*NOTE* I ask in all sincerity to everybody that has completed the game to not in anyway spoil the plot. I would be heartbroken*NOTE*
Well due to the numerous quality things I’ve been hearing about planescape torment I have been hearing over the last 5-6 years, (Mainly concerning its sensational game play, and that its reported to have the best story for a game EVER), I have decided to start playing through it.
A day of torrenting later (Fuck you aus internet...) and I had the .iso files. 5 minutes of installation later and I was greeted to an outstanding introduction. Though gaudy, the 3d animation is still characterful, and immediately sets the scene for what’s about to occur.
First of all. I love morte. That little guy is so kick ass! I never thought that a flying skull as a sidekick could be cool, until this game. The protagonist, Nameless one, is also very cool. I think what makes this game so captivating, and what gives players a reason to keep on exploring is the TOTAL mystery surrounding this protagonist. Nothing is known about him bar the instructions which were left behind and carved into his back. Badass.
The very first scene is also undeniably cool. 'Sneaking' around the mortuary, slashing zombies and seeing tiny fragments of the nameless one's memory return.
I've now met pharod, and I’m in the 'below', looking for the small brass egg thing that smells of custard. I want to know more.
BTW. Fell is quite annoying. Trying to tell me you know more about me then refusing to explain. Screw you! Just because I don’t talk by making symbols appear around my head is no reason to discriminate.
PS. this game is truly sensational. I must complete it and finish the story.
GAMEPLAY wise: Morte once again kicks ass. I found dak'kon in the tavern with the burning man. He’s a bit soft but it’s great to have a caster. Stupidly I made Nameless one into a thief. Going stealth certainly does have its uses though, however he now folds like a paper bag (Not really but he's softer). Morte is just a tank. The guy rapes everything and is responsible for like 65% of the party’s exp.
Rock on.
Might as well add that Neil Young's Harvest is one of the greatest albums I've heard. listen to it.
bestest gaem evuh story, npc interactions, graphical design (as starcraft, one of the rare old games that look good even to this day), are all absolutely unbelievable. and an excellent game world, yay for fantasy that is actually fantastic, not just medieval europe with elves and dragons
hope you put plenty of points into non-physical attributes, like wisdom/int/charisma, they have a profound effect on dialogue and restored memories, and that's what the game is about
Yes, you probably won't find a better story and better developed characters in any other game... especially not newer ones which are almost always dumbed down in some way. Oh and the setting is great too. Very fresh.
Sadly, we won't find games like this anymore because it didn't sell well. The market is just not there for "deep" games like this where you also have to read a lot.
PS:T is not only amazing, it's also the only game where I had a tear in my eye (at the ending video).
@deadbeef haha, i was in a state of shell shock for most of the endgame. chris avellone truly is a genius
you've got a point though, not many gamers like this type of games (hardcore rpg/adventures), so they are almost extinct today. except for other games by avellone, like MOTB for example, rpgs today have very little roleplaying and quite a lot dumbing down going on.
MOTB = Mask of the Betrayer? I haven't played that one yet... just the original NWN2.
Oh by the way, if you play PS:T the first time, I recommend going the way of a mage (you have the choice between warrior, mage and thief), because, as mentioned, the attributes which are almost always ignored in other RPGs actually REALLY matter in PS Intelligence, Charisma and Wisdom. Which benefits mages the most. Although in this case Charisma doesn't have to be that high because you can cast Friends to boost it before talking to people. And the spells are really fun... nice effects, and many high-level spells also have a video playing once you cast them, making the spell appear really epic (e.g.: ) In short: if you don't play as a mage you'll miss out on a lot of stuff.
@boblion well, i didnt like it at all as i dont like the hacky-slashy part of the RPG genre, but to a more action/dungeon-crawl loving audience it should be fun
@deadbeef
yeah, motb is mask of the betrayer. a LOT better than NWN2, like a completely different game. also made by Avellone, like torment it doesnt have a main evil character, no "EPIC" save the world plot, deals with the "what can change the nature of a man" question and with the main character's internal struggle (like most of the Avellones games), starts out a bit slow but gets better as you advance a bit.
you've got a point though, not many gamers like this type of games (hardcore rpg/adventures), so they are almost extinct today. except for other games by avellone, like MOTB for example, rpgs today have very little roleplaying and quite a lot dumbing down going on.
I believe that Dragon Age shall be the savior. Too bad it is still a long ways off.
Already heard positive things of MOTB... guess I have to try that soon. The original NWN2 is decent but nothing impressive.
@kefkalives: Yeah... Don't sweat it though. Any character is fine, it's not like it's a hard game where you need a good character build to succeed. Experiencing the story is everything. You'll just miss out on some dialogue choices (often these allow you to avoid combat (which often rewards you with more experience points than fighting!), or find out more about a certain subject (i.e. get more details on the story), or other things, for example, solve riddles at once because with a high Int your character already figured out the answer). If you play the game first with a "dumb" character and then with a smart one, you'll probably have quite a few "Oh!" moments.
anybody here played KOTOR 2? it's good enough to warrant playing through the first game (if you haven't already), if only to have the background story. KOTOR 2 is another brilliant example of Chris Avellone's writing skills, a lot of the games he touches turn to solid gold (even though KOTOR 2 has quite a bit of cut content due to time constraints)..
ever since planescape torment there are only two games that i feel can come close to it in regards to story/characters/dialogues, and those are KOTOR 2 and NWN2: MOTB
I didn't play any Star Wars game newer than Jedi Knight 2 (the one before Jedi Academy). :>
One more thing about PS There are 2 "essential" mods (Fixpack, Tweakpack) and 1 "optional" one (Unfinished Business) which adds some quests. All links + info @ http://www.spellholdstudios.net/ie/pst-fixpack These were actually updated fairly recently. You also need the latest PS:T 1.1 patch for these. The newer 2 CD version of PS:T is already patched, not sure about other versions.
EPT
Intelligence, Charisma and Wisdom. Which benefits mages the most. Although in this case Charisma doesn't have to be that high because you can cast Friends to boost it before talking to people.
