Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Planescape: Torment opens with an unforgettable moment: you awaken on a cold stone slab in a mortuary, surrounded by bodies and strange, scarred zombie attendants. From the first choices you make—what to say, how to react—you’re thrust into a world where dialogue and decision trump reflexes. The game employs a real-time-with-pause combat system derived from Baldur’s Gate, but it’s the AD&D Second Edition ruleset that truly shapes every encounter. You’ll manage party members, pause mid-battle to issue tactical orders, and tailor your approach to foes both mundane and otherworldly.

Character advancement in Torment is woven into dialogue as much as it is into combat. Attributes like Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma not only influence spellcasting and hit points but also unlock hidden conversation paths and quest solutions. A high Wisdom check might let you divine a secret in a villain’s soliloquy, while a Charisma roll could smooth over a tense negotiation in the streets of Sigil. Your growth is as much about forging your identity through words as it is about raising numerical stats.

Exploration is at the heart of the experience. Sigil, the City of Doors, serves as your hub, but you’ll also journey to bizarre planes of existence—from the fiery wastes of the Elemental Chaos to the serene fields of Arborea. Each locale brims with lore, NPCs seeking aid, and moral dilemmas that challenge your sense of self. Expect lengthy quests, complex branching storylines, and enough reading material to rival a fantasy novel. For players who relish deep role-playing over hack-and-slash, Torment delivers in spades.

Graphics

Although Planescape: Torment was released in 1999, its hand-painted pre-rendered backdrops remain strikingly atmospheric. The game’s use of muted colors, sharp shadows, and surreal architectural designs gives Sigil and the various outer planes a dreamlike quality. Every alleyway, temple, and tavern feels lived-in, and the art direction leans into the bizarre and the grotesque with aplomb—perfect for a setting where reality itself is mutable.

Character portraits and sprite work are rich with personality. From the floating skull of Morte to the alluring Rizand the succubus, each companion boasts unique animations and expressions that underscore their quirks. Enemies range from scuttling fiends to hunched corpse-workers in the opening mortuary, each rendered with enough detail to inspire both fascination and unease. Despite the lower resolution by today’s standards, these visuals maintain an immersive quality.

The user interface—an era-appropriate combination of panels, icons, and text boxes—places emphasis on readability and ease of navigation. Tooltips and pop-up descriptions guide you through spells, items, and dialogue options without overwhelming the screen. Lighting effects are subtle yet effective, with torches casting flickering glows and planar energies radiating from magical artifacts. While modern gamers may find the pixel density dated, the overall ambience and artistic consistency remain compelling.

Story

At its core, Planescape: Torment tells the story of The Nameless One, an immortal being plagued by forgotten lives and recurring deaths. The game’s opening scene—waking in a mortuary, abandoned by one’s very body—sets a tone of mystery and existential dread. As memories of a lost love and past misdeeds flash and fade, you’re driven by a single objective: discover who you are and why death eludes you.

The narrative unfolds through rich, often philosophical dialogues that probe themes of identity, redemption, and the nature of the soul. You’ll converse with immortal philosophers, manipulative deities, and tormented mortals, each offering a piece of the puzzle. Choices aren’t simply “good” or “evil”—they carry weight, altering relationships and unlocking entirely different quest branches. This emphasis on conversation over combat makes every line of text vital to the unfolding drama.

Companions such as the sarcastic skull Morte, the suave tiefling assassin Dak’kon, and the soul-searching succubus Anomen bring their own backstories and moral quandaries to the journey. Their fates intertwine with yours, and your decisions can save or doom them. Multiple endings hinge on how you reconcile your past actions, making the conclusion a true reflection of the choices you’ve made along the way.

Overall Experience

Playing Planescape: Torment feels more like reading an interactive novel than engaging in a traditional action RPG. Its strengths lie in character development, worldbuilding, and unforgettable dialogue. Every corner of Sigil and beyond brims with philosophical musings, moral dilemmas, and eccentric personalities. This is a game for those who savor a slow burn of discovery rather than a constant barrage of enemies.

The soundtrack and voice work—while sparse by modern standards—add to the immersive quality. Ambient tunes underscore quiet moments of introspection, while occasional voice snippets lend weight to pivotal NPC interactions. Sound effects, from the clank of armor to the distant hum of planar portals, further deepen the sense of being caught between realities.

If you crave a richly detailed narrative, moral complexity, and a willingness to read hundreds of pages of lore, Planescape: Torment remains a must-play classic. Its graphics may seem dated, and its pacing requires patience, but few games have matched its ambition in exploring what it means to live, die, and remember. For fans of deep storytelling and philosophical RPGs, this is an unforgettable journey through the multiverse.

Retro Replay Score

8.5/10