EPT
+ Show Spoiler +
I am imprisoned.
My prison is not one of steel, concrete and closed doors; it is not one that traps the body. No, that would be much easier to bear than the bounds set upon me by my own will. However, I suspect it would also be less... satisfying. I am not a proponent of bondage, yet the tale I have to tell speaks of a certain type of it.
But let us begin at the proper place for a beginning: at the beginning.
The first time I ever heard of Planescape: Torment was when I was eight or so, browsing through my older brother's PC gaming magazines. Being released in 1994 - a good year, if I may say so - it seems to have been advertised fairly extensively. The name - and the gray-blue-ish picture of a scarred, hooded figure, did not exactly appeal to me at the time, especially as I didn't get to learn much else about the game. Also, I had other ways of spending my time. The most prominent ones included Diablo 2, Command & Conquer (against the AI, of course) and other memorable titles bearing a likelihood to those.
Fast forward to the sunny April of 2011. Having been intrigued by the concept of past wonders still unknown to me at the time, I began looking into cult games and music. Among those was Planescape: Torment, a game the acquaintaince of which I had made a long, long time before.
And from that point on, the world would forever stand changed in my eyes.
As a quick note - I will not spoil the plot beyond what happens at the most early stages of the game unless explicitly stated so.
"How many times must this fool die?"
- Morte
"I wonder what it was that made Death reject me."
- The Nameless One
Planescape: Torment is a cRPG game based on a quite simple concept. You play as this guy who has major issues with memory and dying. You wake up in a morgue (known as the Mortuary), instantly being exposed to a person (I dare not say NPC, for reasons I will discuss later) with whom you will "hang out", so to speak, for most of the game. The person in question has its own impressive set of problems as well, yet the lack of a body beyond a skull is not one of them.
The little bugger's name is Morte, and he immediately begins introducing you into the world of the Planes. Upon discussing the state of matters with Morte and exploring the starting location for a bit, you come to the following conclusions:
a) You cannot die. For all practical needs and purposes you're basically immortal - the gravest of mortal wounds are a non issue, as they barely send you back to the stone bed on which you begin the game.
b) You have a rather serious case of amnesia. The memories of the time before your recent awakening are gone, like a blank card, even your name. All you have is a couple of leads among those is the name "Pharod", who apparently - according to a message written on your back, read to you by the helpful Morte - has a journal of yours.
c) Your only companion is a sarcastic, floating, talking skull who's hitting on all the female zombie workers in the place.
d) Immortal people make for damn good tanks.
A very interesting premise, isn't it? While the amnesia motiff might sound a little bit cliche and overdone, it is actually implemented with amazing prowess. In fact, the whole story, delivered mostly through written - surprisingly well written - dialogue, is unarguably the best part of the game.
I did not come to that realization until some more time had passed. Having spend a quarter roaming around the Mortuary, I decided the game was boring and left to play StarCraft 2.
But the chains of torment had already began sneaking into my mind. I was enthralled. I genuinely wanted to know what happens next - a feeling I rarely get when playing single player video games. A day passed, and I already back again in the Mortuary, looting zombie corpses in search of clues and POWERFUL MAGICAL ITEMS OF POWER AND FASTER KILLING OF ZOMBIES for our hero of the day (and, as it turned later, of a much lengthier period of time for me), the Nameless One.
"It was *known* to me that you would return. Is it your will that our two paths be one?"
- Dak'kon
I soon realized that Torment was not a game in which you fought much with swords; words were a much stronger asset. Although you could, of course, choose to go with the traditional approach of slicing, bashing and carving, I found myself gravitating towards a more... diplomatic approach. I - or rather, the Nameless One, whom I found to be a character very easy to associate with - still remained a warrior. A terrible warrior, to tell the truth, as most of my skill points were going into charisma, intelligence and wisdom, but a warrior no less. That was to play a major role in the tale of the Nameless One further down the road.
The wondrous world of the Planes began opening to me as I explored it further. The Mortuary was but a part of a bigger entity known as Sigil, the City of Doors. Communication and transportation between the Planes took place through portals, which could be found basically everywhere. Multiple sources gave me tales of people being stuck behind portals which opened due to specific triggers - a tale that made exploration in the earliest stages of the game a much more thrilling experience.
Among many enemies - including but not limited to Dustmen - the janitors of the Mortuary, wererats, common thugs (of which Sigil had an abundance) and a mysterious person hell-bent on making my stay in town as short and risky as possible, I also encountered friends.
The first of them was Morte. The sarcastic skull appeared to have some experience with Sigil, as he acted as a guide in my early steps in my new life. He also had a knack for humour - and teeth that could pierce or slice most opponents, especially coupled with tanking provided by the Nameless One.
The next companion turned out to be known as Dak'kon. It is fairly hard to find one fitting word to describe him - which is why I will use ten. Elven, ninja, sage, mage, warrior, philosopher, elderly, mystic, wise, badass. While perhaps not as good of a tank as the Nameless One not as funny as Morte, he soon proved to be a most interesting ally with a deep history, intertwining that of the Nameless One on levels unforeseen for a good portion of the game.
You see, that's the amazing thing about Torment. Every character is incredibly well written. Their stories are absolutely captivating. The world is shockingly well crafted - it took me about fifteen minutes to simply read through a bar patron's overview of the world of Planescape. It took me much longer to actually grasp the complete concept, and to imagine the vastness of it is still out of my ability.
"I think, therefore I am... I think."
- Nordom
"What can change the nature of a man?"
- Ravel Puzzlewell
The depth of the story and dialogue is in no small part attributable to the themes taken up it. This is no simple "there was a hero, and he committed generally heroic acts". Torment is shaped like a detective story. You start out with some small leads, and those lead to others, all the while raising more questions and mysteries.
It is also very visible that the writers were not afraid to ask serious question. One of those echoes through all the game. What can change the nature of a man, the question asks. I would advise you to stop right now and think deeply about it.
Got it?
All right.
One thing I really appreciate Torment for is that the player and the Nameless One aren't disconnected. The end user is forced to consider the dilemmas placed in front of him, and that leads to asking himself the same questions. As a final result, it directed me towards rethinking my philosophy at a time when I needed it most and, as I strongly believe, actually allowed me to become a better person.
A bit harder to do that with Minecraft, isn't it?
"I have been here before. This time, I shall never leave."
- Dak'kon
And so you journey through the planes, leading a company of misfits, people and skulls both, with glaring personal issues, solving mysteries, meeting important figures and uncovering your muddled past in a variety of places you had no idea you would reach - heck, you had no idea they even existed back in the ominous halls of the Mortuary.
All good things come to an end though, and Torment, while a breakthrough in many cases, is no exception here. You finally collect the final hints. You don't have all the answers and you have no idea how this matter will end. All you know is that for the game - and for the experience - to be complete, it must come to an end. You also have a direction. The time draws near. Your companions trusting your better judgement, you step into one final portal.
Be warned. If you have not played the game, then stop right there and please, do not read what is spoilered. One thing I would hate myself for would be the ruining the fun of experiencing the tale themselves for anyone.
+ Show Spoiler +
"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."
- The Nameless One
And then I tie up all the loose ends, and the equation is balanced out. I suppose it is of no surprise to anyone that a person who began the game with issues in the death department ends the game with these issues alleviated.
The game ends.
My imprisonment does not.
I still keep thinking about Torment; about how it changed me. Through the story of the Nameless One, I managed to start thinking about the world differently. I am now aware of the endless possibilities ahead of me, and of my own mortality - with which I have come to terms; it does not scare me anymore.
I think I can truly say that the little time I had on the Planes, I loved. It was an amazing experience which I would recommend to everyone else, especially if you are not afraid of asking yourself questions. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results.
My prison is not one of steel, concrete and closed doors; it is not one that traps the body. No, that would be much easier to bear than the bounds set upon me by my own will. However, I suspect it would also be less... satisfying. I am not a proponent of bondage, yet the tale I have to tell speaks of a certain type of it.
But let us begin at the proper place for a beginning: at the beginning.
The first time I ever heard of Planescape: Torment was when I was eight or so, browsing through my older brother's PC gaming magazines. Being released in 1994 - a good year, if I may say so - it seems to have been advertised fairly extensively. The name - and the gray-blue-ish picture of a scarred, hooded figure, did not exactly appeal to me at the time, especially as I didn't get to learn much else about the game. Also, I had other ways of spending my time. The most prominent ones included Diablo 2, Command & Conquer (against the AI, of course) and other memorable titles bearing a likelihood to those.
Fast forward to the sunny April of 2011. Having been intrigued by the concept of past wonders still unknown to me at the time, I began looking into cult games and music. Among those was Planescape: Torment, a game the acquaintaince of which I had made a long, long time before.
And from that point on, the world would forever stand changed in my eyes.
As a quick note - I will not spoil the plot beyond what happens at the most early stages of the game unless explicitly stated so.
"How many times must this fool die?"
- Morte
"I wonder what it was that made Death reject me."
- The Nameless One
Planescape: Torment is a cRPG game based on a quite simple concept. You play as this guy who has major issues with memory and dying. You wake up in a morgue (known as the Mortuary), instantly being exposed to a person (I dare not say NPC, for reasons I will discuss later) with whom you will "hang out", so to speak, for most of the game. The person in question has its own impressive set of problems as well, yet the lack of a body beyond a skull is not one of them.
The little bugger's name is Morte, and he immediately begins introducing you into the world of the Planes. Upon discussing the state of matters with Morte and exploring the starting location for a bit, you come to the following conclusions:
a) You cannot die. For all practical needs and purposes you're basically immortal - the gravest of mortal wounds are a non issue, as they barely send you back to the stone bed on which you begin the game.
b) You have a rather serious case of amnesia. The memories of the time before your recent awakening are gone, like a blank card, even your name. All you have is a couple of leads among those is the name "Pharod", who apparently - according to a message written on your back, read to you by the helpful Morte - has a journal of yours.
c) Your only companion is a sarcastic, floating, talking skull who's hitting on all the female zombie workers in the place.
d) Immortal people make for damn good tanks.
A very interesting premise, isn't it? While the amnesia motiff might sound a little bit cliche and overdone, it is actually implemented with amazing prowess. In fact, the whole story, delivered mostly through written - surprisingly well written - dialogue, is unarguably the best part of the game.
I did not come to that realization until some more time had passed. Having spend a quarter roaming around the Mortuary, I decided the game was boring and left to play StarCraft 2.
But the chains of torment had already began sneaking into my mind. I was enthralled. I genuinely wanted to know what happens next - a feeling I rarely get when playing single player video games. A day passed, and I already back again in the Mortuary, looting zombie corpses in search of clues and POWERFUL MAGICAL ITEMS OF POWER AND FASTER KILLING OF ZOMBIES for our hero of the day (and, as it turned later, of a much lengthier period of time for me), the Nameless One.
"It was *known* to me that you would return. Is it your will that our two paths be one?"
- Dak'kon
I soon realized that Torment was not a game in which you fought much with swords; words were a much stronger asset. Although you could, of course, choose to go with the traditional approach of slicing, bashing and carving, I found myself gravitating towards a more... diplomatic approach. I - or rather, the Nameless One, whom I found to be a character very easy to associate with - still remained a warrior. A terrible warrior, to tell the truth, as most of my skill points were going into charisma, intelligence and wisdom, but a warrior no less. That was to play a major role in the tale of the Nameless One further down the road.
The wondrous world of the Planes began opening to me as I explored it further. The Mortuary was but a part of a bigger entity known as Sigil, the City of Doors. Communication and transportation between the Planes took place through portals, which could be found basically everywhere. Multiple sources gave me tales of people being stuck behind portals which opened due to specific triggers - a tale that made exploration in the earliest stages of the game a much more thrilling experience.
Among many enemies - including but not limited to Dustmen - the janitors of the Mortuary, wererats, common thugs (of which Sigil had an abundance) and a mysterious person hell-bent on making my stay in town as short and risky as possible, I also encountered friends.
The first of them was Morte. The sarcastic skull appeared to have some experience with Sigil, as he acted as a guide in my early steps in my new life. He also had a knack for humour - and teeth that could pierce or slice most opponents, especially coupled with tanking provided by the Nameless One.
The next companion turned out to be known as Dak'kon. It is fairly hard to find one fitting word to describe him - which is why I will use ten. Elven, ninja, sage, mage, warrior, philosopher, elderly, mystic, wise, badass. While perhaps not as good of a tank as the Nameless One not as funny as Morte, he soon proved to be a most interesting ally with a deep history, intertwining that of the Nameless One on levels unforeseen for a good portion of the game.
You see, that's the amazing thing about Torment. Every character is incredibly well written. Their stories are absolutely captivating. The world is shockingly well crafted - it took me about fifteen minutes to simply read through a bar patron's overview of the world of Planescape. It took me much longer to actually grasp the complete concept, and to imagine the vastness of it is still out of my ability.
"I think, therefore I am... I think."
- Nordom
"What can change the nature of a man?"
- Ravel Puzzlewell
The depth of the story and dialogue is in no small part attributable to the themes taken up it. This is no simple "there was a hero, and he committed generally heroic acts". Torment is shaped like a detective story. You start out with some small leads, and those lead to others, all the while raising more questions and mysteries.
It is also very visible that the writers were not afraid to ask serious question. One of those echoes through all the game. What can change the nature of a man, the question asks. I would advise you to stop right now and think deeply about it.
Got it?
All right.
One thing I really appreciate Torment for is that the player and the Nameless One aren't disconnected. The end user is forced to consider the dilemmas placed in front of him, and that leads to asking himself the same questions. As a final result, it directed me towards rethinking my philosophy at a time when I needed it most and, as I strongly believe, actually allowed me to become a better person.
A bit harder to do that with Minecraft, isn't it?
"I have been here before. This time, I shall never leave."
- Dak'kon
And so you journey through the planes, leading a company of misfits, people and skulls both, with glaring personal issues, solving mysteries, meeting important figures and uncovering your muddled past in a variety of places you had no idea you would reach - heck, you had no idea they even existed back in the ominous halls of the Mortuary.
All good things come to an end though, and Torment, while a breakthrough in many cases, is no exception here. You finally collect the final hints. You don't have all the answers and you have no idea how this matter will end. All you know is that for the game - and for the experience - to be complete, it must come to an end. You also have a direction. The time draws near. Your companions trusting your better judgement, you step into one final portal.
Be warned. If you have not played the game, then stop right there and please, do not read what is spoilered. One thing I would hate myself for would be the ruining the fun of experiencing the tale themselves for anyone.
+ Show Spoiler +
I end up where I began this story - in prison. It is a prison I have managed to leave, yet it is also one in which I still remain.
I am trapped alongside three powerful friends/foes - if this were Facebook, I would set the relationship status to "It's complicated". One is the person who has orchestrated the whole affair, the other two - innocent bystanders in comparison, yet they also played a part in the matter.
The mastermind - a very fitting term, I must add - is intending to force me to surrender my identity to him and let him absorb me, allowing us to leave our trap. I briefly duel him, in a competition of mind as well of body. Yet it is of no use. Fear begins to take over me as I realize my two mistakes.
I have not saved for a long, long time.
I am unable to confront the mastermind. As already mentioned, I am a terrible warrior. I took up the path of magic halfway through the game, but at that stage it was too late for me to become a mage proficient enough in combat to be of any threat to him. I can also not confront him in mental warfare, as I skipped many trails beyond the main plot line.
A famous quote from the Matrix comes to my mind as I actually feel regret, fear and sadness. "It is inevitable". However, I know it would be foolish to give up, having gotten so far. I roam the room for a bit, trying to devise a way to solve the problem at hand.
In hopes of possibly convincing the other two people in our ominous cell, I turn to them for a talk. One turns out to be a complete nutjob. I recognize him - I have been encountering traces of his activity for a long, long time during my journey. By a stroke of luck, I use what little knowledge I have of him... and it turns out to be enough. He turns out to be simply... lost. Terrified. Alone. Much like I am at that point, frozen in time before my mind's eyes. He agrees that our only chance of making a stand is united.
We merge. I receive a huge influx of strength, and with it, comes hope. Yet that is quickly silenced as I realize that I would require more, much more power than I have gained just now to be able to stand a chance of surviving as myself.
I talk to the other one, who turns out to be the most friendly - seeing as he does not attempt to assimilate me or to strangle me. We discuss my journeys of the Planes, in which he turns out to have played a major role. He strikes me as a reasonable person, and so he turns out to be. We share a shocking realization, upon which he promises that all my remaining doubts shall be explained and merges with me.
Once again, I experience a major increase in power. Hope rises inside me as I check what I have gained. I am then left crushed, as it is, once again, not enough. So close, yet so far. I begin considering a surrender, talking with the mastermind once again. As I ponder making that one decision which means the difference between life and death, between surrendering what remaining life I have to this abomination and fighting through it on my own, between keeping and losing my identity, I am reminded of an object I have picked up a long while ago.
It is an artifact belonging to the "unanswered questions" category - I was unable to find a purpose, a meaning behind its existence. I had forgotten about it for a while, yet, as luck would have it, I kept it close to me. I realize how to use it, and so I do.
It is an unforgettable moment.
Planescape veterans should recognize these words. I feel suddenly comforted, for in knowing what I have learned from the artifact, I have gained back perhaps the most important back of myself, something I have been missing for much too long. And with it, I know myself; and I know that there is very little I cannot do.
I set off to confront the mastermind. Glee, joy and satisfaction fills my face as he now seems weak. He does not only seem weak, he is weak - because I had been so weak myself, I was just unable to notice it. He tries to put up resistance, yet is unable to muster enough forces to hold.
The last obstacle falls, and I am now ready to face the final challenge.
I am trapped alongside three powerful friends/foes - if this were Facebook, I would set the relationship status to "It's complicated". One is the person who has orchestrated the whole affair, the other two - innocent bystanders in comparison, yet they also played a part in the matter.
The mastermind - a very fitting term, I must add - is intending to force me to surrender my identity to him and let him absorb me, allowing us to leave our trap. I briefly duel him, in a competition of mind as well of body. Yet it is of no use. Fear begins to take over me as I realize my two mistakes.
I have not saved for a long, long time.
I am unable to confront the mastermind. As already mentioned, I am a terrible warrior. I took up the path of magic halfway through the game, but at that stage it was too late for me to become a mage proficient enough in combat to be of any threat to him. I can also not confront him in mental warfare, as I skipped many trails beyond the main plot line.
A famous quote from the Matrix comes to my mind as I actually feel regret, fear and sadness. "It is inevitable". However, I know it would be foolish to give up, having gotten so far. I roam the room for a bit, trying to devise a way to solve the problem at hand.
In hopes of possibly convincing the other two people in our ominous cell, I turn to them for a talk. One turns out to be a complete nutjob. I recognize him - I have been encountering traces of his activity for a long, long time during my journey. By a stroke of luck, I use what little knowledge I have of him... and it turns out to be enough. He turns out to be simply... lost. Terrified. Alone. Much like I am at that point, frozen in time before my mind's eyes. He agrees that our only chance of making a stand is united.
We merge. I receive a huge influx of strength, and with it, comes hope. Yet that is quickly silenced as I realize that I would require more, much more power than I have gained just now to be able to stand a chance of surviving as myself.
I talk to the other one, who turns out to be the most friendly - seeing as he does not attempt to assimilate me or to strangle me. We discuss my journeys of the Planes, in which he turns out to have played a major role. He strikes me as a reasonable person, and so he turns out to be. We share a shocking realization, upon which he promises that all my remaining doubts shall be explained and merges with me.
Once again, I experience a major increase in power. Hope rises inside me as I check what I have gained. I am then left crushed, as it is, once again, not enough. So close, yet so far. I begin considering a surrender, talking with the mastermind once again. As I ponder making that one decision which means the difference between life and death, between surrendering what remaining life I have to this abomination and fighting through it on my own, between keeping and losing my identity, I am reminded of an object I have picked up a long while ago.
It is an artifact belonging to the "unanswered questions" category - I was unable to find a purpose, a meaning behind its existence. I had forgotten about it for a while, yet, as luck would have it, I kept it close to me. I realize how to use it, and so I do.
It is an unforgettable moment.
Planescape veterans should recognize these words. I feel suddenly comforted, for in knowing what I have learned from the artifact, I have gained back perhaps the most important back of myself, something I have been missing for much too long. And with it, I know myself; and I know that there is very little I cannot do.
I set off to confront the mastermind. Glee, joy and satisfaction fills my face as he now seems weak. He does not only seem weak, he is weak - because I had been so weak myself, I was just unable to notice it. He tries to put up resistance, yet is unable to muster enough forces to hold.
The last obstacle falls, and I am now ready to face the final challenge.
"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."
- The Nameless One
And then I tie up all the loose ends, and the equation is balanced out. I suppose it is of no surprise to anyone that a person who began the game with issues in the death department ends the game with these issues alleviated.
The game ends.
My imprisonment does not.
I still keep thinking about Torment; about how it changed me. Through the story of the Nameless One, I managed to start thinking about the world differently. I am now aware of the endless possibilities ahead of me, and of my own mortality - with which I have come to terms; it does not scare me anymore.
I think I can truly say that the little time I had on the Planes, I loved. It was an amazing experience which I would recommend to everyone else, especially if you are not afraid of asking yourself questions. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results.
