Torment: Tides of Numenera Reviews

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Written by BuckGB on March 4th, 2017

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I nitpick because I love. Despite clear flaws, Numenera is easily my favorite game of The Great PC RPG Revival (sorry, Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, and Wasteland 2) so far. For nearly two decades, Planescape Torment was one of a kind, and after that kind of time passes, you figure that’s just the way it’ll stay. Against all odds, however, this 2017 video game has taken Planescape’s mottled old flesh and stitched together something strange and new. I wonder what sort of legacy it will leave.

Torment: Tides of Numenera impresses where it truly matters. The intriguing premise and a world filled with eccentric characters begs to be thoroughly explored from top to bottom. If not for the technical issues with the combat and the rather abrupt ending, this could have easily ranked with the best of what’s turning out to be one of the best years for gaming. While the issue of whether or not it lives up to the lofty standards set by Planescape is a question I’m not qualified to answer, I can say without any hesitation that Numenera deserves your attention either way.

The first act is a good way of setting up the universe, cleverly disguised as a full level, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just when I started to get the hang out things, inXile upped the ante, but instead of worrying or reaching for the “exit to desktop” button, I instead felt all the more prepared to greet what was coming.

It’s a well-executed set-up with a wondrous payoff. Whereas the fun in a game like For Honor comes from physically learning how to play, the fun in Tides of Numenera comes from achieving encyclopedic knowledge of a whole new universe through truly meaningful choices.

A philosophical role playing game in which the tired and out-dated moral alignment systems of western RPGs have been replaced with a more nuanced approach; it brandishes a beautifully realised game-world full of intricate details and exquisite oddities. All backed up by some absolutely stellar writing that looks to treat its audience with the utmost of respect whilst taking them on a journey they are sure to have not experience in a video game before. 16 years was worth the wait. Torment: Tides of Numera is the spiritual successor Planescape deserved.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is a modern take on classic computer RPGs that tells an engrossing and original story, meditating on complex themes of identity in a strange world that just begs to be explored. While the combat seems a bit forced and uninspired, it doesn’t detract too much from the rest of the experience, and as a result I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is a game stuffed full of fascinating characters and stories that can change depending on your choices (make multiple saves to explore this if you can), built upon a world of wonders and nightmares born of technology so advanced it might as well be magic. There are issues that should be easily remedied but ultimately they don't detract from a game that will delight CRPG fans and provides an interesting stepping stone for console owners in to this varied and brilliant genre.

All in all, Torment: Tides of Numenera is an enjoyable nostalgic trip into the strongest days of PC RPGs. It's well-written, engaging and interesting, if occasionally bogged down in its own setting. Both reactive and exciting, it makes the simple act of talking to characters or exploring areas feel rewarding and exciting. Only some lackluster combat drags down the experience, and that's easily avoidable. Those looking for a successor to Planescape: Torment should find a lot to enjoy here, but this offering does not eclipse the original. It's an enjoyable game, both as a spiritual successor and on its own merits, and that's all you can really ask.

Look, there’s no point in beating a dead horse. If you contributed to the Kickstarter based on fond memories of Planescape: Torment you might well be fine with Torment: Tides of Numenera which, from my reading about P:T, sounds a whole like the same game set in the same universe with a new plotline and improved graphics. But for me, who since 1999 has played games like Neverwinter and Pillars of Eternity and a whole host of more immersive RPGs in between, I failed to get into it. I skipped lightly along the plot, confronted by moral and ethical choices I for the most part either didn’t understand the implications of or didn’t care enough about. Interviews I have read with the designers indicated they wanted players to consider the question “What does one life matter.” This game didn’t make me consider that. It did make me consider what a dozen or so hours of my life are worth, and this wasn’t it.

Overall, I absolutely adore the game, and I feel that modern roleplaying fans who also enjoy narrative-heavy games like Life is Strange will find a lot to love about Torment: Tides of Numenera. Modern RPGs from blockbuster-budget studios could learn a lot from InXile with regards to "choice and consequence," and the true value of a branching narrative.

If you're looking for a story-focused game where your choices truly matter, set in a rich, nuanced world absolutely crammed with sci-fi obscurities, fantastical beasts, and mind-warping trans-dimensional phenomena, you will adore Torment: Tides of Numenera.

Much like its distant future setting, Torment itself is a game from another time – just in the opposite direction. Those with nostalgia for Planescape will adore this, and rightly so: it's marvellous at recapturing that deep, lore-heavy RPG vibe. Yet for anyone accustomed to more modern titles – even the likes of Fallout 3 onwards, which can hardly be called shallow – Tides of Numenera is a slow, often laborious experience.

Still, once you’ve adjusted to how Numenera works, it's an absolutely captivating RPG, jam-packed with mysteries, superbly drawn characters, and a beautifully designed dialogue and interaction system that encourages you to think rather than fight your way out of a dilemma. It may not be Planescape 2, lacking the jet-black humour of Black Isle’s magnum opus, but it is a worthy successor, capturing its strange spirit brilliantly.

Torment is designed to be replayed – you can’t fit six billion years into one play-through and expect to see everything. The sheer mass of stories and lore is impressive, and with less focus on combat, you can build characters that are designed for exploration and dialogue instead. The game is less a hunt for fights and gear and more a philosophical journey into what identity truly means. This is an intriguing, altogether different approach to storytelling.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is more than a nostalgic homage to Planescape: Torment – its own innovations will mark the genre as much as its spiritual predecessor did.

Overall, I feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface of my time with Torment: Tides of Numenera. There are many hours of gameplay to be had here and if you’re after an old fashioned, but fresh RPG, which takes its role playing roots seriously, then this is a must buy for you. If you love story and narrative, rather than action and shooting, then you should be grabbing it right now. Those who are new to this type of game and are unsure of what to expect, but want to experience a deep, immersive RPG, then turn up and give this a go too – you won’t be disappointed.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is fantastic. Fans of the original Torment as well as new players alike should have no issues finding themselves gleefully lost within this realm of amazing possibilities and people. With hours easily spent exploring the first areas, getting to know the people and taking on requests while going about your quest and this world slowly reveals its secrets in which seemingly unrelated events may be more intertwined than you first thought.

While I did find it hard at first, Torment: Tides of Numenera is a game that hooked me and kept me coming back for more. The deep story-line, and complex nature of the game really works well to make Numenera a very interesting gaming world. It may not be an easy game, but if you are up for the challenge this title is well worth your time. Though be sure you’ve got a lot of it to invest in the game.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is a classic RPG with a great look and feel, and rich, extensive lore. Anyone who loves a detailed world and deep characters will love this game, but people preferring a lot of action and short dialogues might want to steer away from this title. Torment: Tides of Numenera is a great spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment, and Kickstarter backers can be happy about the results.

While it’s not exactly a swords-and-sorcery RPG in the same vein as something like Pillars of Eternity (though I suppose it could be if you really wanted it to), Torment: Tides of Numenera is a gripping RPG adventure that’s worth a look for those with the time and patience to read through its reams of text. As a game it’s not perfect, and it certainly adds more cautionary warnings about video game crowdfunding to that steadily-growing pile. Still, if you’re willing to overlook some quibbles here and there you’ll have a good time with Tides.

Regardless, with the exception of Divinity, there are literally no games of this type on PlayStation 4. Torment fills this void with a huge adventure, one that can be played multiple times with attention to various ways of tackling issues. It’s a tough sell, what with some huge titles releasing during the same timeline, but it might actually be an easy choice for those who know exactly what kind of game this is, and love it for that.

Overall, inXile's “Torment: Tides of Numenera” favors narrative over mechanics and combat. So it’s a game for those who like a lot of reading in their games, and narratively explore a bizarre and fascinating world with some interesting characters.

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