player who wants to be nice and lawful, ''and'' the evil bastards who just want to kill everything and take no guff from anyone".<ref name="nextgen" /> ==Plot== [[File:Planescape start-room.jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of the game, with a heads up display.|The Mortuary room in which the game opens; visible are two [[player character]]s, a [[Zombie (Dungeons & Dragons)|zombie]], the bottom-menu, and the radial-actions menu.]] ===Setting=== ''Planescape: Torment'' is set in the [[Planescape|Planescape "multiverse"]] of ''AD&D'',<ref name="gamepro" /> a [[Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings|setting]] which consists of various [[Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)|planes of existence]], the creatures which live in them (such as [[devil (Dungeons & Dragons)|devils]], [[Modron (Dungeons & Dragons)|modrons]], and even [[List of Dungeons & Dragons deities|deities]]), and the properties of the magic that infuses each plane.<ref name="ign" /> In a March 2000 article for ''Game Studies'', Diane Carr called the setting "a freak show, a long story, a zoo, and a cabinet of talkative curiosities"<ref name="gamestudies" /> and described the creatures and monsters in the game as "grotesque rather than scary".<ref name="gamestudies" /> ''Planescape: Torment'' is the first video game to be set in the Planescape universe.<ref name="pcg scoop">{{cite journal |first= Michael |last= Wolf |date= November 1998 |title= Scoop!: ''Planescape: Torment'' |journal= [[PC Gamer|PC Gamer US]] |volume= 5 |issue= 11 |pages= 60–61 |publisher= [[Imagine Media]] |location= Brisbane, California |issn= 1080-4471 |accessdate= March 17, 2009 }}</ref> The first part of ''Planescape: Torment'' takes place in [[Sigil]],<ref name="ign" /> a city, located atop an infinitely tall spire at the center of the multiverse,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?arch_lineos39 |title= Planescapin' |accessdate= March 4, 2009 |first= Monte |last= Cook |authorlink= Monte Cook |work= Monte's Journal |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0o7 |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> that connects the planes with each other via a series of [[portal (fiction)|portals]].<ref name="gamestudies" /> The city is overseen by the powerful [[Lady of Pain]], while fifteen [[faction (Planescape)|factions]] control different functions of the city related to each group's [[world view]]. Every faction strives for further control of the city. Several of these factions can be joined by The Nameless One during the game. The story eventually moves on to other planes, such as [[Baator]] and [[Carceri]], where The Nameless One continues to discover more about his past. ===Characters=== {{Main|List of characters in Planescape: Torment}} ''Planescape: Torment''{{'}}s protagonist is "The Nameless One", an [[immortality|immortal]] being who, if killed, will wake up later, sometimes with complete [[amnesia]].<ref name="IGN interview1">{{cite web |first= Richard "Jonric" |last= Aihoshi |title= Planescape: Torment Interview |url= http://rpgvaultarchive.ign.com/features/interviews/torment.shtml |work= [[Vault Network|RPG Vault]] |publisher= IGN |date= September 21, 1998 |accessdate= May 13, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0oH |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> Each time The Nameless One dies, another person in the multiverse dies to fuel his resurrection. These dead turn into [[ghost]]s that seek revenge on him.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Pillar of Skulls:''' EACH TIME YOU DIE, 'IMMORTAL,' YOU CAST A SHADOW ... EACH TIME YOU DIE, ANOTHER DIES IN YOUR STEAD. THESE SHADOWS ... THEY GATHER, HUNGERING FOR YOU, WITHIN THE FORTRESS OF REGRETS. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU PERISHED, NAMELESS ONE? HOW MANY HUNDREDS ... THOUSANDS ... HAVE DIED, BECAUSE OF YOU? }}</ref> When the game starts, The Nameless One wakes in a [[mortuary]] with no memories, as a result of his latest death. He sets out on a quest to regain his lost memories and discover why he is immortal. He slowly learns about the personalities of his previous incarnations, and the influence they have had on the world and people that surround him.<ref name="spyreview" /> Over the course of the game, The Nameless One meets seven characters who can join him on his quest: Morte, Annah-of-the-Shadows, Dak'kon, Ignus, Nordom, Fall-From-Grace, and Vhailor. These playable characters can also interact with the Nameless One to further the game's plot.<ref name="IGN interview2">{{cite web |first= Trent C. |last= Ward |title= Planescape: Torment Interview 2 |url= http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068682p1.html |work= IGN PC |publisher= IGN |date= July 1, 1999 |accessdate= May 13, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0oR |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> Morte is a [[cynicism|cynical]] floating skull originally from the [[Baator#Avernus|Pillar of Skulls]] in Baator. He is introduced at the game's beginning in the mortuary.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Morte:''' Name's Morte. I'm trapped in here, too. [...] It's called the 'Mortuary'... it's a big black structure with all the architectural charm of a pregnant spider.}}</ref> Morte loyally follows The Nameless One, partly out of guilt for having caused the deaths of some of his previous incarnations.<ref name="RPGWatch2">{{cite web |url= http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=56 |title= Tales of Torment, Part 2 |last= Beekers |first= Thomas "Brother None" |date= August 1, 2007 |publisher= RPGWatch |accessdate= March 6, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0oa |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> The Nameless One meets Annah-of-the-Shadows, a young and brash [[tiefling]] (a human with [[Fiend (Dungeons & Dragons)|fiendish]] ancestry) [[rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)|rogue]],<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Morte:''' She's a tiefling, chief. They got some demon's blood in 'em, and that makes 'em paranoid and defensive }}</ref> outside the mortuary,<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' You're Annah? I met you in the Hive—outside the Mortuary, correct? }}</ref> but she does not join the group until just before Pharod dies. Dak'kon, a [[githzerai]], is found in a bar in Sigil.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Dak'kon:''' I am ''known'' as Dak'kon. [...] I would ''know'' why you have come to this city. }}</ref> Before the game's beginning, Dak'kon made an oath to follow The Nameless One until the latter died, not knowing of The Nameless One's immortality; this bound him to The Nameless One for eternity.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' Know that I have saved your life, Dak'kon, ''zerth'' of Shra'kt'lor. / '''Dak'kon:''' My ... life is yours ... until yours is no more ... }}</ref> Ignus is found in the same bar as Dak'kon; he is a [[pyromania]]cal mage who was the apprentice of one of The Nameless One's past selves.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote='''The Nameless One:''' Who is that burning by the entryway? / '''Drusilla:''' That's Ignus, one of the greatest wizards ever to come out of this slummy excuse for a cesspool. They caught him and they opened a channel to the plane of Fire through him, and now he's just a doorway for it, keepin' himself alive by force o' will alone. If someone could douse him for a few moments, it'd give him his life back again—but they don't make enough water to do that.}}</ref> In the Rubikon Dungeon Construct,<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Modron:'''<!--This is just ''a'' modron, not Nordom--> Welcome to Rubikon, the dungeon construct. Thank you for choosing Rubikon for your dungeoning experience. }}</ref> The Nameless One meets Nordom, a [[modron (Dungeons & Dragons)|modron]] disconnected from its species' [[Group mind (science fiction)|hive mind]].<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Morte:''' Chief, we're looking at trouble here—this modron's gone rogue. }}</ref> Fall-From-Grace is a [[succubus (Dungeons & Dragons)|succubus]] who acts as proprietress of the ''Brothel of Slating (''[[sic]]'') Intellectual Lusts'' in Sigil; unlike other succubi, she is not interested in sex.<ref name="ign" /><ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Fall-From-Grace:''' Your companion is correct. I am a lesser tanar'ri, more specifically, a succubus. I'm afraid we're a little too common in the Lower Planes and elsewhere for our own good. Most of my race spend their time seducing mortals with various pleasures of the flesh. / '''The Nameless One:''' And you ...? / '''Fall-From-Grace:''' I'd like to think that I have distanced myself from that ... it is ultimately a trivial and non-productive way for one to spend one's time here in the multiverse. There is much more to life, wouldn't you agree? }}</ref> Vhailor, found below the city of Curst on the plane of the [[Outlands]], is essentially an animated suit of armor dedicated to serving merciless justice.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote='''The Nameless One:''' ''What'' are you? / '''Vhailor''': ''I am a MERCYKILLER.'' / '''The Nameless One:''' Mercykiller? / '''Vhailor:''' ''Mercykillers serve JUSTICE. Justice PURGES evil. When ALL have been cleansed, the multiverse achieves PERFECTION.''}}</ref> Near the end of the game, The Nameless One might fight either Ignus or Vhailor; this depends on The Nameless One's alignment. ===Story=== <!-- IMPORTANT In the game, The Transcendent One's and the Pillar of Skulls' speech is represented by capital letters; therefore their use is necessary to keep the quotations unaltered. Please do not remove the capitalization. Thanks!--> The game's story begins when The Nameless One wakes up in a mortuary.<ref name="gamestudies">{{cite journal |first= Diane |last= Carr |date= May 2003 |title= Play Dead: Genre and Effect in ''Silent Hill'' and ''Planescape: Torment'' |journal= Game Studies |volume= 3 |issue= 1 |issn= 1604-7982 |url= http://www.gamestudies.org/0301/carr/ |accessdate= May 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0ms |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="IGN interview1" /> He is immediately approached by a floating skull, Morte, who offers advice on how to escape.<ref name="ign" /> Morte also reads the tattoos written on The Nameless One's back, which were inked there as reminders to himself, that contain instructions to find a man named Pharod.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Morte:''' Let's see ... it starts with ... 'I know you feel like you've been drinking a few kegs of Styx wash, but you need to center yourself. Among your possessions is a journal that'll shed some light on the dark of the matter. Pharod can fill you in on the rest of the chant, if he's not in the dead-book already'. }}</ref> After a conversation with the ghost of his former lover Deionarra and passing by various [[undead (Dungeons & Dragons)|undead]], The Nameless One leaves the mortuary to explore the slums of Sigil.<ref name="spyreview" /> He finds Pharod, who is the chief of an underground village of scavengers, and retrieves a magical bronze sphere for him.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' The bronze sphere? Here it is. }}</ref> In return, Pharod gives him further hints to piece together his forgotten past.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Pharod:''' And you asked for a strange thing: You says, 'Lord Pharod, I ask for a ''courtesy''. Your collectors roam throughout the Hive. If they should find my body, I want it kept safe. That is all I ask.' [...] After you'd strung up a score of my blood on the Hive walls t'die, I had ''enough'' reason to promise you the planes themselves. Then your butchering self comes to my home, my kip, to demand a 'boon' of me ... aye, I agreed. }}</ref> Later on, The Nameless One learns from a powerful sorcerer named Lothar that the [[Night hag (Dungeons & Dragons)|night hag]] Ravel Puzzlewell caused his immortality,<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Lothar:''' Your mortality—your soul, if you will, that which allows you to live and die—is gone from you. It was stripped from you by magical means, by the night hag Ravel Puzzlewell. Your mortality is the key to your existence—when you find it, you will find your answers. }}</ref> but the hag is currently imprisoned in a magical maze by the Lady of Pain.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Lothar:''' Ravel Puzzlewell is an enigma, even among the night hags. [...] She is out of the reach of men now, thank the powers, for she was mazed by the Lady of Pain. }}</ref> The Nameless One finds a portal to Ravel's maze and requires a piece of Ravel to activate it; for this, he locates Ravel's daughter and takes drops of her blood.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' I hate to ask this now ... but I need you to give me a piece of yourself, Kesai. The portal key to Ravel's maze is a piece of her, and you are of her blood. It is close enough. / '''Kesai-Serris:''' You intend to seek her out? What ... what would you need of me? / '''The Nameless One:''' Your blood, most likely. Only a drop or two, I'm sure. }}</ref> Once in the maze, The Nameless One converses with Ravel, who asks him, "What can change the nature of a man?"—a question that plays a prominent role throughout the game.<ref name="RPGWatch2" /><ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' If there is anything I have learned in my travels across the Planes, it is that many things may change the nature of a man. Whether regret, or love, or revenge or fear—whatever you ''believe'' can change the nature of a man, can. }}</ref> Ravel is pleased with The Nameless One's answer because he gives his own thought; she claims she has killed many men in the past who, instead of giving their own answer, tried to guess what her answer might be.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' It may not be your answer, but it is my answer. / '''Ravel Puzzlewell:''' And that is all I wished for, my precious man. [...] A simple answer, and in the end, many are the men have I laid low while they sought MY answer. }}</ref> As the conversation progresses, Ravel explains that, in a past life, The Nameless One had asked her to make him immortal;<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' Why did you make me immortal, Ravel? / '''Ravel Puzzlewell:''' It's what you ''wanted'', seedling, and you asked so sweetly ... now how could Ravel say 'no' to one such as you? Immortality was ''your'' solution and your challenge to me. }}</ref> however, the ritual she performed was flawed, causing him to lose his memory each time he died.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Ravel Puzzlewell:''' The ritual gave you what you wanted, but ''great'' were the costs ... the casting of shadows, the quiet, violent deaths of the mind, and the pain-taking emptiness ... these things, a-dangerous were are in such a fragile vessel, no matter how strong a mortal man. }}</ref> She reveals that the mortality she separated from him was not destroyed, and that as long as he was alive, his mortality must still be intact.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Ravel Puzzlewell:''' Fear not for a broken mortality ... if you are here ... hear? Hear a-talking at me, intact your mortality must be. Such a thing can not ... knot ... not be destroyed as long as you exist. You are an ''anchor'' of your mortal soul. As long as ''you'' are intact, so shall it be. }}</ref> She does not know where his mortality is, but suggests that the fallen [[Aasimar|deva]] Trias might.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Ravel Puzzlewell:''' Yes, there is ANOTHER who might know the things that Ravel does not ... a ... fair-skinned one ... must you ask. An angel, a deva, one who soars on the wings of morning and with his hands, is the architect of horizons. He lies, lies beyond my keeping, in another cage, in another prison ... in his knowing is the knowing of what you wish to know. Ask him your questions, listen to his answers, use them as guides. }}</ref> Ravel then attempts to keep The Nameless One there by force.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Ravel Puzzlewell:''' I shall NOT let you leave—I have the power to KEEP you here, and I shall USE it. My black-barbed maze shall NOT allow you to travel beyond it while I LIVE, my precious, precious man ... }}</ref> After the Nameless One and his party leave the maze, Ravel gets up, having actually survived the encounter. The Transcendent One appears, and after a short conversation, kills Ravel.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Ravel Puzzlewell:''' I am not afraid. Not of the likes of you, ragged thing. Weak Ravel may be, but a few tricks has Ravel learned over the years. And I have known you would come. Witness Ravel's anger. / '''The Transcendent One:''' NO LONGER SHALL YOU TROUBLE EXISTENCE WITH YOUR PRESENCE, WITCH. }}</ref> Following this, The Nameless One travels to the city of Curst, a gate town on the border of the [[Outlands]] and [[Carceri]], to meet and free Trias. Through a tip from Trias, who claims to not know where The Nameless One's mortality lies,<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' My mortality has been stolen from me. I wish to reclaim it. / '''Trias:''' You speak foolishness. Yet ... there is one who might be able to help you with what you seek. It is a fiend, named Fhjull Forked-Tongue. He shall aid you. He is under an obligation to do charity. }}</ref> The Nameless One then visits the Outlands and Baator, where he learns that his mortality lies in the "Fortress of Regrets" and that only Trias knows how to access this place.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Fhjull Forked-Tongue:''' Feh ... as I was saying, I recall hearing somewhere about a place called the Fortress of Regrets. / '''The Nameless One:''' What do you know of the place? / '''Fhjull Forked-Tongue:''' I am pleased to inform you that I do NOT know. [...] / '''The Nameless One:''' Do you know someone who does? / '''Fhjull Forked-Tongue:''' Eh? Enough of your cross examinations! Yes, yes, I know ''somebody'' who might know ... on Baator lies a pillar of betrayers, liars ... and sages. Despite their nature, their knowledge is considerable. They might know where you can find this Fortress of Regrets. }}</ref><ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Pillar of Skulls:''' YOU HAVE MET THE LIAR—AND NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE LIAR KNOWS ... BUT DID NOT TELL YOU. A PETTY BETRAYAL BETWEEN IMMORTALS ... / '''The Nameless One:''' Trias? / '''The Pillar of Skulls:''' OH, YES ... THOUGH WE KNOW HIM BY HIS FULL NAME: TRIAS, THE BETRAYER! }}</ref> Meanwhile, however, the city of Curst has "slid" from the border of the Outlands to the neighboring chaotic plane Carceri due to chaos unleashed by Trias after The Nameless One freed him.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Gate to Carceri:''' Gone on the wind, swept on a tide of evil. Through the gate, gone, gone. The town, gone, lost to its own hatred. Through the gate, into the Red Prison, the prison plane ... Carceri. [...] / '''Kyse:''' You have returned to a town of calamity, stranger. The deva rises triumphant above the wreckage, having dragged us here to our dooms. There is only one way to return—and that is to strike the deva down, to cause the town to recant its treachery and deceit. The stronger the belief of the town in forgiveness, the weaker the deva. }}</ref> After a fight, Trias tells The Nameless One that the portal to the Fortress of Regrets is located in Sigil's mortuary, in the very room where the game began.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''Trias:''' I yield to you this hour, mortal. My imprisonment has weakened me ... in my state, I am no match for you. [...] The portal to the place you seek lies within the torus above the spire, in the city of Sigil, the City of Doors. In that city, there is a place where the dead of your kind are taken ... / '''The Nameless One:''' You mean the ''Mortuary''? / '''Trias:''' It is where you awoke of late, is it not? The planes seem filled with such ironies of late. So close you were, then ... }}</ref> In the Fortress of Regrets, The Nameless One encounters three of his past incarnations: one practical, one good, and one paranoid. The Nameless One learns that the "good" incarnation is the original, who was made immortal by Ravel.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' ''You'' were the first of us. }}</ref> The Nameless One had committed immeasurably terrible deeds in his lifetime, and when he realized there would be retribution on his soul when he died, he sought to postpone death as long as possible in order to right his wrongs.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' Why did we become immortal? Why? / '''The Good Incarnation:''' Because if we die, ''truly'' die ... Death's kingdom will not be paradise, ''not'' for us. If you spoke to these others that were here, know that a fraction of the evil of their lives is but a drop of water compared to the evil of mine. That life, that one life, even ''without'' the thousands of others, has given a seat in the Lower Planes for eternity. [...] I found that changing my nature was not enough. I needed more time, and I needed more life. So I came to the greatest of the Gray Sisters and asked her for a boon—to try and help me live long enough to rectify all the damage I had done. To make me immortal. }}</ref> After meeting his past incarnations, The Nameless One confronts his mortality—embodied as a powerful being called The Transcendent One.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' I know you for what you are—you are my mortality. Your armor—it is twisted like tree branches. Such things speak of Ravel's magicks. / '''The Transcendent One:''' I AM THAT WHICH WAS SPLIT FROM YOU BY THE HAG'S POWER, FREED FROM THE PRISON OF YOUR FLESH. }}</ref> The Transcendent One reveals that since being separated from The Nameless One, he has enjoyed his freedom and has been attempting to erase clues that might lead The Nameless One to discover the truth.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Transcendent One:''' THE MOMENT I WAS SPLIT FROM YOUR CANCEROUS SHELL, I KNEW LIFE. I KNEW FREEDOM. I SHALL NOT SURRENDER IT TO YOU. [...] / '''The Nameless One:''' You have done everything you can to prevent us meeting from face to face. }}</ref> Depending on the player's choice, The Nameless One either slays his mortality or convinces it to rejoin with him;<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote= '''The Nameless One:''' As I see it, I have two choices—either I kill us both, or I let you kill me again and again, losing what few pieces of my mind I have left. I think I'd prefer we both die—UNLESS you have a THIRD solution. / '''The Transcendent One:''' THERE IS NO OTHER RESOLUTION TO THIS MATTER. / '''The Nameless One:''' I think there is—we can become one again, as we were meant. }}</ref> either option finally ends his immortality and allows him to die. In the game's final scene, The Nameless One awakens near a battleground of the eternal [[Blood War]] between [[Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)|demons]] and [[Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)|devils]]; he picks up a [[mace (club)|mace]] and walks toward the conflict. ==Development== In 1997, the game's designers produced a 47-page document that outlined the game's premise and vision statement, and was used to pitch the idea to management at Interplay.<ref name="last rites">{{cite web |url= http://www.rpgwatch.com/files/Files/00-0208/Torment_Vision_Statement_1997.pdf |title= Planescape CRPG: ''Last Rites'' Product Review Packet |date=July 12, 2007 |publisher= RPGWatch |last= Last Rites team |accessdate= March 6, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0ok |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> Initially, the game was to be called ''Last Rites'',<ref name="RPGWatch1">{{cite web |url= http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=55 |title= Tales of Torment, Part 1 |last= Beekers |first= Thomas "Brother None" |date= July 30, 2007 |publisher= RPGWatch |accessdate= March 6, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0ot |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> and they described the game as "avant-garde" fantasy to distinguish it from [[high fantasy]]. The document also contained concept artwork for characters and areas of the game.<ref name="last rites" /> {{rquote|right|''Planescape Torment'' aims to provide its players with a sense that they are excavating a history (the avatar's forgotten past) while exploring, more or less at will, a vast and bizarre invention.|Diane Carr, ''Game Studies''<ref name="gamestudies" />}} From the outset, ''Planescape: Torment''{{'}}s designers intended to challenge traditional role-playing game conventions: the game features no [[Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)|dragons]], [[Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)|elves]], [[Goblin (Dungeons & Dragons)|goblins]], or other common fantasy races; there are only three swords; the rats faced in the game can be quite challenging to defeat; and the undead sometimes prove more sympathetic than humans.<ref name="IGN interview1" /><ref name="RPGWatch2" /> The designers explained that most RPGs tend to have a "correct" approach to solving problems, which is almost always the morally good approach.<ref name="last rites" /> They called this "predictable and stupid" and wished to make a game with greater moral flexibility, where a particular problem might have "two wrongs or two rights".<ref name="last rites" /> The main quest is not about saving the world, but about understanding The Nameless One and his immortality.<ref name="last rites" /> Death (of the protagonist or his companions) is often just a minor hindrance, and even necessary at times.<ref name="allgame overview" /><ref name="spyreview">{{cite web |url= http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/torment_a.shtm |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Review |first= Joost |last= Loijens |date= January 22, 2000 |publisher= [[GameSpy]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0nV |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="last rites" /><ref name="AV">{{cite web |first= Chris |last= Dahlen |title= Inventory: 11 of Video Gaming's Strangest Moments |url= http://www.avclub.com/articles/inventory-11-of-video-gamings-strangest-moments,1552/ |work= [[The A.V. Club]] |publisher= [[The Onion]] |date= May 24, 2006 |quote= And in the best moment, flagrantly defying the laws of gaming, you actually have to kill yourself to trick someone into sneaking you into a morgue. |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqzfHYoX |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> [[File:Chris Avellone.jpg|thumb|left|Chris Avellone in [[Manila]], 2009|alt=A Caucasian male sitting in front of a laptop. He has brown hair, a black shirt, and a red lanyard.]] According to lead designer [[Chris Avellone]], ''Planescape: Torment'' was inspired by books, comics, and games, including ''[[Archie Comics]]'', ''[[The Chronicles of Amber]]'', ''[[Elementals (Comico Comics)|The Elementals]]'' and ''[[Shadowrun]]''.<ref name="gsaward" /> The game's 1997 outline also makes references to ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' to describe some characters.<ref name="last rites" /> While working on ''Planescape: Torment'', Avellone was simultaneously working on ''[[Fallout 2]]''.<ref name="RPGWatch1" /> In an interview from 2007, he says that ''Fallout 2'' helped him rethink the possibilities of dialogue in ''Planescape: Torment'' (and in later games he was involved with, including ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2]]'').<ref name="RPGWatch2" /> Avellone remarked that many of the ideas in the game "could only have been communicated through text, simply because no one would have the budget or resources to fully realise many of these fantasy works through TV or movies".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/games-due-a-lit-course |title= Games Due for a Lit Course |author= Edge Staff |date= May 21, 2007 |publisher= [[Edge (magazine)|Edge Online]] |accessdate= August 9, 2009 |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5iuXBLTUB |archivedate= August 9, 2009}}</ref> Ultimately, Avellone has expressed some regret about the game's heavy focus on dialogue, as he feels this interfered with the overall [[game mechanic]]s, particularly the combat system.<ref name="RPGWatch2" /><ref name="escapist2">{{cite web |url= http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85666-Chris-Avellone-Talks-Planescape-Torment |title= Chris Avellone Talks ''Planescape: Torment'' |first= Andy |last= Chalk |date= August 14, 2008 |publisher= [[The Escapist (website)|The Escapist]] |accessdate= May 13, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0pD |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> The game's script contains around 800,000 words,<ref>{{cite journal |journal= [[PC Gamer|PC Gamer UK]] |volume= 137 |date= July 2004 |pages= 104–105 }}</ref> after early previews had indicated that the game would be only about 20 hours long.<ref name="nextgen" /> In several interviews the [[Video game producer|producer]] of the game, [[Guido Henkel]], stated that he was increasingly frustrated by the pressure the management of Interplay put on the development team after Interplay's [[initial public offering]].<ref name="pcgames">{{cite web | first=Daniel | last=Kreiss | title=Nase voll | url=http://www.pcgames.de/aid,32590/Nase-voll/PC/Special/ | work=PC Games Online | publisher=Computec Media AG | page=5 | language=German | trans_title=Fed up | date=February 27, 2002 | accessdate=September 1, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="dsa">{{cite web |last= Luley |first= Armin "Avantenor" | title=Interview mit Guido Henkel | url=http://www.dsa-game.de/content/view/218 | work=DSA – Drakensang | page=4 | language=German | trans_title=Interview with Guido Henkel | date=September 23, 2007 | accessdate=September 1, 2009 }}</ref> Although only a few additional subplots and characters had to be discarded to meet the planned release date, he accused the Interplay management of disregarding the development team regarding things like [[package design]] and [[marketing]].<ref name="pcgames" /> Henkel said that it was his main goal to prevent the game from being "crippled" before leaving Interplay when the game reached beta status.<ref name="dsa" /> He also made the claim that his overall influence on the game was greater than that of Chris Avellone, Eric Campanella, or Dave Maldonaldo, but since a producer often has to make unpopular decisions his role was later downplayed.<ref name="dsa" /> The game used the [[Infinity Engine]], a [[game engine]] initially developed by [[BioWare]] for ''[[Baldur's Gate]]''.<ref name="allgame overview" /><ref name="ign" /> However, ''Planescape: Torment'' was being developed using the Infinity Engine before ''Baldur's Gate'' had been released, leaving the engine's acceptance in the market still unknown.<ref name="pcg scoop" /> Black Isle made modifications to the engine to suit the game. For example, players were able to run, and both the character [[sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and backgrounds were larger and more detailed.<ref name="pcg scoop" /> The greater size and detail was achieved by bringing the perspective closer to the ground.<ref name="gsreview" /> Magic was also an important part of the game's design, and a team of four designers worked solely on the visuals and mechanics of spells.<ref name="IGN vault">{{cite web |url= http://rpgvaultarchive.ign.com/features/previews/pstorment-3.shtml |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Preview |accessdate= December 8, 2008 |date= July 13, 1999 |work= [[Vault Network|RPG Vault]] |publisher= IGN |page= 3 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0pN |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> In addition to official [[Internationalization and localization|localizations]], for example the one by [[CD Projekt]] for the Polish market,<ref>{{cite web |first= Will |last= Porter |title= PC Interview: Looking Back ... The Witcher |url= http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=185601 |work= [[PC Zone]] |date= March 28, 2008 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0pW |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Metropolis Joins CD Projekt Group |url= http://pc.ign.com/articles/852/852937p1.html |publisher= IGN |date= February 18, 2008 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0pg |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> fan communities developed Spanish, Hungarian, and Italian translations of the game.<ref>{{cite news |first= Ciro |last= Galante |title= Planescape: Torment |url= http://www.elcorreodigital.com/vizcaya/prensa/20070610/sociedad/planescape-torment_20070610.html |work= [[El Correo]] |publisher= [[Grupo Vocento]] |date= June 10, 2007 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |language= Spanish |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0pz |archivedate= August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Torment fordítás projekt |url= http://member.rpg.hu/peterpg/index.php?doc=rpg:adnd:torhu |work= PeteRPG |date= October 10, 2007 |accessdate= August 31, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Planescape Torment |url= http://www.itpteam.org/traduzione.aspx?tradu=1 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080430032030/http://www.itpteam.org/traduzione.aspx?tradu=1 |archivedate= April 30, 2008 |work= ITP Team.org |accessdate= August 31, 2009 }}</ref> When Interplay dropped support for ''Planescape: Torment'' after the official 1.1 [[patch (computing)|patch]], several not yet fixed [[bug]]s were corrected by a fan created patch.<ref>{{cite web |author= Platter |title= Platter's ''Planescape: Torment'' Fix Pack v1.37 |url= http://planescape.outshine.com/ |work= Planescape: Torment Fix Pack |date= August 23, 2004 |accessdate= August 31, 2009 }}</ref> Other [[mod (computer gaming)|mods]] add back items and quests omitted from the final version of the game or new features such as [[widescreen]] support.<ref>{{cite web |title= Mod and fixes for ''Planescape: Torment'' |url= http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/Torment/index_mods.php |work= Sorcerer's Place |accessdate= August 31, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= G3: Widescreen Mod |url= http://www.gibberlings3.net/widescreen/ |work= The Gibberlings Three |accessdate= August 31, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Useful Files & MODs for Planescape: Torment|url= http://www.bootstrike.com/Torment/files.html |publisher=Bootstrike.com |accessdate= February 23, 2010 }}</ref> ===Audio=== Interplay hired dark ambient musician [[Lustmord]] to create the [[Video game music|musical score]] for ''Planescape: Torment'', which was ultimately not used.<ref name="lustmord">{{cite web |url= http://www.lustmord.com/interview_seven.html |title= Lustmord interview |first= Nicolas |last= Chevreux |date=July 31, 2001 |work= Recycle Your Ears |accessdate=February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0q9 |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> His music was pulled from the game by the producer so that the game's music could be taken in a different direction,<ref name="lustmord" /> and [[Mark Morgan]] created the game's final music. The game's cast of [[voice acting|voice actors]] included [[Michael T. Weiss]], [[Sheena Easton]], [[Rob Paulsen]], [[Mitch Pileggi]], [[Dan Castellaneta]], and [[Tony Jay]].<ref name="credits" /> After the game's release, a reviewer for [[Game Revolution]] praised its sound, saying that "When you're in a crowded city, it ''sounds'' like a crowded city. Walk past a bar, and you'll hear the noise of the drunken patrons inside. Wander near a slave auction, and you'll hear the auctioneer calling. Go to a party in the festival hall, and it sounds just like a party". The same reviewer also stated "''Planescape''<!--NOTE: Bold text, not italics, is used in the reference text--> has just about the best sound I've ever heard in a game."<ref name="grevolution" /> ==Adaptations== A book by the same name was written by Ray and Valerie Vallese and released by [[Wizards of the Coast]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite book |first= Ray and Valerie |last= Vallese |title= Planescape: Torment |publisher= [[Wizards of the Coast]] |location= Renton, Washington |year= 1999 |isbn= 978-0786915279 }}</ref> The book's plot follows the game's only loosely; for example, in the game, the main character's lack of a name is a sign of his incomplete state, and a source of protection in being anonymous.<ref>{{Cite video game |title= Planescape: Torment |developer= Black Isle Studios |publisher= Interplay |date= December 12, 1999 |quote='''Tomb of the Nameless One:''' Fear names. Names have power in identity. Others can use names as weapons. Names are a hook that can be used to track you ... Remain nameless, and you shall be safe. ... I am the Nameless One.}}</ref> In the book, the protagonist chooses a [[proper name]]. Two unofficial sequels, ''In the Footsteps of Dante'' and ''The Nature of a Man'', were created as [[Mod (computer gaming)|user-created campaigns]] for the 2002 ''Dungeons & Dragons'' computer game ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]'', which was based on the newer [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition|third edition]] of ''Dungeons & Dragons''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Modules.Detail&id=3396 |title= In the Footsteps of Dante |publisher= NWVault |accessdate= September 12, 2008 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqzunWpW |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Modules.Detail&id=3383 |title= The Nature of a Man |publisher= NWVault |accessdate= September 12, 2008 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqzy6UdH |archivedate=August 7, 2009 }}</ref> ==Reception== {{VG Reviews | state = plain | GR = 90.63%<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/187975-planescape-torment/index.html |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' |publisher= [[Gamerankings]] |accessdate=August 7, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0qc |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> | MC = 91/100<ref name="metacritic" /> | Allgame = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allgame">{{cite web |url= http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=19285&tab=review |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Review |first= Derek |last= Williams |publisher= [[Allgame]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ir0OWSPX |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> | EuroG = 7/10<ref name="euro" /><br />8/10 (after patch) | GamePro = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="gamepro">{{cite web |url= http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/3948/planescape-torment/ |title= Review: ''Planescape: Torment'' |first= Jay |last= Turner |date= November 24, 2000 |publisher= [[GamePro]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ir0Rjhs0 |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> | GameRev = A−<ref name="grevolution" /> | GSpot = 9.0/10<ref name="gsreview" /> | GSpy = 90/100<ref name="spyreview" /> | IGN = 9.2/10<ref name="ign" /> | PCGUS = 93%<ref name="pcg review">{{cite journal |first= Michael |last= Wolf |date= March 2000 |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' review |journal= [[PC Gamer|PC Gamer US]] |volume= 7 |issue= 3 |pages= 82–83 |publisher= [[Imagine Media]] |location= Brisbane, California |issn= 1080-4471 |accessdate= March 17, 2009 }}</ref> | PCZone = 8.7/10<ref name="PCZone">{{cite web |url= http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3297 |title= Planescape: Torment |date= August 13, 2001 |work= Reviews |publisher= [[PC Zone]] |accessdate= May 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0qq |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> | rev1 = ''incite PC Gaming'' | rev1Score = 4/5<ref name="incite">{{cite journal |journal= incite PC Gaming |first= Darren |last= Gladstone |coauthors= Nikki Douglas |date= March 2000 |pages= 110–112 |title= Ungrateful Dead: A Long, Strange Tip Through the Afterlife in ''Planescape: Torment'' }}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Next Generation Magazine|NextGen]]'' | rev2Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="nextgen">{{cite journal |journal= [[Next Generation Magazine|NextGen]] |first= Michael |last= Wolf |date= March 2000 |pages= 110–112 |title= ''Planescape: Torment'': Scarred and dead but still kickin' butt }}</ref> | award1Pub = ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' | award1 = RPG of the Year (1999)<ref name="cgw" /> | award2Pub = [[GameSpot]] | award2 = RPG of the Year (1999)<ref name="gsyear" /> | award3Pub = IGN [[Vault Network]] | award3 = Game of the Year (1999)<ref name="awards" /> | award4Pub = [[Gamasutra]] | award4 = Quantum Leap Award (2006)<ref name="Quantum RPG 8" /> | award5Pub = [[Eurogamer]] | award5 = Best Male Lead Character (2000)<ref name="eurogamerawards">{{cite web |author= Gestalt |url= http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gg2000_2 |title= Gaming Globes 2000 results |publisher= [[EuroGamer]] |date= April 5, 2000 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0rO |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> | award6Pub = ''[[Game Informer]]'' | award6 = 188th in the Top 200 Games of All Time (2009)<ref name="gi_best" /> }} ''Planescape: Torment'' received widespread critical acclaim upon its release,<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |url= http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/planescapetorment?q=planescape |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' (pc: 1999) Reviews |publisher= [[Metacritic]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0qT |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> but only made a small profit.<ref name="RPGWatch1" /><ref name="Gama Adams" /> [[GameSpot]]'s reviewer stated "It's clearly the best traditional computer role-playing game of the year",<ref name="gsreview" /> a comment which the website would later expand to "one of the greatest ever".<ref name="gsaward">{{cite web |url= http://www.gamespot.com/features/6135401/ |title= The Greatest Games of All Time: ''Planescape: Torment'' |first= Andrew |last= Park |publisher= [[GameSpot]] |date= October 10, 2005 |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0p3 |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> The gameplay was often compared to ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'', another Interplay game that used the same engine as ''Planescape: Torment.''<ref name="grevolution">{{cite web |url= http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/planescape_torment |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' video game review for the PC |first= Duke |last= Ferris |publisher= [[Game Revolution]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0qJ |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="allgame" /><ref>{{cite book |first= Diane |last= Carr |coauthors= David Buckingham, Andre Burn, Gareth Schott |title= Computer Games: Text, Narrative and Play |date= April 2006 |publisher= [[Polity]] |isbn= 978-0745634005 |page= 59 |chapter= 5: Space, Navigation, and Affect }}</ref> The game's premise and writing were warmly received;<ref name="spyreview" /> a review in the ''[[New York Times]]'' noted "The game's level of detail and its emotional impact have prompted some players to cast about for literary peers."<ref name="NYT" /> Reviewers were pleased with the ability to shape their character's journey as they wished.<ref name="grevolution" /> In 2005, GameSpot stated "''Planescape: Torment'' has quite possibly the best implementation of role-playing an evil character ever to appear in a computer or video game to date".<ref name="gsaward" /> The heavily tattooed, egocentric and potentially selfish Nameless One was welcomed as a change of pace from the conventional RPG hero, who was considered a predictable do-gooder.<ref name="gsreview" /><ref name="gsaward" /> Reviewers also approved of the protagonist's ability to gain new powers by "remembering" past lives.<ref name="gsreview" /><ref name="ign">{{cite web |url= http://pc.ign.com/articles/159/159939p1.html |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Review |date= December 17, 1999 |publisher= IGN |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0ny |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> The dark and diversified representation of the ''D&D'' setting of Planescape was lauded as a fresh departure from the traditional high fantasy of computer role-playing games.<ref name="gamepro" /><ref name="ign" /> A review in ''[[Next Generation Magazine|NextGen]]'' praised the game, saying that "''Torment'' offers the best RPG gameplay anyone can find on store shelves, hands down."<ref name="nextgen" /> {{quote|[''Planescape Torment''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s] limits are elusive. [...] Even small choices have multiple and unpredictable results, leading players to incidents, to confrontations or to nothing much. The game resists resolution or even comprehension. A rambling text like ''Planescape Torment'' bounces when you try and nail it down, it resists totalisation. It has its moments of "rush" and of confrontation, but it wants to be savoured, wandered through, in the company of armed companions.|Diane Carr<ref name="gamestudies" />}} The technical aspects of the game were also praised. Although by the time of its release in late 1999, ''Planescape: Torment's'' default 640x480 resolution was not considered particularly advanced,<ref name="euro">{{cite web |url= http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/torment |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Review |first= Rob |last= Purchese |date= January 15, 2000 |publisher= [[Eurogamer]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0nf |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> reviewers were pleased with the art design and color of the environments.<ref name="gamepro" /><ref name="ign" /> The game's sound and music were described as "well above the norm" and "superb",<ref name="spyreview2">{{cite web |url= http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/torment_b.shtm |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Review (page 2) |first= Joost |last= Loijens |date= January 22, 2000 |publisher= [[GameSpy]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0nB |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> and one reviewer stated that his only complaint about the music was that "there wasn't enough of it".<ref name="euro" /> Another reviewer stated that ''Planescape: Torment'' had "just about the best sound" they had heard in a video game.<ref name="grevolution" /> [[GamePro]] stated, "... the characters talk with the talent of real professional voice actors during crucial bits of dialog".<ref name="gamepro" /> The game's graphics were moderately well received, with ''incite PC Gaming'' saying that "[the graphics] can be a little lackluster, although some of the spell effects certainly look very good.",<ref name="incite" /> a statement echoed in ''NextGen'' which stated that "mind-blowing spell effects ... will remind you of a two-dimensional ''Final Fantasy'' game."<ref name="nextgen" /> The game's interface received positive remarks. The US edition of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' commented on the [[automap]], which automatically marked important locations and allowed the user to add custom notes, and on the journal, which separated completed quests from unfinished quests.<ref name="pcg review" /> ''PC Gamer'' also praised the fine-tuning to the Infinity Engine, such as the use of a [[Pie menu|radial menu]], which allowed players to stay focused on the game instead of managing multiple screens and "messing with windows and buttons".<ref name="pcg review" /> Criticism of the game was minimal and problems were generally described as minor,<ref name="gsreview" /><ref name="grevolution" /> but included complaints about long load times on computers of the day,<ref name="grevolution" /> or the game slowing down during combat.<ref name="incite" /> The bugs were responsible for slowing down the game when a high level of graphical assets were on-screen at the same time, but it was reported that a fix was released that solved the problem.<ref name="spyreview" /><ref name="allgame" /> Eurogamer went as far as raising its review score when the bug fix was implemented.<ref name="euro" /> [[Allgame]]'s Derek Williams considered the game's combat simplistic (with a comparison to ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]])'', which made the game too easy.<ref name="allgame" /> The most negative major review came from ''Eurogamer'', who gave the game seven out of ten (and later increased it to eight when the game was patched).<ref name="euro" /> The reviewer expressed distaste at the immortality of the player character, saying that it makes the lives of characters "cheap and meaningless",<ref name="euro" /> although other reviews welcomed this aspect, saying it was "implemented perfectly" and did not make the game easier.<ref name="gsreview" /><ref name="ign" /><ref name="allgame" /> ''Eurogamer'' also disapproved of the amount of experience that was awarded for certain dialogues later in the game.<ref name="euro" /> However, other reviews cited this as one of the main things that elevated ''Planescape: Torment'' above the standard RPG format.<ref name="gsreview" /><ref name="spyreview" /><ref name="pcg100">{{cite web |url= http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=194593 |title= PC Gamer's Top 100 |date= August 5, 2008 |work= [[PC Gamer]] |publisher= Computer and Video Games |page= 4 of 4 |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0ri |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> Reviewers also criticized the game's [[pathfinding]] [[artificial intelligence|AI]] as being "less than impressive."<ref name="nextgen" /> {{quote|... we were swept away by ''Planescape: Torment''. It wasn't the effective engine, demented characters, or lavish lands that won us. It was the rich storyline. This tale is more a reflection of your true self than any game ever made.|Darren Gladstone and Nikki Douglas<ref name="incite" />}} ===Awards=== ''Planescape: Torment'' was given several Editor's Choice awards,<ref name="gsreview" /><ref name="ign" /><ref name="firingsquad">{{cite web |url= http://www.firingsquad.com/games/torment/ |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Review |first= Jakub |last= Wojnarowicz |date= January 25, 2000 |publisher= Firing Squad |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0rr |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> was named RPG of the Year for 1999 by both GameSpot and ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'',<ref name="cgw">{{cite journal |journal= [[Computer Gaming World]] |volume= 186 |date=January 2000}}</ref><ref name="gsyear">{{cite web |url= http://www.gamespot.com/features/1999/p3_05a.html |title= GameSpot Features Archive |publisher= [[GameSpot]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0r0 |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> and won the [[Vault Network]]'s Game of the Year for 1999.<ref name="awards">{{cite web |url= http://planescape.outshine.com/official.planescape-torment.org/awards.html |title= ''Planescape: Torment'' Awards (Mirror of the official ''Planescape: Torment'' website) |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0rA |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> ''[[PC Gamer|PC Gamer US]]'' named ''Planescape: Torment'' "Game of the Month" in their March 2000 issue (the issue in which the game's review appeared).<ref name="pcg review" /> It has since attracted a [[cult following]],<ref name="escapist" /><ref name="Gama Adams">{{cite web |first= Ernest |last= Adams |authorlink= Ernest Adams |title= The Designer's Notebook: Ten Years of Great Games |url= http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2377/the_designers_notebook_ten_years_.php?page=1 |publisher= [[Gamasutra]] |page= 1 |date= November 26, 2007 |accessdate= May 15, 2009 |quote= ''Planescape'' now has a cult following ... |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0rY |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Gama Barton">{{cite web |first= Matt |last= Barton |title= The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part III: The Platinum and Modern Ages (1994–2004) |url= http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1571/the_history_of_computer_.php?page=10 |publisher= [[Gamasutra]] |page= 10 |date= April 11, 2007 |accessdate= May 15, 2009 |quote= Black Isle wasted no time, and in November of 1999 released the cult classic ''Planescape: Torment''. |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0s1 |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> and continues to garner respect long after its release—in 2004, GameSpy added it to their Hall of Fame,<ref name="spyhall">{{cite web |url= http://www.gamespy.com/articles/540/540546p1.html |title= GameSpy Hall of Fame (''Planescape: Torment'') |first= Allen |last= Rausch |date= August 19, 2004 |publisher= [[GameSpy]] |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0sB |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> and in 2005 GameSpot declared it one of its greatest games of all time.<ref name="gsaward" /> In 2007, IGN named it 71st on their list of the Top 100 Games of All Time,<ref name="ign100">{{cite web |url= http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_71.html |title= IGN Top 100 Games 2007 - 71 ''Planescape: Torment'' |date= November 19, 2007 |publisher= IGN |accessdate= February 27, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0sL |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> and in 2008, the UK edition of ''PC Gamer'' rated it ninth on its own Top 100 list.<ref name="pcg100" /> In 2006, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' included ''Planescape: Torment'' in their list of "11 of Video Gaming's Strangest Moments", due to the game's use of death as a means to advance the plot.<ref name="AV" /> In 2006, [[Gamasutra]] polled [[video game industry]] professionals with the question: "Which role playing game over the entire history of the genre do you think has made the biggest 'quantum leap', and why?".<ref name="Quantum RPG 1">{{cite web |title= The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Role-Playing Games |url= http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061006/quantum_01.shtml |publisher= [[Gamasutra]] |page= 1 |date= October 6, 2006 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0sU |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> ''Planescape: Torment'' was ranked second overall after ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'', earning it a "Quantum Leap Award".<ref name="Quantum RPG 8">{{cite web |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Role-Playing Games |url= http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061006/quantum_08.shtml |publisher= [[Gamasutra]] |page= 8 |date= October 6, 2006 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0rE |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> The game also received an honorable mention for the same awards in the "Storytelling" category.<ref name="Quantum Story 1">{{cite web |title= The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Storytelling |url= http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061103/quantum_03.shtml |publisher= [[Gamasutra]] |page= 3 |date= November 3, 2006 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0se |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> In 2009, [[Bit-tech]] included ''Planescape: Torment'' on their list of "30 PC Games to Play Before You Die".<ref name="Bit-tech">{{cite web |first= Joe |last= Martin |title= 30 PC Games to Play Before You Die |url= http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/2009/04/20/30-pc-games-to-play-before-you-die/1 |publisher= [[Bit-tech]] |date= April 20, 2009 |accessdate= June 1, 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iqx3F0so |archivedate=August 7, 2009}}</ref> Chris Avellone was awarded Eurogamer's "Gaming Globe" award for Best Designer in 2000 for his work on ''Planescape: Torment'', and The Nameless One was considered to be the Best Male Lead Character.<ref name="eurogamerawards" /> In 2009, ''[[Game Informer]]'' put the game 188th on their list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time", saying that it "allowed players to ... influence the plot to an unheard-of degree for 1999".<ref name="gi_best">{{cite journal|author=The ''Game Informer'' staff|title=The Top 200 Games of All Time|pages=44–79|issue=200|month=December|year=2009|journal=[[Game Informer]]|issn=1067-6392|oclc=27315596}}</ref> ==See also== * [[List of Dungeons & Dragons video games|List of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' video games]] ==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== * {{wayback|www.planescape-torment.com/|''Planescape: Torment'' official website}} * {{moby game|id=/planescape-torment|name=''Planescape: Torment''}} * {{imdb title|id=0187405|title=Planescape: Torment}} * [http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/planescape_torment ''Planescape: Torment''] on [http://www.gog.com gog.com] {{D&D video games}} {{Black Isle Studios games}} [[Category:1999 video games]] [[Category:Angel video games]] [[Category:Black Isle Studios games]] [[Category:Dark fantasy video games]] [[Category:Dungeons & Dragons video games]] [[Category:Infinity Engine games]] [[Category:Interplay games]] [[Category:Windows games]]
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