What can change the nature of a man?
I just finished playing Planescape: Torment an incredible 1999 role-playing game by Black Isle Studios. And let me tell you, it is an incredible journey! The game is a traditional computer RPG using the same engine as the acclaimed Baldur's Gate series, so it shares many similarities with BGI and II. However, I have to say that PST offers a much richer storyline.
The game takes place in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting called Planescape. This universe, unlike your typical tolkeinesque D&D world, takes place in a multiverse of different "planes" of existence defined by the opposing axes of law vs chaos and good vs evil. So you have a neutral good plane that is a universe of pristine natural beauty, a chaotic evil universe of cruel and capricious demons, a lawful neutral plane of pure logic-driven automatons, and so on. The action takes place in a city at the "center" of all the planes.
Many RPGs play off the tabula rasa cliche but in PST it is actually central to the story. In PST, you play the Nameless One, a horribly scarred blue-skinned human who wakes up half-naked on an examination table in a morgue. You are immediately greeted by a floating, talking skull who offers to help you out (clearly this is not your typical setup). The skull, named Morte, read a message that your previous self tatooed on your back (Momento-style) and you head off in search of clues to your identity. You gradually come to discover that you are immortal and every time you "die" you come back to life but lose all of your memories. It turns out you have lived countless lives over a thousand years trying to determine how and why you came to be immortal. So The game's central quest is one of self-discovery and reflection on the nature of mortality.
The game's themes and its dialogue are what make it such a rich experience. The theme of Planescape is the meaning of life and death and the very nature of meaning and philosophy. One of the characters late in the game summarizes one of the narrative's succinctly when she asks your character "what can change the nature of a man?" There is no right answer to the question, but your choice of any of a dozen possibilities allows your to imbue the game world with your character's own perspective on mortality and meaning.
The dialogue is some of the best I've seen in any RPG. In fact, given that the game emphasizes talking over combat (you can even complete the final encounter with the "boss" through dialogue alone!) the game often becomes like an interactive book. Luckily, the characterizations are clever and the dialogue snappy.
For some even more insightful analysis of Planescape: Torment, I highly recommend that readers check out the excellent commentary over at the Brainy Gamer.
If you've never played Planescape: Torment and you are a fan of role-playing games, do yourself a favor and check out this incredible game. Though if you do, be sure to get the widescreen mod and bugfix pack here: http://www.bootstrike.com/Torment/files.html
The game takes place in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting called Planescape. This universe, unlike your typical tolkeinesque D&D world, takes place in a multiverse of different "planes" of existence defined by the opposing axes of law vs chaos and good vs evil. So you have a neutral good plane that is a universe of pristine natural beauty, a chaotic evil universe of cruel and capricious demons, a lawful neutral plane of pure logic-driven automatons, and so on. The action takes place in a city at the "center" of all the planes.
Many RPGs play off the tabula rasa cliche but in PST it is actually central to the story. In PST, you play the Nameless One, a horribly scarred blue-skinned human who wakes up half-naked on an examination table in a morgue. You are immediately greeted by a floating, talking skull who offers to help you out (clearly this is not your typical setup). The skull, named Morte, read a message that your previous self tatooed on your back (Momento-style) and you head off in search of clues to your identity. You gradually come to discover that you are immortal and every time you "die" you come back to life but lose all of your memories. It turns out you have lived countless lives over a thousand years trying to determine how and why you came to be immortal. So The game's central quest is one of self-discovery and reflection on the nature of mortality.
The game's themes and its dialogue are what make it such a rich experience. The theme of Planescape is the meaning of life and death and the very nature of meaning and philosophy. One of the characters late in the game summarizes one of the narrative's succinctly when she asks your character "what can change the nature of a man?" There is no right answer to the question, but your choice of any of a dozen possibilities allows your to imbue the game world with your character's own perspective on mortality and meaning.
The dialogue is some of the best I've seen in any RPG. In fact, given that the game emphasizes talking over combat (you can even complete the final encounter with the "boss" through dialogue alone!) the game often becomes like an interactive book. Luckily, the characterizations are clever and the dialogue snappy.
For some even more insightful analysis of Planescape: Torment, I highly recommend that readers check out the excellent commentary over at the Brainy Gamer.
If you've never played Planescape: Torment and you are a fan of role-playing games, do yourself a favor and check out this incredible game. Though if you do, be sure to get the widescreen mod and bugfix pack here: http://www.bootstrike.com/Torment/files.html