Planescape: Torment - Enhanced Edition

About Planescape: Torment - Enhanced Edition

Planescape: Torment - Enhanced Edition is a 2017 role-playing game developed by Beamdog that reworks the 1999 classic. Set in the chaotic multiverse of Sigil, a city where portals connect to endless planes, you play as the Nameless One, a figure with no memory of countless lives. The game blends turn-based combat, dialogue-driven storytelling, and exploration. Beamdog’s Enhanced Edition adds modern features like a 4K interface, remastered music, and curated bug fixes. It’s a 50+ hour RPG with themes of identity and mortality, featuring quirky companions like a vengeful suit of armor and a succubus who kills with a kiss. Available on PC, consoles, and mobile, it’s a polished resurrection of a cult favorite.

Gameplay

The core loop centers on navigating Sigil’s labyrinthine streets and planar realms via portals requiring specific keys. Combat is turn-based, with action points spent on attacks, spells, or dialogue. Each battle demands strategic use of classes like Psionicist or Divine, which gain XP to unlock new abilities. Dialogue choices shape relationships with companions and determine outcomes. The Nameless One’s immortality lets you retry failed paths, but each resurrection costs a life. Key mechanics include managing inventory, deciphering cryptic lore, and solving environmental puzzles. The Enhanced Edition streamlines UI with tab highlighting and area zooming, while the remastered soundtrack elevates tense moments. Sessions often blend exploration, combat, and moral dilemmas, with the final act revealing why your past lives haunt you.

What Players Think

The Enhanced Edition holds an 85/100 on Metacritic, with 62% of 1.2 million players completing it. Average playtime is 54 hours, and 17% finish all 349 achievements. Community moods lean contemplative (48%) and mysterious (42%), matching the game’s philosophical tone. Reviews highlight the "jaw-dropping twists" and "unforgettable cast," while critics praise its "timeless dialogue system." Some note dated graphics by 2024 standards, but 78% of players say the enhancements justify replaying. The Metacritic summary calls it "a masterclass in narrative design," with Beamdog’s updates making it "accessible for modern RPG fans."

PlayPile's Take

Planescape: Torment - Enhanced Edition is worth $29.99 for RPG fans who enjoy layered narratives and moral complexity. The 349 achievements push replayability, but the 54-hour average playtime means it’s a long commitment. It thrives for players who relish dialogue over combat, and those who appreciate existential themes. While the visuals feel dated next to 2024 releases, the story and companions remain unmatched. If you’re okay with slower pacing and want to experience a cult classic with modern polish, this is a must-play. Otherwise, skip for more action-driven RPGs.

Storyline

"What can change the nature of a man?" You are the Nameless One, a hulking figure covered in scars and tattoos collected over the course of countless lives—none of which you can remember, but are now coming back to haunt you. You are prodded awake by Morte, a floating skull and keeper of secrets, to embark on an adventure taking The Nameless One from the dirty streets of Sigil into the mysterious Outer Planes and even into the depths of Hell itself. Portals riddle the planar metropolis of Sigil, providing access to anywhere in existence, but only if you have the proper key. Known as the "City of Doors," Sigil is a neutral ground where demons, devas, and races from across the multiverse gather under the watchful shadow of the Lady of Pain, the city's enigmatic ruler. This is a place where the word is mightier than the sword, where thought defines reality, and belief has the power to reshape worlds. In your search for answers, you'll find companions matching the bizarre nature of the planes: a chaste succubus who can kill with a kiss, a confused crossbow-wielding cube, a suit of armor animated by a spirit demanding JUSTICE, and more. With these companions and others at The Nameless One’s side, you will explore worlds in search of answers, all to discover that some destinies cannot be escaped and some memories cost more than an even an immortal can bear.