Torment Revisited

As of this writing, two weeks have passed since I decided to play through Planescape: Torment, and much has changed in the interim. My outlook on gaming has changed. My appreciation of gaming's past and my expectations for its future have been bolstered. My zest for life has increased, my six terminal illnesses have miraculously been cured, and my libido has never been more active. All of this, thanks to one game!

Given that dramatic infomercial lead-in, you may have expected me to italicize the word "one" in the preceding sentence. Perhaps I surprised you by italicizing nothing at all, and perhaps not, but the truth of the matter is, I should have added emphasis to the last word: game. Know that I am not writing these words solely to convince you to go out and buy a sub-$10 copy of Planescape: Torment. Trust me when I say that there are more important things on the line here than your or my gamer's karma.

I'm writing these words because there is a specific sequence in Planescape: Torment that is, to my mind, the most important instance of narrative in any game ever made, and also because in the six years since the game's release, this sequence has not garnered the widespread recognition it so rightly deserves. As soon as I finished playing through this grand sequence, I made a cryptic post to this thread proclaiming it the best game experience I'd had in many years. I've had a bit of time to think about it, and I'm now ready to proclaim it THE BEST single-player game experience of my life. For reasons upon which I shall soon expound, I believe that this single moment is a milestone in the history of gaming, and a true exemplar of gaming narrative done right.

When I talk of "gaming narrative done right", I don't simply mean that it's done well. There exist a number of excellent games with gripping stories and interesting characters, but most of those games exhibit plots that could easily be made into movies, and characters that could have been pulled from a novel. Very few of them tell their narratives with a mind toward the unique advantages and opportunities that games can afford a story. Most of them, in spite of their enjoyable qualities, insist upon aping more traditional narrative forms.

Chris Avellone, the lead designer of Planescape: Torment, has obviously realized that games are of a medium that allows for stories that cannot be told through any other medium. Why "obviously"? Because he said so himself, in a recent Gamespot interview by Greg Kasavin entitled "Everything is Possible: Inside the Minds of Gaming's Master Storytellers". When asked, "What would you say to someone who told you that games have universally terrible stories?" Avellone responded in part:

I'd say game stories can be a little formulaic at times and a little unpolished, but then I would point up at the sky and say, "Holy s***, look at that!" And when they do, I would punch them in the gut, and while they were gasping for breath, I would lean down and go, "You are wrong. There are several games with compelling stories, stories that achieve greater strength because it's a story you can interact with. Thus, the experience is even more personal than reading a novel, where you are basically watching the characters go about their adventures without any participation from you except flicking your eyes across the page." At this point, the person would be about to get up, so I would kick them in the shins and then run.

Avellone, you beautiful, beautiful bastard. You stole the words right from my mouth, twisted them into something higher and nobler, and then uttered them as if they were your own. I commend you.

I'd like to offer a "for instance" to back up Avellone's claim. Unfortunately, in order to describe my favorite sequence in Planescape: Torment with anything approaching adequacy, I'll have little choice but to venture deep within that forbidden land known as SPOILER territory. If you've never played Torment before, and if you intend to play it sometime in the future, you'll want to skip the rest of this article.

I'll say it again: MAJOR SPOILERS LURK BELOW.

In Planescape: Torment, you play the role of The Nameless One, a seemingly immortal man who has lost all memory of himself and his past. Whenever killed, you awaken soon after upon a cold stone mortuary slab. You soon become obsessed with learning about your own past, and self-discovery is the goal around which your entire quest is oriented. Early in your quest you encounter the ghost of a lovely woman named Deionarra, who claims that you used to love her in one of the former incarnations that now lie outside of your memory's grasp.

Sigil is the name of the city you inhabit, and in one of its wards stands the headquarters of the Sensates, a faction committed to the notion that experience is the path to enlightenment. Within this building are sensoria, chambers containing numerous pedestal-borne rocks known as sensory stones. Each sensory stone contains a complete recording of a single person's experience of a certain event, and by touching the stone, the sensorium patron may live vicariously through the eyes, ears, body, and mind of the stone's subject. The experiences recorded on the stones are chosen for their interesting qualities; the stones are inscribed with such titles as "Unavoidable Pain", "Sheer Wonder", "Bitter Loathing", and so on.

Upon touching the stone labelled "Longing", you are shocked to realize that the memory imprinted upon the stone is that of the woman Deionarra. Even more shocking, the memory is of her conversation with your prior incarnation! Since you're experiencing this conversation through Deionarra's perspective, you are fully conscious of her feelings. You sense that she is in love with your former self, that her commitment is complete and undying. As you observe the conversation, your lost memories begin to return, and everything falls into context. You remember that you were preparing to set out on a dangerous journey, and that Deionarra wished to accompany you in spite of the peril. And then you realize: you wanted Deionarra to come with you, in order that she might die.

As the memories wash over you, the cruelty of your former self becomes apparent. You used to be a cold and calculating man, brutal and evil to the core, and your relationship with Deionarra was built upon lies in the hope of luring her into a trap to suit your own nefarious purposes.

Try to understand that at this point in the game, there are three emotional threads interwoven: the callous, hateful former You; the loving, courageous, and utterly devoted Deionarra; and the present You, who stands appalled at his own past and longs to warn Deionarra of the treachery that awaits, but cannot. The most remarkable thing about this scene is that all three personae are present and active in the player's mind simultaneously. The player identifies with the present Nameless One, by virtue of having assumed his role from the game's outset. The player identifies with the past Nameless One, by virtue of the mechanism of recovered memory. And the player identifies with Deionarra, owing to the nature of the sensory stone. All of these voices enter into the player's head simultaneously, and they're all known to the mind directly, without mediation. In mythological terms, if Deionarra can be equated with the ancient Greek Deianira -- a link I think we are meant to draw -- then this scene in Planescape: Torment forces the player to become Deianira, Heracles, and Nessus combined. This unsettling, tripartite identity is only made possible due to the underlying RPG gameplay mechanic of becoming The Nameless One.

It is not within my power to convey the full emotional impact of this incredibly complex scene. After playing through it, I was moved to tears; I had to hit pause, walk away from the computer and take a break. I can think of no other piece of art or literature that achieves quite this same effect, and indeed, I believe that other narrative media are wholly incapable of giving life to such a scene. Based on the earlier comment I quoted from Chris Avellone, it seems likely that he would agree with me.

I therefore believe that Planescape: Torment is the epitome of gaming qua narrative art; it is the best evidence to date that games are fully capable of playing with, and even besting, the big boys.

- Lobo

Comments

Fantastic post Lobo! I remember that part, it was unbelieveably moving. I loved speaking with the burning mage earlier in the game and deciding how to feel about him. I also was shocked when I found out morte wasn't reading the last sentence from my back tattoo! What a game. I keep wishing for another in the same universe.

Fantastic article! I never managed to finish Torment (honestly, once I had a full party the path-finding drove me crazy) but I did play through that part and it hit me pretty hard too.

Damn you Lobo, for making me stop reading your article right in the middle! I had a chance to pick up P:T in an EB Games for 4 bucks, several months ago. And then I let it slip away. I rue that day, I tell you!

I, too, skipped the spoiler part because I hope someday to find the time for this game. However, I love this article (despite having not read a good chunk of it) because of the skill, intelligence and passion it displays. Bravo Lobo.

Some games empower the imagination so quickly and easily that they literally soar into players' hands overnight. Others, while easily as engaging (if not more), require a bit of experience, a moment of contemplation or a leap of faith to capture our attention. These games are called sleepers and we must leave it to those brave, brainy few among us to bring them to our attention. I believe that Lobo has done just that. Thank you sir. Please keep that ball rolling.

*spoiler*

Lobo: Did you discover the Modron cube? Did you laugh out loud after discovering it?

That and the sensory stones were the best part of the experience for me. I do not know why they cannot put writing of this quality into todays RPG's.

Yeah, the Modron cube...that was awesome too.

Those of you who wish to avoid spoilers: the two small paragraphs at the very end of my article are safe for your eyes. Reading them will hopefully provide a bit more closure to the article. I only wish that I had played through Torment back in 1999 or 2000, when perhaps my shower of accolades might have done more good.

squirrelmonkey:

The scene you describe concerning Morte and the tattoo chilled me to the bone. It really caught me off my guard, that one did.

Certis, buzzvang, Fletcher, and others:

Imagine, if you will, the most impassioned, rousing speech ever given in the history of humanity. Now, imagine that that speech was given in praise of Planescape: Torment. Finally, imagine that I have just delivered that very same speech right here before your eyes. Please act accordingly (i.e., go buy/play it!)

As for the pathfinding issue, it isn't half as bad as the idiot henchman pathfinding in NWN!

Mayfield:

I did more than LOL; I ROFL'd all over the place.

Wow, now I have to go buy it and play it. You make it sound so wonderful.

Great article Lobo.
Planescape is one of a kind. By the way Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon is priceless!

It's sad that the game didn't sell well; I would love to see a sequel. Sense BI is gone, that for sure will never happen.

Another game that comes to mind that really shines by adding interactivity into a powerful and emotional narrative is Photopia. It's a "text adventure" that won 1st Place in the 1998 Interactive Fiction Competition. Very highly recommended - don't let the "text adventure" label scare you off. Plus it's free!:D Here's a link:
http://adamcadre.ac/photopia.html

The scene you describe concerning Morte and the tattoo chilled me to the bone. It really caught me off my guard, that one did.

I remember actually yelling out loud, "That little BASTARD!" when I read that. Great game.

Minase wrote:
The scene you describe concerning Morte and the tattoo chilled me to the bone. It really caught me off my guard, that one did.

I remember actually yelling out loud, "That little BASTARD!" when I read that. Great game.

He was SO helpful until then, such a nice skull. Gettin' busy with those zombies and offering to share the love.
The two best game characters ever were both skulls, morte and murray.

'Longing' is the only piece of gaming that has managed to make me cry. Such a brilliant game, Torment.

It is good to finally read your thoughts on Planescape: Torment, Lobo! The article is a worthy epitaph to the brilliance that was this game. So many times an RPG is just an excuse to maneuvre an individual or party of individuals around in some fantasy world. How few are the games where you actually get to play a role.

Another remarkable aspect of Torment is the eloquence with which it presents - and indeed forces you to think about - morality, guilt and repentance. You are never steered in a particular direction - you are truly free to decide for yourself if you want to atone for your past transgressions or not.

It is my sincerest hope that I will someday again experience such depth in a game.

Welp I just ordered Planescape Torment off an Amazon.com seller for $2.67 . Given my recent experience with KOTOR, I will probably not have the patience to go past the firsr 2 rooms, but hey better buy it now before it disappears forever.

God Lobo, that Chris Avellone quote made me want to find him and kiss him on the mouth. And I don't think that makes me any less of a man.

Planescape: Torment was simply full of moments like that. The surrealism of the setting, and the game/story mechanic of recovering lost memory was used to full effect in that game several times over. The conversation with Ravel in the maze was quite a piece of storytelling as well. And Morte's story. And Annah's. Damn, that game had so many wonderful stories that really wouldn't have been possible in non-interactive media. It just hasn't been topped.

Lobo wrote:

squirrelmonkey:

The scene you describe concerning Morte and the tattoo chilled me to the bone. It really caught me off my guard, that one did.

That is the only time in any game where I have gasped out-loud. I remember sitting, staring at the screen just absolutely stunned for 2-3 minutes.

Usually when I finish a game, there's that "that was fun feeling." With PS:T, I actually had to get away from it. I was emotionally attached to the characters (only time that's ever happened), and I could not believe the experience was over. This game went so much deeper than any other game ever had or has (that I've played). It's a shame that more people did not play it. It's an even bigger shame that we'll probably not see another game like it for a very long time.

Edit: Just looking at that article about Chris Avellone and knowing now what happened to the full story of KotOR II, it just makes me that much more angry toward LucasArts. Can you imagine what PS:T had been like if they had to stop the game at the 3/4 point to meet some artificial year deadline? Interplay, despite all the bad things they did in the end, should be hailed for not interfering with the process of PS:T.

Nice article, Lobo, and a fitting tribute to a truly beautiful game.

By the way Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon is priceless!

Oh no I remember! The circle was totally tragic, I CAN'T believe the main character did that to poor Drakkon. What a bastard.

Have you seen the list of people who provided VO for that game? Some genuine stars of stage and screen were involved, including Q from ST:TNG and Skinner from the X-files.

Even the most underdeveloped characters in PS:T are light years ahead of characters from other games.

Excellent article here...it brings back so many memories of Planescape:Torment and the tale of The Nameless One, which I haven't played for over 5 years now. I remember well when it came out in early 2000...I still keep the box and everything in immaculate condition at home (most of those old massive boxes I have thrown away...the modern DVD cases are better considering the old big cardboard ones were mostly air anyway...). Maybe it will be worth something one day...

God I loved Planescape...favourite memories include this sequence from Deionarra's perspective; the other Sensate experiences (I seem to remember one where you experienced being a soldier on an airship just as the earth below you is annihilated); the way belief affected everything in the game (e.g. even Kurst could 'shift' planes depending on the beliefs of its inhabitants!); the deception of Dak'kon as illum points out (The Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon); the Brothel of Slating Intellectual Lusts; the ending where you could merge with The Trandcendant One (manifesting your mortality and fear) and just probably quite generally the whole game. Oh, and the Fiend from that Box...you remember, when you find the Fiend later in (Kurst?) and it is a 'Glabrezu' (had like crab pincers) and you get the Aegis Ring from it...the Missile of Patience...and those other fantastic FMVs!

So many fond memories....maybe I'll dig it out again and play it...

But there was one question that I was thinking of...I may have forgotten the answer, but were we ever told in the game WHAT the crime was of The Nameless One - what evil had he committed to make him so desperate to avoid death, which led to the ritual with Ravel in the first place? Was it just a life where he committed countless unspeakable evils and heinous crimes? Or was there one particularly evil thing?

Let me know what you think...

TheBeast wrote:

Was it just a life where he committed countless unspeakable evils and heinous crimes?

I think this was basically it, yeah.

Nice post, TheBeast. Just reading through your reminiscences makes me desperately want to play Torment again.

The Sensory Stone sequence did have a big impact for me but not the biggest. That honour goes to a discussion with Coaxmetal. I was doing the RPG thing, exploring the dialogue tree and stuff, and we got onto the topic of weaponry, which sounded interesting. So I explored my options some more, and we got on to the subject of my mortality, and he mentioned that he might have a way around it. So I hit the "I'd like you to make me a weapon that I can kill myself with" option. And then a simple thought quietly exploded unbidden from my subconscious - "I'm going to have to die to end this". Not "I'm going to have to kill my character", but "I am going to die". I wasn't expecting it at all - my own mortality just stepped out of the screen onto my desk and stood there staring at me.

I had to go and sit quietly on my own for several minutes at that point.

Toast wrote:

The Sensory Stone sequence did have a big impact for me but not the biggest. That honour goes to a discussion with Coaxmetal. I was doing the RPG thing, exploring the dialogue tree and stuff, and we got onto the topic of weaponry, which sounded interesting. So I explored my options some more, and we got on to the subject of my mortality, and he mentioned that he might have a way around it. So I hit the "I'd like you to make me a weapon that I can kill myself with" option. And then a simple thought quietly exploded unbidden from my subconscious - "I'm going to have to die to end this". Not "I'm going to have to kill my character", but "I am going to die". I wasn't expecting it at all - my own mortality just stepped out of the screen onto my desk and stood there staring at me.

I had to go and sit quietly on my own for several minutes at that point.

You know, I was just expousing last night to Katerin about this particular moment in PS:T, and how it used the traditional context of the protagonist as a tool to shatter any notions you may have. Damn, best game Ev4R I say

Also - zombie thread!

Toast wrote:

The Sensory Stone sequence did have a big impact for me but not the biggest. That honour goes to a discussion with Coaxmetal. I was doing the RPG thing, exploring the dialogue tree and stuff, and we got onto the topic of weaponry, which sounded interesting. So I explored my options some more, and we got on to the subject of my mortality, and he mentioned that he might have a way around it. So I hit the "I'd like you to make me a weapon that I can kill myself with" option. And then a simple thought quietly exploded unbidden from my subconscious - "I'm going to have to die to end this". Not "I'm going to have to kill my character", but "I am going to die". I wasn't expecting it at all - my own mortality just stepped out of the screen onto my desk and stood there staring at me.

I had to go and sit quietly on my own for several minutes at that point.

Wow, that's pretty intense. Thanks for sharing.

Sorry, got linked on PA forums and I didn't check the dates

I don't think there's any statute of limitations on sharing awesome experiences

Fletcher wrote:

I don't think there's any statute of limitations on sharing awesome experiences ;)

Careful with that. I could bust out the happiness I had with my ex many moons ago, followed by the emasculating and gut-renching lows that followed. YOU DON'T WANNA SEE THAT sh*t, BOY!

Rat Boy wrote:
Fletcher wrote:

I don't think there's any statute of limitations on sharing awesome experiences ;)

Careful with that. I could bust out the happiness I had with my ex many moons ago, followed by the emasculating and gut-renching lows that followed. YOU DON'T WANNA SEE THAT sh*t, BOY!

Check your universal translator. I said awesome experiences not pathetic ones

Arise, zombie thread!

SPOILERS OF THE WORST KIND FOLLOW!

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER

I considered starting a new thread, but since it was this article that made me want to play the game, I thought posting here would be fitting.

STOP RIGHT NOW!

I finally got around to finishing Planescape:Torment last night, and I agree that the Longing sequence was incredible, but so was realizing that Morte hadn't been completely honest with you. Or figuring out that Dak'kon had been with you before; slowly realizing that Ravel carried a torch for you; having sufficient wisdom to redeem Trias; talking to the original you. All of it was great. By the end of it, the RPG portions had become annoyances to trudge through so I could get to the rest of the story. I think from Fallen Curst on, I completely neglected inventory management, combat strategy, or spellbook management of any kind. I wound up leaving Ignus at Curst Admin because I didn't have any more raise dead spells to use. Turned out that it didn't matter, heh.

I'd like to know what you guys think about something though.

To further mitigate any risk of spoiling anyone wrote:

[color=white]
When you activate the Bronze Sphere and find out your name, your original shushes you before you say it aloud. What do you guys suppose it was?[/color]