Torment: Tides of Numenera

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 84
  3. Negative: 21 out of 84
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  1. Pandur
    Apr 5, 2017
    8
    I hate the game cause it totaly denies modern gameplay mechanics. And i love the game because it totally denies modern gameplay mechanics. In fact my love for it with all its retrogressivity and text- heaviness is stronger. Makes me feel like sitting in front of my PC back in the 90s, playing the original torment or baldurs gate.
  2. roachtbp
    Nov 8, 2017
    10
    I finally got around to playing the game (purchased it back at release, but wanted to wait until it was fully patched before playing). I have to say - this game is amazing. Great characters with funny banter between them, there is a very interesting world to explore (to say the least), the graphics look beautiful, the story is very interesting with plenty of well-written dialogue, andI finally got around to playing the game (purchased it back at release, but wanted to wait until it was fully patched before playing). I have to say - this game is amazing. Great characters with funny banter between them, there is a very interesting world to explore (to say the least), the graphics look beautiful, the story is very interesting with plenty of well-written dialogue, and the strategic turn-based combat is great.

    This game does not have maps filled with enemies to kill (trash mobs), but instead combat is optional. Combat situations arise based on your choices in dialogue. You can have more or less combat depending your dialogue choices, but this game definitely has way less combat than most rpgs. Most of the game is spent exploring maps and having dialogue with npcs. There is a LOT of text to read, but I found the dialogue to be very engaging for 2 reasons: 1.) the dialogue is well-written, and 2.) there are constant skill checks available in dialogue that reward you with stat bonuses, gold, exp, or items. The dialogue feels very interactive, and you are constantly rewarded for passing skill checks. This makes it feels like you are actually playing a game (not just reading a novel).

    If you love the old isometric D&D rpgs such as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, or Planescape: Torment, or if you love more modern rpgs such as Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny, then you need to give this game a try. It is an underappreciated masterpiece!!!    … Expand
  3. SeTiDaYeTi
    Mar 11, 2017
    10
    A worthy sequel to the original Planescape: Torment. Intriguing, entirely nonobvious world, with a masterful writing and choices that have an impact on the environment. A lot of reading involved, as in the original and as expected. Don't wine if that's not your cup of tea.
  4. SpawnCap
    Nov 11, 2017
    1
    Made the mistake of listening to the reviews. Made the mistake of not going onto Youtube and watching gameplay. Didn't listen to the one review that said it was no more than an old fashioned text-based game with graphics.

    This game is nothing more than the game ZORK with graphics thrown in on the side. Not worth any amount of money no matter how cheap. I gave it a 1 instead of a 0    Made the mistake of listening to the reviews. Made the mistake of not going onto Youtube and watching gameplay. Didn't listen to the one review that said it was no more than an old fashioned text-based game with graphics.

    This game is nothing more than the game ZORK with graphics thrown in on the side. Not worth any amount of money no matter how cheap. I gave it a 1 instead of a 0 only because it does actually run.    … Expand
  5. spreadsheeticus
    Mar 31, 2017
    10
    Great storytelling, premise, and fun battle mechanics. A spiritual successor to Planescape:Torment, but it also has parallels to other Chris Avellone games.
  6. Camus
    Mar 12, 2017
    8
    The game is good but it is not without it's faults. It is a story driven game and you'll be reading quite a lot. It's similar to the Japanese videogames known as visual novels. Talking to a NPC usually entails asking about themselves and background information of said situation, lore, characters, and environment. Many of these dialogue choices can spur multiple outcomes depending on howThe game is good but it is not without it's faults. It is a story driven game and you'll be reading quite a lot. It's similar to the Japanese videogames known as visual novels. Talking to a NPC usually entails asking about themselves and background information of said situation, lore, characters, and environment. Many of these dialogue choices can spur multiple outcomes depending on how you respond.

    Combat situations are called Crisis, and they are quite difficult even if you have a combatant class. While the game looks like the typical isometric game like Baldur's Gate and Pillars of Eternity, it doesn't use the same combat system. Battles are turn based similar to the older tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics, where you have movement and action. Although it has one extra caveat where you can turn an action into movement.
    This game was designed for you to talk yourself out of almost every situation through intimidation, persuasion, or other attributes, so combat is not the emphasis and you can see how it was not designed as the focus.

    There are many faults to this game as many critics and users have mentioned. Many of the scenes are written and well described, leaving much of the events to be imagined and not displayed by your characters. They are static and lack a great deal of animation. Voice acting is thin. There are flashback scenes and they are in a novelized form with only a few drawn images of the locale.

    The story is perhaps one of the best in videogames. Other games that recently came out such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Nier Automata are similarly praised for their story, however they fall very short when you compare it to Torment Tides of Numenera.

    The controls for the PS4 feels very well done. It feels more comfortable than using a mouse after getting used to it.

    The PS4 version is buggy. Loading times are long. The framerate isn't consistently 30 fps. There is freezing on certain animations after combat ends. I've had instances where I couldn't click on anything or leave the area. I've had one crash so far. It isn't unplayable, but these issues make the game less enjoyable.

    I'm basing this review summary on one playthrough of the game on March 12,2017. Hopefully an update will fix things.    … Expand
  7. m4p
    Mar 20, 2017
    6
    The only virtue of this game are well written and so numerous small side stories of met inhabitants of Ninth World. A lot of lore, but it truly gave me pleasure to explore. It let me dive into the atmosphere of Numenera. Unfortunately, this contrasts with mediocre main plot with a disappointing ending.

    The gameplay in both combat and dialogs is so undemanding (100% success chance for    The only virtue of this game are well written and so numerous small side stories of met inhabitants of Ninth World. A lot of lore, but it truly gave me pleasure to explore. It let me dive into the atmosphere of Numenera. Unfortunately, this contrasts with mediocre main plot with a disappointing ending.

    The gameplay in both combat and dialogs is so undemanding (100% success chance for all actions - accept the very beginning), that it feels just like an interactive novel, where GUI is needed only to move into next readable content.
    And yet so many bugs (at least in console version) in such a simple mechanics and graphics... This is unforgivable. Seriously, the game could be text only (for example displayed solely as meres) with the same experience for the players (or readers rather). Maybe it would be at least any longer in such case.

    I just have a distasteful feeling, that the guys got greedy somewhere in the process of development.
    Sad. T:ToN had potential to match its predecessor, but it was wasted.    … Expand
  8. Grownia
    Aug 7, 2017
    6
    Tides of Numenera is a long wait failure to me. I loved the original Torment back , there was so much magic in it, very good characters and ideas. Sadly Tides Of Numenera doesn't impress at all.

    * Graphics are good but art is a mess. You can't focus on anywhere or your characters , So colorful and ugly. * Soundtrack is below average too. Most of the time you don't even hear a sound at    Tides of Numenera is a long wait failure to me. I loved the original Torment back , there was so much magic in it, very good characters and ideas. Sadly Tides Of Numenera doesn't impress at all.

    * Graphics are good but art is a mess. You can't focus on anywhere or your characters , So colorful and ugly.
    * Soundtrack is below average too. Most of the time you don't even hear a sound at all.
    * Most of the time you don't even understand the story at all. It all comes too fast and gets you in chaos. No character building at all. I spent hours on trying to decide what to do next. Quests are all a mess too.

    Last word : Avoid it. Only play if you are a die hard RPG player.    … Expand
  9. MaxPayneIsGod
    Apr 4, 2018
    5
    Dated game design that appeals only to the most die-hard of die-hard RPG fans.
    There's a ton of game here but it just isn't fun.
    I know this game was "crowd funded" and it shows. The graphics are PS2, boarder line PS3 quality and the majority of the story and conversations are in text. I read for pleasure, I don't want to have to read when I'm gaming. Simply not for me, not my type of    Dated game design that appeals only to the most die-hard of die-hard RPG fans.
    There's a ton of game here but it just isn't fun.
    I know this game was "crowd funded" and it shows.
    The graphics are PS2, boarder line PS3 quality and the majority of the story and conversations are in text. I read for pleasure, I don't want to have to read when I'm gaming.
    Simply not for me, not my type of game, leave it for the purists.    … Expand
  10. Pestana
    Sep 3, 2019
    7
    A normal rpg game, nothing exeptional. The history is good, but not awsome, y expected more, but if you like this kind of game and wait for some offer, for a good price meaby vive a chance.
  11. YJZep
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    My kind of game. I feel the combat is much better than its spiritual predecessor, albeit I can't say too much because I've barely had any fights! Basically, if you're the type to exhaust EVERY conversation option with EVERY npc, and actually read them, not just click for quests, then this is a game for you! You can talk your way out of anything (almost) if you want! Extremely wellMy kind of game. I feel the combat is much better than its spiritual predecessor, albeit I can't say too much because I've barely had any fights! Basically, if you're the type to exhaust EVERY conversation option with EVERY npc, and actually read them, not just click for quests, then this is a game for you! You can talk your way out of anything (almost) if you want! Extremely well written, as is to be expected when Chris Avellone is involved. If you don't like reading, this won't be your jam. But I feel we need more of these games!!… Expand
  12. Bizancio_Askatu
    Sep 14, 2021
    5
    I would only recommend this RPG to a hardcore fan of text driven video games or to somebody who wants to read a novel about the Ninth world. The game is really dull, lacks combats and the super long wall of text that you have to continuously read (even during the most important parts of the game, the meres) explains one of the lowest completion rates that I have ever seen on PS4 (onlyI would only recommend this RPG to a hardcore fan of text driven video games or to somebody who wants to read a novel about the Ninth world. The game is really dull, lacks combats and the super long wall of text that you have to continuously read (even during the most important parts of the game, the meres) explains one of the lowest completion rates that I have ever seen on PS4 (only 5,5%).
    The art is horrible with ugly party character portraits and NPC designs with vivid colours but no detail, no customization possibility at all for your main character (not even the portrait which makes no sense lore wise) and lacking NPC portraits and voice acting on the conversations. There is also no romance possibility because the game tries too hard to be "deep". Also non of the companions except for one has any charisma.
    The combats are few, I had none during my first 13 hrs of gameplay, and except one (and it's not the final boss) they are not challenging.
    Regarding to the main story, it's interesting but too overcomplicated with strange words and constant use of "intelligent" concepts to look mature, kind of "contraption of multiple mind reflections in a shared demi-god conscience". Also there are some odd references to non binary/gender fluid topics.
    The only thing that impressed me was the locations designs, they are colourful and full of details with a very interesting and original one (the bloom).
    I bought the day one edition for 7 bucks and it took me around 40 hrs to complete the game so in that sense it was worth it but it's an extreme game only suited for a microscopic scope of gamers.    … Expand
  13. KeyboardPlayer
    Mar 10, 2017
    0
    no. no. no. no. NO!
    i'm a fan of the original torment. i was excited for this. THANK GOD i didn't back it up.
    too much dialogues. every character you meet as TONS of lines of dialogues. if someone told me this, i would have thought of it as a good thing... EXCEPT IT'S NOT. it's too much. you talk to a guy, you need to read a novel. You make 2 steps, talk to another guy: another nove. too    no. no. no. no. NO!
    i'm a fan of the original torment. i was excited for this. THANK GOD i didn't back it up.
    too much dialogues. every character you meet as TONS of lines of dialogues. if someone told me this, i would have thought of it as a good thing... EXCEPT IT'S NOT. it's too much. you talk to a guy, you need to read a novel. You make 2 steps, talk to another guy: another nove. too much. too boring. And they're all SUPER SPECIAL!
    and there are almost no animations for things that happen in the game. say, for example, the game writes "the characters makes a polite bow when you approach him"... BUT IT'S ONLY WRITTEN, NOT SHOWN. that character doesn't actually bow, it's only in the description. all the game is like that. it's a damn text adventure with backgrounds.
    "tell don't show"
    or when the game tells you that a character is "incredibly fat" but its sprite is just slightly larger than the others.
    there also are NO portraits of the characters that you're talking to. not even the most important ones.
    the game want to feel special at all times. the skill system is weird and overly complicated. cyphers are a stupid idea. all the vocabulary of the game just DOESN'T WANT SO BADLY to be like the rest, and you have different terms for things you already know. also the way you solve stuff by investing point... yeah, go on, keep trying to be original AT ALL COST: you're also being NOT FUN.
    combat is super boring and buggy.
    you can lose a VERY important skill and a companion in the city if you actually HELP HER by giving her money. and there is no warning for this, and no second tries. It's infuriating.
    this is a complete slander of the name "torment"    … Expand
  14. ThomasPierson
    Dec 17, 2018
    9
    Insanely deep, nearly unfathomable at times, Torment: Tides of Numenera is that wonderful kind of strange you don't really find in games any more (especially in the sanitized and focus tested AAA market).

    It explains almost nothing to you, which makes sense because your character is pretty much lost from the very beginning and just trying to figure things out as s/he goes. The actual    Insanely deep, nearly unfathomable at times, Torment: Tides of Numenera is that wonderful kind of strange you don't really find in games any more (especially in the sanitized and focus tested AAA market).

    It explains almost nothing to you, which makes sense because your character is pretty much lost from the very beginning and just trying to figure things out as s/he goes. The actual game mechanics are solid, and I found the menu system worked well enough, but it seemed a bit off, mostly do to the lack of feedback (all colors are muted, sounds are not helpful, etc.).

    In terms of moment to moment game play, this is a game for people who like to read a story. The game does not have a lot of voice acting, so reading is the only way to get the story. You don't have to, of course, there's enough hand holding in the main story to keep those who don't want to read too much moving along and exploring the world. For those of us who like to dive deep into the lore, there is a ton of it and it ranges from the critically useful to the esoteric and novel.

    I enjoyed the graphics a great deal, as they reminded me both of Planescape: Torment (this game's spiritual predecessor), as well as other deep RPGs like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura, and Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader; just updated for the current generation of PCs.

    This is a game that hearkens back to a nearly dead genre of RPG, the kind that presents a world that was built before the Player showed up and exists on it's own, without the player's involvement. You can make an impact on the world and the story, but the world has a sense of permanence that you don't find in many games. Even otherwise great game like Skyrim falls short in this respect, because that world exists for the player, where as, in Torment, the player exists in the world.

    A simple distinction, but one that is very much at the heart of the Torment experience. This is not an empowerment fantasy, though there is some of that. This is a game about struggle and conflict on many levels and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of RPG. They don't make many like them any more.    … Expand
  15. Kai82
    Apr 5, 2020
    10
    One of the best RPGs ever made but also divisive. Because much of the story is delivered in text form it is not for everyone. Many even said that this was the return of text adventures and while I not completely agree will admit that they have a valid argument. This is also the final decision for you to make. If you like reading books and great stories this is a 9-10/10, if you wantOne of the best RPGs ever made but also divisive. Because much of the story is delivered in text form it is not for everyone. Many even said that this was the return of text adventures and while I not completely agree will admit that they have a valid argument. This is also the final decision for you to make. If you like reading books and great stories this is a 9-10/10, if you want something more like Baldurs Gate, Dragon Age or Zelda this can be a disappointment probably in the 1-6/10 range. Lets start with the strengths: The story of the game. Be it the main story, side quests, backstories or personal quest all are amazing. Not many RPGs or even other games can compete. You will have a lot to discover, solve problems and learn a lot about the setting. You are the Last Castoff. A former shell of a near immortal called the Changing God. He creates new bodies for him to use and the old castoffs develop a personalty or become an independent person. Because he does this for a long time there are a lot of your brothers and sisters. All are hunted by an entity called the Sorrow. You try to make sense of all this while finding your place in the ninth world and being hunted. Beware because of his actions the Changing God is hated, feared and worshipped. The ninth world is an incredible setting. It is a billion year in the futures. Eight civilisations have fallen while some archived technology far beyond ours. You can find middle-age technology and some things even the Star Trek technology cant archive. Arthur C. Clarke said “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” which is a fitting description for magic in this setting. Then there is the character building. You can even play trough the game without fighting anyone (Maybe one baseline / discus worthy exception). Even the fighting tutorial can be evaded. It took me nearly 10 hours until I started a fight because I found always better solutions. Towards the end I just tested the battle system a bit and will say it is adequate. For the gameplay you have a pool of strength, speed and intelligence points. For each task you need one of the corresponding with often multiple approaches. I recommend using a Nano (Mage) because of the useful scan toughs ability. Also use a personality with the skill Anamnesis. It helps a lot and cant be learned! You cant learn or say master all abilities but there are companions for this. All have their unique skills and strengths. Remark: There is Rhin a child with the lowest abilities. She gets better and has a really good ability later on. She is also interesting character wise (also would you abandon an orphan?). The Tidal system shows your interactions with the world. A small ripple can change the tide (Butterfly effect). For the non battle skills I will say all have their use but not all are equal. I would chose Anamnesis, Persuasion, Tidal Affinity (Nano only if I remember correctly) and Deception high on my list. For the other skills I will advice you to have specialisations in your party. All fits well together. It is the beauty of the game that you can get the tools to solve everything in your hands. For the bad parts. I have had no serious bugs until the final 10% of the game. I could not re-include a party member after an event because she stuck in an unreachable area. This angered me a lot because after replaying the event she always got stuck in other unreachable areas. While angering it was my only complaint with maybe the battle system if I preferred the more violent solutions. Overall one of the best stories I have played in any RPG. I was always invested in the story and often reloaded just to see what outcome another approach had.… Expand
  16. Willmoy
    Nov 9, 2017
    9
    Torment:Tides Of Numenera is a gem of a game. If you enjoyed Planescape Torment back in the day, or if you enjoyed the more recent Pillars of Eternity, you'll like Torment Tides Of Numenera. It's certainly a relief from the era of micro transaction/ multiplayer nonsense.

    I would recommend it to anyone who likes rpgs and story driven games.
  17. Aneczka99
    Nov 17, 2020
    10
    As a fan of Torment, both Baldurs, Icewind Dale etc...I would highly recommend this game. It takes few hours to get used to the mechanics, but once passed, gameplay is amazing. Battle, thought avoidable and not often encounter feel very good. You will start complaining about how much text you have to read, to actually miss it later once all conversations are done. World feel right forAs a fan of Torment, both Baldurs, Icewind Dale etc...I would highly recommend this game. It takes few hours to get used to the mechanics, but once passed, gameplay is amazing. Battle, thought avoidable and not often encounter feel very good. You will start complaining about how much text you have to read, to actually miss it later once all conversations are done. World feel right for Torment universe and story is very, very interesting.… Expand
  18. tomvs123
    Jan 6, 2021
    7
    Very unique game that's more of a text adventure than a typical western RPG.

    In the game's sci-fi fantasy world, you are a castoff - a newly-realized consciousness in an immortal body that was previously inhabited by the Changing God. There's hundreds or thousands of castoffs like you, created by the Changing God, who are making their way in life while trying to escape a    Very unique game that's more of a text adventure than a typical western RPG.

    In the game's sci-fi fantasy world, you are a castoff - a newly-realized consciousness in an immortal body that was previously inhabited by the Changing God. There's hundreds or thousands of castoffs like you, created by the Changing God, who are making their way in life while trying to escape a supernatural-like force that's trying to eliminate you all.

    The game takes place in the Planescape D&D universe, which is basically a mixture of worlds, technology, and civilizations that seemingly has no limits in its variety. That's a good recipe for a typical nonsensical children's story, but the developers here actually succeeded in making the writing cohesive and intelligent.

    I'll cover the story only slightly, as it's best to experience first-hand. Your primary goal changes throughout the game as you gather more information, but you're primarily looking for the Changing God, to figure out what his plans are. Each of your goals are meaningful, intelligent, and make sense, which is more than I can say for most RPGs these days. The only major downside of the story is its rushed and abrupt ending. It's a bit cliche, with your final opponent basically telling you his master plan, when he could have done so previously, which would have saved all sides a lot of trouble. But besides that, there's nothing else I'd really consider dumb or a big plot hole.

    Gameplay primarily consists of talking to people. You can spend hours talking to a single person and trying to complete his or her quest line. That usually involves talking to other people, getting more information or items, and then returning to that person to continue the process. And by no means are these nameless fetch-quest givers. Their stories are intricate and always involve or benefit you in some way.

    Various skills help you in your conversations with people. Persuasion, deception, dexterity (grabbing/stealing things), and a load of other skills can move situations in the direction that you want, with your party members able to help with many of these. The only real issue with skill usage is that it gets too easy over time as you gain bonuses in those skills. This can make many actions that were previously costly or difficult free with a 100% success rate. Though if you're playing this like a typical western RPG, you might use skill points for combat skills, which aren't very useful since combat is rare. Either way, every obstacle has multiple solutions, so you won't get stuck, even if you fail at all of your conversation rolls.

    Additionally, there's side stories. You'll gain artifacts that allow you to relive a portion of different castoffs' lives (in text format). These are all interesting, but most have no relation to your current goals or setting. So they seem random and disconnected, as if you start reading the middle of a new novel when you haven't finished reading your current one.

    The writing style is typical for fantasy novels, based on the few Forgotten Realms novels I read 30 years ago. Even though this is a video game, visual aspects of people, scenes, and actions are described in great textual detail, while the images on screen remain static. So this is definitely a game for readers and not the typical young impatient gamer. And thankfully, the writing respects your intelligence enough to not outright tell you characters' inner thoughts. It leaves that up to you to determine though their words and actions.

    The game surprised me. While it doesn't reach the psychological depth of the best Japanese RPGs, it's more practical in nature and far more intelligently-written than every other western RPG I've played. As a teen, I didn't play the original Planesape: Torment due to there not being enough combat. Now, it's on my list of games I must play.    … Expand
  19. Vellinaria
    Nov 30, 2021
    3
    Boring piece of crap even for a crpg fan. It's a book of choose your own adventure disguised as a video game. Go play any game from 20 years ago an you'll enjoy it more

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. games(TM)
    May 26, 2017
    80
    The rebirth of true role-playing in games. [Issue#105, p.84]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    May 2, 2017
    70
    The result? A flawed, beautiful contraption – which is appropriate, given how common those are in Tides’ Ninth World. [May 2017, p82]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Apr 11, 2017
    70
    An unusual assembly of parts, but captivatingly weird. [Apr 2017, p.94]
See all critic reviews »