Torment: Tides Of Numenera

Torment: Tides of Numenera has emerged as one of the most anticipated RPGs of the last few years, especially for those who grew up with complex isometric games like Baldur’s Gate, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, and Planescape Torment, the game to which it is a spiritual successor. However, I was curious exactly how inXile was going to handle the proposed console port of a game with such an intricate interface that includes inventory management, detailed action selection, and reading through tons of text. The answer: surprisingly well.

I watched a one-hour demo of the Xbox One version during PAX, and the controls were unexpectedly fluid, with the demoer switching between actions and dialogue options on the fly. The demo also showed off two new areas of the game. The first was a disgusting, pus-ridden area that had been taken over by some kind of lifeform called The Maw. Our band of heroes walked around the area and talked to some NPCs. The demoer pointed at a crashed subway car and explained how, if we went inside it, we would be confronted by an A.I. who would tell us the story of how the car crashed into the Maw, killing everyone on board, and how it felt guilt for letting them all die.

After that, we crossed through a gooey, bloody portal onto a broken space station populated by a religious cult that lives out its days waiting for a starship to come and take them away. The demoer explained that we needed to steal an item from there. As is often the case with this genre, there are a number of options that we can explore to accomplish our goal. He chose to break down the door in front of the guard (oops), creating a combat scenario. Fighting is entertaining, with characters in the party casting spells that let them briefly control enemies, and plenty of punches to go around.

Those who want to play Torment: Tides of Numenera, but don’t have a PC or want to play it on a console can rest easy. So far, the console edition (at least on Xbox One) runs smoothly and the controls are intuitive. Torment’s new areas also showcased the inventiveness I’ve come to expect from it as the game dives even further into a compelling realm of grotesque, fantastical weirdness.