This review contains spoilers
Planescape Torment is one of the most interesting RPGs I've ever played, as while playing it is an absolute nightmare at times, the overall narrative and world kept me engaged from beginning to end.
What makes Planescapes world so interesting is probably how fucking weird it is from the start. Waking up in a morgue and exploring the various landscapes makes you meet tons of interesting factions/people. From the Dustmen to the Wererats, Planescapes vast assortment of factions never get boring and exploring every nook and cranny never got old with consistently sharp writing that makes the journey never have a dull moment . Another point where Planescape absolutely nails it is in the companions, with most of the general party being formed of relatively grey people that can't stand each other and only care for the Nameless One. From the eccentric Morte to the insane Ignus, so much of the games writing excels because of them and I'd honestly say they're some of the best companions in a RPG.
Sadly a lot of my issues with Planescape stem from the bits that arent focused on the writing, mainly its atrocious gameplay. While I don't mind the simplciity of the game and can respect that stats work in both ways, I sincerely think the game would've been better without combat (Disco Elysium is a phenomenal example of this). Fights just become an utter drag and having to micromanage the party becomes a clunky mess that never feels satisfying. This really begins to show during the last third of the game that oddly emphasizes this combat, with sections like the underground of Curst being downright awful with tons of guards that take forever to kill and a nasty penultimate fight that can't be skipped. On that note the final third also suffers due to its borderline linear nature, which so much of it feeling oddly traditional and not nearly as interesting as anything in Sigil. Atleast the finale makes up for it (though I could've done without the stupid shadows and live system).
At the end of it all I would still highly recommend Planescape but to also expect a RPG thats more about exploring a world through diction rather than action.
8/10
What makes Planescapes world so interesting is probably how fucking weird it is from the start. Waking up in a morgue and exploring the various landscapes makes you meet tons of interesting factions/people. From the Dustmen to the Wererats, Planescapes vast assortment of factions never get boring and exploring every nook and cranny never got old with consistently sharp writing that makes the journey never have a dull moment . Another point where Planescape absolutely nails it is in the companions, with most of the general party being formed of relatively grey people that can't stand each other and only care for the Nameless One. From the eccentric Morte to the insane Ignus, so much of the games writing excels because of them and I'd honestly say they're some of the best companions in a RPG.
Sadly a lot of my issues with Planescape stem from the bits that arent focused on the writing, mainly its atrocious gameplay. While I don't mind the simplciity of the game and can respect that stats work in both ways, I sincerely think the game would've been better without combat (Disco Elysium is a phenomenal example of this). Fights just become an utter drag and having to micromanage the party becomes a clunky mess that never feels satisfying. This really begins to show during the last third of the game that oddly emphasizes this combat, with sections like the underground of Curst being downright awful with tons of guards that take forever to kill and a nasty penultimate fight that can't be skipped. On that note the final third also suffers due to its borderline linear nature, which so much of it feeling oddly traditional and not nearly as interesting as anything in Sigil. Atleast the finale makes up for it (though I could've done without the stupid shadows and live system).
At the end of it all I would still highly recommend Planescape but to also expect a RPG thats more about exploring a world through diction rather than action.
8/10