It’s turn-based and values the use of your “Numenera”, cyphers or artifacts in the game that give off special powers or abilities. If you are a player who does not want to avoid it anyway or forced to the situation, combat may feel lackluster. “Indigo” represents Order “Red” represents passion and love, and “Silver” for power and ambition. Staying “Neutral” may prove to be a difficult task. I played the game with choosing the options that corresponds to my own personality, which I recommend is how you should play the game. It is more complicated than simply putting it as your moral compass, however, as for example my current dominant tides are “Gold” and “Blue”, indicating that I am empathetic and compassionate while intelligent with a thirst for knowledge. Your Tide changes dominance based on how you interact with the characters in the game. The “Tides” are your moral alignments and your gained personality traits. The ability to make conversation tests your own personality, your ethics, choices, and your prejudice. To put simply, there are words in which the visual can never translate.Īs aforementioned, I have only been in combat thrice but it is because of the choice to avoid conflict. It shows that though visual graphics allow realism, written descriptions allow imagination and personality. However, I can only say praise for the approach as it does allow you to form relationships with the characters and unravel the very intricate web formed by RPG genius, Monte Cook. I must admit that I was forced to stop playing a few dozen times as I would form headaches in extensive reading on a television. The character screen which also shows your dominant tides (streams surrounding the character), party members, and stat pool.Īn early warning that indeed, Torment is a text-heavy game. Unfamiliar with Torment’s spiritual predecessor, Planescape Torment, I was struck with amazement with this approach of RPG-a game that relies on conversation and relationships, a game that feels more text adventure than graphic.
In your journey, you meet characters from city-to-city who are either potential party members or side-quest holders, you get to know them all as if forming a visceral connection as you are given conversation options that will help form such unique and interesting relationship. You are the a “Castoff”, a race of sort created by the “The Changing God” to make use of them as his “hosts”, and you are tasked with finding ways to repair a chamber that will enable you to beat forces known as “Sorrows”. This review is based on a review build provided by the developers/publisher. The world of Torment: Tides of Numenera is complex, extremely detailed, and filled with colorful characters that beg for an unraveling. In the hours I have played this game, I still feel that I have barely scratched the surfaced. For this RPG, I have only been in combat thrice-and I am more than okay with that.