Daniel James Thomas reviews Torment: Tides Of Numenera…
Torment: Tides Of Numenera is a role-playing game which has been developed by inXile Entertainment and published by Techland Publishing. The game revolves around a narrative-driven setting in which a deep storyline takes place. Every choice which you can make can and will effect the game’s progress, imagine your actions as weapons.
Role-playing games such as Torment: Tides of Numenera aren’t really my cup of tea, but every game deserves its chance, and this game may be for the taking.
Straight away, just entering the game, there seems to be a dark and strange setting; your character is falling from the sky and lands onto the ground – without dying so obviously we have incredible powers! The scene is dark, and something mysterious lies around; however I stare confused at what I’m confronted with.
The game take place in an era where the Earth is not as we see it, but more of a world which has been neglected and forgotten about. This world is thriving however, with new people to meet around each and every corner.
Torment: Tides Of Numenera is not your average RPG game, it doesn’t offer any customisation for your character’s look or even a history which follows him / her. Furthermore, it’s not an open-world game either, which adds a new aspect to which I haven’t experienced within a RPG game. The only type of freedom you seem to have is with that of the narrative. Any decision you make, and every move you take, can effect how the game pans out.
It’s a great aspect where the player can decide the pathway of the game – and Torment: Tides Of Numenera captures this perfectly. Whenever you think about your situation you always think of your outcomes, and within Torment: Tides Of Numenera, you can never fully understand what the outcome will be, making it a great and desirable risk! Each choice turns into either a reward or a ‘punishment’.
Torment: Tides Of Numenera turned into a slight disappointment for me bytaking out the aspect of completely redesigning your character – making that character yours, is a big deal for RPG, and I didn’t feel as if I could immerse myself within the game.
Another aspect which proved disappointing, as mentioned, was the limited freedom within the game. Sometimes you want to go and wonder off and do your own thing, you don’t want to feel restrained to follow a certain path – you want that path to be YOURS. The world was brilliantly designed, and to have the opportunity to travel around and see the full architecture would have added in a deeper aspect.
The game’s not all bad however; the quest lines are greatly thought out and interactive, and you have the chance of duels along the way, stealing powers and persuading the nastiest of people cower before your might. The quests offer full interaction, making you feel as if you were there making the right choices which would help the world.
Pros:
+ Great scenes and gameplay
+ Textures and graphics are greatly thought out
Cons:
– Limited freedom
– Misses the aspect of RPG character design
Rating: 7/10
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
Daniel James Thomas
Originally published March 16, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
