Torment: Tides of Numenera

Torment is the purest expression of Infinity Engine RPGs we will ever see in the modern age.

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In Torment: Tides of Numenera, you traverse a single civilization's cast-off high-tech remnants, called Numenera, in a sprawling, original science-fantasy setting. As the Last Castoff, a being created in the body of the previous God-like ruler, you must deal with their legacy and fate while uncovering your own identity. The game features deep, personal storytelling and rich, reactive choices, encouraging unique role-playing experiences.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,405 reviews

story456 positive mentions

stability44 negative mentions

Rich and immersive storytelling with a unique and bizarre setting.
Multiple ways to solve quests, allowing for a variety of playstyles and character builds.
Strong character development and interesting companions that add depth to the narrative.

Excessive amount of reading can be overwhelming and tedious for some players.
Combat system is lackluster and often feels like an afterthought, with many encounters being avoidable.
Numerous bugs and technical issues, including game-breaking quests that have not been fixed since release.

story
1,301 mentions
35 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story of "Torment: Tides of Numenera" is a central focus, praised for its depth, creativity, and philosophical themes, drawing comparisons to its predecessor, "Planescape: Torment." While many players appreciate the intricate world-building and character-driven narrative, some criticize the pacing and linearity of the main plot, as well as the overwhelming amount of dialogue that can detract from engagement. Overall, the game is recommended for those who value rich storytelling and immersive lore, despite its flaws in gameplay mechanics and occasional bugs.
- “This game takes storytelling to new heights, offering players an immersive and unforgettable narrative experience.”
- “The story is rich and great but there should be a balance and events to get you back in.”
- “The story, the characters, the mystique of the setting, that is the core of this game.”
- “Compared to Planescape: Torment, it's less polished, worse combat, worse dialogue, worse lore, worse story, worse companions, more bugs, and has zero connection to Planescape: Torment.”
- “The story itself is strong enough to stand, but the pacing felt strange at times.”
- “The main story feels too similar to that of Planescape: Torment at first, but it does diverge eventually.”
gameplay
363 mentions
23 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Tides of Numenera" is characterized by a heavy emphasis on dialogue and narrative, often at the expense of traditional combat mechanics, which some players find lackluster and overly simplistic. While the game features unique mechanics like the crisis system that allows for non-violent resolutions, many reviews highlight a frustratingly slow pace and convoluted mechanics that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, players who appreciate rich storytelling and character development may enjoy the game, but those seeking engaging combat and deeper gameplay mechanics might be disappointed.
- “The gameplay often has you solving problems with words rather than violence, which is a nice change of pace to most mainstream games.”
- “I enjoyed the gameplay system and the interesting mechanic of allowing non-violent solutions during combat encounters.”
- “The mechanics are easy to understand, but still interesting and deep.”
- “I quit it three separate times in the first 14 hours of gameplay, as my exploration of the first hub largely had me face tongue-in-cheek references to the original torment with less substance, and very wordy and mentally draining exposition dumps.”
- “An amazing story and characters sadly intertwined with boring gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is not very good.”
graphics
194 mentions
30 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork and immersive environments that enhance the storytelling experience. However, some players criticize the character models and overall visual quality as dated or lacking polish, suggesting that while the art style is evocative, it doesn't always meet modern standards. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point for the game's atmosphere, though they may not satisfy those seeking cutting-edge graphics.
- “With its stunning visuals and handcrafted environments, it creates a visually immersive world that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The artwork is gorgeous for an isometric RPG.”
- “The graphics are beautiful.”
- “The graphics would be acceptable for the time period given the engine, except that the art director is apparently fresh out of school, thinks Christmas tree lights are awe-inspiring and that putting orange and purple close together is all you need to know about graphic design.”
- “Given that it's a 4m+ Kickstarter involving industry legends, I think it's quite shocking how much it feels like a lower budget indie title in aesthetic feel as well as technical polish.”
- “The graphics are poor.”
music
73 mentions
34 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ambient and atmospheric qualities while others find it forgettable or lacking in memorability compared to its predecessor, Planescape: Torment. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to set the mood, though some express disappointment that it doesn't stand out or engage them as much as they hoped. Overall, while the music is generally described as decent and well-produced, it fails to leave a lasting impression for a significant number of players.
- “The soundtrack is amazing; I haven't checked, but I strongly suspect that the composer is the same as in Planescape: Torment, or at the very least, he/she was strongly inspired by it.”
- “Super fun game, beautiful art, rad music and a killer story.”
- “The music is to die for.”
- “The music could be better though, nothing memorable about it.”
- “I was hoping that I would love the soundtrack more since I'm a huge fan of the Planescape: Torment soundtrack, but I mostly just found it okay.”
- “The bad: the soundtrack is kinda dull, for the follow-up to a game that had such a rich and memorable score it's kind of upsetting we ended up getting generic background music.”
replayability
46 mentions
33 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its moral dilemmas and choice-driven narrative that encourage multiple playthroughs, while others criticize its limited areas and lack of significant variation in outcomes. Although there are elements that can enhance replay value, such as different builds and story paths, many reviewers feel that the overall experience may not warrant repeated playthroughs due to a perceived lack of depth and player agency.
- “I suspect replayability to be quite satisfying, considering the moral dilemmas you are met with and the consequences I've seen.”
- “There is a good amount of replayability, given that the game revolves around the choices you make.”
- “The story is very well written and with several endings and variations in the epilogue makes it a very replayable game; the main endings can be explored in a single playthrough.”
- “There's only about three main areas that you explore over the course of the game, and while the game aims for more replay value than sticking with a playthrough, there's not much to look forward to if you do.”
- “There is no replayability; you are not encouraged to even try a different (inferior) playstyle.”
- “Due to the limited number of available party members, I feel the replay value is not that great.”
stability
45 mentions
7 % positive mentions
-4 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Players frequently encounter unresponsive NPCs, quest-related issues, and combat system problems, leading to frustration and an overall sense of an unfinished product. Despite some positive remarks about the story, the overwhelming consensus is that the game suffers from severe stability issues that detract from the experience.
- “The game is very well optimized and bug-free.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive, providing a smooth experience.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or major issues, which makes for a stable gameplay.”
- “I was very excited to play this game, only to not even get through my first hour without multiple glitches and crashes.”
- “The game is too buggy for me to even want to play it, with multiple quests that can't be finished despite completing all the objectives. I found forum posts of others having the same issues with no known cause or solution and no patch from the developers since release.”
- “What's worse is the glitches and bugs in this game are frustrating; it has been a year and they have not fixed this.”
grinding
41 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling that combat and dialogue sequences drag on unnecessarily. Many reviews highlight the slow-paced turn-based battles and excessive reading as detracting from the overall experience, leading to a sense of boredom and a lack of engagement. While some appreciate the story and writing, the general consensus is that the grinding elements hinder enjoyment and progression.
- “In fact, the hidden design expectation of players grinding before they can move on made me quit after 18 hours.”
- “The combat is horrible; slow, contrived, and a constant feeling of playing through scripted battles (removing real RPG aspects we enjoy; grinding, leveling, stats, looting).”
- “The turn-based battles become more tedious and harder to avoid towards the end of the game.”
character development
39 mentions
28 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth, strong storytelling, and meaningful dialogue choices, while others criticize the lack of memorable character designs and insufficient development for companions. The focus on exploration and narrative over combat is appreciated, but some feel it doesn't reach the heights of previous titles like Planescape: Torment. Overall, the game offers a unique approach to character development, though opinions vary on its execution and impact.
- “The companions all have deep storyline arcs, great character development and building.”
- “Quality writing, choices that matter, incredible depth of character development and lore.”
- “The story and character development are top tier and will stay on your mind after the game is done.”
- “What it didn't have was the same level of character development as Torment had, and you don't care as much about your companions as you did in the first game.”
- “The bad: by far the biggest letdown was the poor companion character development.”
- “No real character development either.”
atmosphere
38 mentions
55 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Torment: Tides of Numenera" is widely praised for its unique, bizarre, and immersive qualities, reminiscent of its predecessor, "Planescape: Torment." Reviewers highlight the game's rich storytelling, engaging dialogues, and atmospheric music, which contribute to a deep and complex world. However, some critiques mention that while the atmosphere is compelling, it occasionally feels unfinished or inconsistent with the visuals.
- “Numenera lives and dies by its setting and the atmosphere that it builds, and thankfully Torment does this well.”
- “The atmosphere is wonderful and the story excels at showing rather than telling--sometimes quite literally, but also through the writing.”
- “Wonderful writing, great world design, gorgeous art design, great science fiction feel to the game and the atmosphere is well done.”
- “Unfortunately, it lacks the ambiance or atmosphere of the original.”
- “It also creates this atmosphere where 'anything goes' and (as a result) nothing is special.”
- “The atmosphere and aesthetic elements are just not right, too much flashy sci-fi styles spilling into the game world.”
humor
29 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, drawing comparisons to the works of Douglas Adams and Doctor Who, with many players finding it both hilarious and thought-provoking. While some reviews note that the humor can be inconsistent, with certain elements feeling overdone or lacking depth, the overall consensus is that the witty dialogue, quirky characters, and absurd situations contribute significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment. However, a few critiques mention that it may not reach the comedic heights of its predecessor, leaving some players wanting more in terms of humor and narrative cohesion.
- “It made me laugh out loud often, but that's fairly normal for me.”
- “It's often hilarious.”
- “The characters were fun and interesting to play with, the setting was weird and alien and macabre and funny-- it reminded me so much of the original torment, a game with such a weirdly alien setting that no one should feel 'comfortable' there.”
emotional
22 mentions
91 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its heartfelt stories and moral dilemmas that evoke genuine feelings, while others criticize the lack of emotional depth and weak character development. While certain narratives and character arcs resonate deeply, leading to moments of humor and heartbreak, many feel that the overall execution falls short, resulting in a disconnect from the story and characters. Ultimately, the emotional impact varies significantly among players, with some finding it compelling and others deeming it lacking.
- “These are relatively simple but heartfelt stories that often present you with moral choices that are genuinely difficult.”
- “Erritis is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, and Rhin adds some sorely lacking mystery and emotional grounding to the game.”
- “Beautiful writing, awesome graphics, and heart-wrenching decisions that'll have you seriously conflicted all up in your brain.”
- “In hindsight, the Planescape universe and 2D background graphics are hilarious, paired with a boring story and weak characters. The even weaker story development makes it just a big pile of disappointment.”
- “I could have gotten past the boring storyline in the hopes it would have gotten interesting, but the fact that you absolutely need to use what are called stat pool points to increase your charm, attack accuracy, etc., is so ridiculous.”
optimization
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many users reporting frequent bugs, performance issues, and noticeable frame rate drops, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some players have managed to run it smoothly on specific devices, the overall experience is described as janky and underoptimized, with persistent issues that detract from gameplay. Despite these flaws, the unique story and engaging content have led some to still recommend it for those willing to overlook the technical shortcomings.
- “Finally, if it’s useful to anyone, Tides is tagged as unverified but runs smoothly on my Steam Deck.”
- “All criticisms aside, there is an amazing game here; performance and controls were never an issue.”
- “[*] Very well optimized, and bug free.”
- “A surprising amount of bugs and performance issues in this game. I had one where I could not save or load previous games. In later sections, like the bloom, I noticed significant frame rate drops, which is quite odd to see in a CRPG game, but I guess it does happen from time to time.”
- “It's a janky and underoptimized experience with lots of bugs, including major bugs (such as unfinishable quests), some of which persist several years after release.”
- “Also, the game on PC has serious performance/FPS problems: it is lagging even on a GTX 960 with the latest drivers in Windows.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with players feeling misled by promises of extensive Polish dubbing that ultimately lasts only a few minutes. Many reviewers express dissatisfaction with the value for money, suggesting that the game does not deliver on its advertised features.
- “Out of all these types of games so far, it's the worst I've played. Once it's finished, I'll review again, but hell, it's not worth the money. Looks like a million-dollar cash grab to me.”
- “False advertisement regarding Polish dubbing - people were promised to hear the legends of Polish RPG dubbing, and we hear them indeed, for about 3 minutes.”