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Planescape: Torment

EMAIL PRINT pc

9.8 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 97 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Interplay

Developer: Black Isle Studios

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 30, 1999

Summary

Welcome to Sigil, the "City of Doors", a place with gates that lead anywhere in existence, provided you have the proper key. It is a neutral ground and watering hole for races across the multiverse, all under the watchful shadow of the Lady of Pain, the enigmatic ruler of the city. It is a place where the word is mightier than the sword, where thought defines reality, where belief has the power to reshape worlds and change the laws of physics. [Interplay]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Quandary

Torment boasts a thoroughly enjoyable story line, and I can pretty much guarantee you won't be guessing how it all ends up with any degree of accuracy. This game has very few weaknesses, and predictability is certainly not one of them!

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100

Adrenaline Vault

The best RPG of 1999. Planescape Torment raises the bar past "Baldur's Gate" and sets new standards in terms of storyline, character progression, conversation and interaction.

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100

Four Fat Chicks

Planescape is very, very special. Some might say it's too bizarre and weird, but I found it a refreshingly deep and thoughtful interlude in an otherwise cookie-cutter world of Samegaming.

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Gamer's Pulse

Few games capture me from the get go, but this one did...an absolute joy to play.

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PC Gameworld

I have never before seen an RPG so deep, so entertaining, and so damn good.

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Game Over Online

Yet another astounding title out the doors of the Black Isle factory.

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FiringSquad

A stunning work of art, full of creativity and originality. It is faithful to the rules of both AD&D and Planescape yet bends them enough to make for a different experience for hardcore veterans without ruining the game.

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PC Gamer

One of the most inventive, entertaining RPGs ever created. [Mar 2000, p.82]

IGN

It's got enough depth to keep you entertained for a VERY long time..., and perhaps most importantly, it's a hell of a lot different than anything else that's ever been released.

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Game Revolution

The most amazing part is the environmental audio. The intermittent background music is great and the background noise is fantastic.

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ActionTrip

There is not even one aspect of it deserving disapproval, and it is with extreme partiality that I claim that it is one of the best RPG games ever made.

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Electric Playground

By the time you finish the game, you’ll have ingested almost a full novel’s worth of text. Button-mashing "Diablo" junkies may balk at this, but Planescape: Torment really isn’t for them in the first place.

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GameSpot

It's clearly the best traditional computer role-playing game of the year and is bound to be an all-time favorite for many of its inevitable fans.

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All Game Guide

Torment's sub-quest structure is probably the biggest attraction for me. These are the best kinds of quests: multiple solutions, the best usually being the peaceful, conversational type and rewarding with experience points.

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Armchair Empire

Batten down the hatches, let the answering machine do its thing, and keep some snack food on standby, because Planescape Torment is one of those RPGs with such a deep, rich story that it demands every ounce of the players attention.

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GameSpy

Delivers an engrossing tale of identity, mortality and discovery in a bizarre, fantastic setting. Clearly, a great choice for those seeking to role-play and watch their character develop.

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Computer Games Magazine

If you don't mind some weirdness, have a penchant for the macabre, and love the idea of role-playing in a setting where death is a doorway instead of a slammed door, then Planescape: Torment is just what the (witch) doctor ordered.

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GamePro

Torment's graphics and sound are paradise. Gorgeous, hand-drawn backgrounds look sumptuous, even if they're overcome with dark, moody, colors.

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Yahoo! Games

The gameplay itself is fascinating and not mindlessly repetitve.

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TotalGames.net

The content will make this fairly heavy going for the adventurer of light heart but, for serious role players, it makes a big change from the floppy hats and warty ogres.

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Eurogamer

This is not a game to play casually - it requires a major investment of time and effort to get anywhere. But if you're willing to give it the commitment it needs, it can soon develop into a rewarding relationship.

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Happy Puppy

If you don't dig a traditional RPG structure, this is going to bore you to tears. But for a strong storyline in a non-traditional setting, Planescape is well worth the money.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.8 (out of 10) based on 97 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mirko B. gave it a10:
Simply astonishing, totally unmatched experience. ten years after the release some of the interface and mechanics could leave a feel that there could be improvements, but the game IS the story and the characters, and that are still fantastic!

Chai K. gave it a10:
After so many ears i still easily find myself loading up my saved games just to bring up certain interactions between the characters. I must have at least played the game 5 times now. It is one of those story that will stay with you even after many years, sort of like cult classics such as Highlander 1, Back To The Future Trilogy, Batman Begins etc. Its a shame that the newer graphic cards do not support certain part of the game such as spell-casting.

John R gave it a10:
Planescape : Torment is philosophy for the video-gamer and undoubtedly has the best story ever to grace any computer game, Deus Ex included. You will have to be prepared to do a lot of reading in order to enjoy this profound tale. If you've ever come across the ideas of Nietzsche, Heidegger or Plato (and others, including Eastern philosophy and mysticism) you'll be spooked out when you play this game. It is text heavy and in this respect plays much like an old-fashioned text-adventure but otherwise it plays the same as the other (also brilliant) Infinity Engine games : there's a fair amount of combat plus plenty of quests and some of the weirdest and most wonderful locations, NPCs and enemies you're every likely to come across. The level of interaction which is possible between party members and other NPCs is still unparalleled today. The artwork is wonderful and if you can muster the patience to get involved in the deepest game you will ever play you won't notice that it's all in low resolution. There is a widescreen mod available for this game, I believe. My co-favourite of all time along with the two Baldur's Gates.

Simon gave it a10:
A game that can truly stand on its story alone. A true masterpiece that will leave the player with a satisfying sense of catharsis.

Mareus K. gave it a10:
One word... INCREDIBLE! MAGNIFICENT! GREAT! FANTASTIC!!!... Ok, thats more than one word, but i couldn't help myself. Unfortunately they don't make the games like that anymore. Just graphics nowadays i guess

Mr. Potato gave it a10:
I have been a PC gamer close to 20 years and I own more than 200 original titles. I can say that this is one of the BEST games I EVER had the pleasure of playing and also own...the story is so deep and so are the characters.If you love RPG games you MUST buy it, if you hate RPG games go buy it and you'll fall in love with them!Purely a work of art!!!

SHODAN gave it a10:
In playing Planescape: Torment, it becomes clear that the game is a construct of the ideals and carefully considered philosophies of passionate, hard-working minds. One gets the impression that "Torment" is a product of some irretrievable, perfect circumstance whereby a team of like-minded individuals were free to think and work outside of monetary and publisher constraints. Everything about the game seems thoughtful and inherently intelligent as well as being masterfully crafted. The stellar, original art and sound direction compliment it's well-written, intricate plot. It is a detailed and subtle world inhabited by believably complex and meaningful characters with their own back stories and motivations. Instead of feeling that I was the center of the world, it seemed like it was all happening around me. I felt that I was killing real people for real reasons. Torment, like other brilliantly designed titles (i.e. Deus Ex, Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn) forced me to empathize and think. Such things define 'art'. You'll really need to just play it to see what is meant.

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Planescape: Torment

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What The Critics Said

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