One fun fact I love about the Nameless One's growth is that, while he can be a fighter, wizard, or thief, he can't be a cleric. Whatever the Good Incarnation did, no god, *not even the most evil of evil gods*, wants to grant him divine power.
Huh. I had thought it was multiple different incarnations(said something to that effect in the game manual?)that served all the different Gods and by the time we get to our incarnation TNO has served all of them at one point or another and because of reasons none of them will grant him power ever again.
I'm 38 and I've never commented on a UA-cam video but I needed you to know how happy I was when I saw a new 2 hour+ Grimbeard video in my subscriptions. Your work is really appreciated. Thank you for doing this.
*Endure. In enduring, grow strong.* This line has gotten me through PTSD, agoraphobia, surgery, and other kinds of "torment" throughout my life. Every few days, despite it being many years since finishing it, I think of something from this game. It's one of a kind.
The game has also had a strong impact on me when I grew up and I know a close friend of mine who also had the same experience. I can't imagine we're the only ones.
dude, same thing happened to me for a while. The fact that a videogame character can actually affect the way you feel about struggle speaks volumes of the quality and heart felt passion the devs had while making planescape.
For me it was RDR1. Man John in that game would plot, would not cheat and seemed like a solid dude. Then when RDR2 was out, seeing John as a guy who made spur of the moment decisions, had to deal with the consequences of being rash. Well it was a moment of, "yep, I remember being that guy". There is even a cringe vid of 19y.o. me on YT, its a uh hangover/substance fueled outburst to a journey that went wrong back in the day. We look back and laugh now, but I always walk away far enough to not hear it.
Sus amugus had me dying, as did the trans rage part... "Ok bye, and they immediately evacuate their bladder" with a pissing sound in the background... Comedic genius
The video was doing so good until that part, UA-cam needs a middle option as I couldn't give a thumbs up anymore but the rest was too good for a thumbs down. This won't age well as more and more butchered children come forward about how the movement ruined their lives.
@tendiesoffmyplate9085 It's funny to me that you think that's the problem. Like it's The Lion King and as soon as "the right person" isn't in power, everything instantly falls to shit. As if these aren't the ramifications of global politics that have been building up since the last big economic crisis no matter who's in power because the system is designed to boom and bust like this. Keep being dumb I guess.
On the subject of this reveiw that says "there is no incentive to play beyond the first area", I just wanna retell my personnal experience. The first thing you can see when you're out of the Mortuary are a pillar and walls where the names of everey person who died is carved. But there are so many dead that some of those names are just scribled and almost unreadable, so there is this ONE DUDE who just tries to remember all the names he ever read so that thoes guys would not be forgotten. THIS is Planescape, it's just, imo, brilliantly strange and a little sad. I dig it ;)
Interesting tidbit I can't help but mention everywhere: The game actually contains a script which, when Nameless One dies, picks a random unimportant NPC in the area you died in, and kills them. When there's no unimportant NPCs left, you actually get an actual game over screen. (Not sure if the enhanced edition does it too, but the original one did. You can test it out, just keep dying in lower sigil, and watch as/if it gradually depopulates =D)
Never noticed, though my Nameless didn't die that often tbh, and as far as I remember it was most often in areas where there wouldn't be a whole lot of neutral NPCs in the vicinity so I wonder how those were handled.
@@childesinthev.761 i don't remember it exactly, so i'm not sure, but I think "random unimportant npc" also includes enemies. however what I DO remember exactly is actually reading that script when i was rummaging around in the game's files with the mod tools, as well as I remember what i said - i kept dying in lower sigil, noticed it depopulating, kept dying, and then got a game over screen, a special one for that case (but i don't remember what it said, i just remember it was unlike any other of the game over screens you can get)
@@MidnightSt Perhaps you don't remember because each time you die, you lose a piece of yourself. While the body can heal, it is your mind that pays the price...
Absolutely love this channel. The vibe, the humor, the editing. It's such a refreshing change from everything else out there. Hope you keep up the good work
I particularly like the version of the ending where falls-From-Grace delibrately takes just a little bit of your soul in a kiss...so she will be able to FIND you in the blood war. She is, after all, an immortal demon living in a planar nexus. One can imagine the follow-up quest.
...i don't remember that. Not sure if it's because it didn't happen to me, or because there was just so many powerful things that this one got lost amongst them... Either way, it's sad that I don't remember it, because that's... amazing. Also, for a time, I was actually trying to write and make P:T2 - The Blood War, so... yeah, one can definitely imagine the follow-up quest =D (I was 13years old, so whatever I wrote and made (in RPG Maker) was utter crap, but... I was certainly feeling inspired =D)
@@MidnightSt oh i know it. It counts as a bad end becuase you're stuck in a freaking chair for the rest of eternity. You can also piss off the Lady of Pain or that necrormancer that kidnaps Morte and meet a final end as well.
This doesnt happen in every ending- I've seen two. She did mention in one ending of searching for you but it would be difficult because the planes are infinite. I always thought this was them setting up for a sequel that...alas...never happened :/
Early on if you run afoul of the Dustmen, there are situations where you'll just be talking with a random NPC in the street and they'll say something to the extent of "hey wait a minute, aren't you that Wanted guy?" and your immediate dialogue options include just snapping their neck and murdering them to keep them from calling the guards and starting a combat encounter... and there are essentially no negative consequences for doing this. There's no BS alignment system that game-ifies your decision. You don't get any naughty-points. Your party members don't turn against you. You successfully avoid combat. You're the only person who knows what you did. The first time I killed someone in this way, I expected to be tut-tuted by the game, and the fact that the universe didn't seem to care that I'd just murdered someone in cold blood ate away at me. I've literally felt guilty about it for over 20 years, and it's a perfect summation of what makes Planescape so great.
@@supertaoman12 it’s not visible to the player though - it only operates behind the scenes so the game doesn’t tell you anything has happened. It’s not that there is no alignment at all - just that it isn’t reductive and obvious, hence, no “BS” where the game editorializes loudly on your actions. You need to install a mod just to see how your alignment is affected by various actions.
This is how I felt gunning down civilians in spec ops the line. No warnings about civilians, nothing but your actions and the corpse in front of you. It then overdoes this a bit later but it's fine
i tried it for a few times, got confident then tried it again with the wrong npc, turned out it the guy didn't die and he kicked my ass and made everything hostile in that area. I would have done better trying to reason with him. It does throw a few curve balls at you
Ultima Underworld had the same concept. You could go to towns and pick up quests and do business, or just wipe out the entire city and take everything. None of them ever come back.
dakkon is the only npc in my 30 years of gaming, who made my jaw drop, with the level of his writing and his principles. to this day The Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon continues to baffle me with its sheer wisdom.
@@-Zakhiel- His teachings are wise tho, and they grant magical powers. The "Why" it was created matters, but it does not negate the power the teachings have.
Dak'kon for me always played sort of a "Vergil" role. As you start the game, TNO almost aimlessly wanders this forest of houses, or places, called Sigil, just like Dante wanders the forest, not knowing how or why they got there and the only way forward is well, anywhere. The point is not to just explore Torment's places, but also philosophies. While every npc serves as a moral compass for their alignment. Dak'kon's role is so much more refined and meaningful. Playing the role of an underworld guide, clearly knowing more than he let's on, Dak'kon still never influence's TNO's choices directly, but puts emphasis on term "knowing", subtly making TNO use more of his brain in general, while also putting even greater emphasis on "knowing oneself", which is the main motive of his religion/philosophy and also both, his and TNO's greatest problem. Both Dak'kon and TNO have lost themselves and are trying to find themselves by helping the other one find himself. However, there is also more to just knowing and knowing oneself. Knowing the nature of a man, or nature of sin, as Dante put it, seems to be the key question/philosophy of Planescape and the Divine Comedy, and I find it rather sad when people focus on a question "what can change the nature of a man?" when they should be focusing on "what is the nature of a man?" which might seem silly at first but in actuality is an incredibly complex topic, with no real conclusion. The theme itself reminds me of a tale about a scorpion and a frog, in which a scorpion stings a frog while it's carrying it across the river apologizing for killing them both and saying "It's in my nature." Which is even more fascinating when you look at the older version of the same tale which includes a scorpion and a turtle in which they both survive with turtle having the last say: "Truly have the sages said that to cherish a base character is to give one's honor to the wind, and to involve one's own self in embarrassment." It's truly fascinating to see same conflicting philosophical ideas pop up for hundreds of years, if not longer. The other thing I find fascinating are similarities between Dak'kon and Zerthimon, and, Saint Peter and Jesus in Matthew 14:22-33 (google it and read it, it's very short). Dak'kon, being a devout follower of Zerthimon, loses his faith which causes him to realize he does not "know" himself which causes the ground beneath him to lose way and turn into liquid, and he can only be saved by "knowing oneself" which he confirms by solidifying his faith.
You might enjoy Disco Elysium. Not the same vibe fantasy wise but the level of writing, the fact that you read more than play, and even some of the themes are very similar. Worth checking out at least (if you haven't already).
1:12:01 he didnt try to cheat his way into heaven. He just did something unforgivable that he couldnt never do right in a single lifetime. So his solution was to gain more than one lifetime of time.
It's kinda late, but I can stay up for another hour and watch Grim Beard talk about my favorite game. I still think "Planescape: Torment" is one of the best storytelling experiences I've ever had playing a game.
I don’t know how I missed this. I played a tonne of these games. Baldurs Gate 1&2, ice wind dale, stonekeep just loads of them and somehow I missed this. Well, got some classic gaming to catch up on…
I played Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale first, but Planescape: Torment was always my favourite, due to the sheer choices presented to you, and the way the setting and characters are fleshed out. Not many developers do this with CRPGs, especially nowadays. Disco Elysium was the most recent RPG that I've played that I felt got the exploration/storytelling/pacing correct while having little to no combat
This game is defined by only one thing - whether you are involved in the plot and the world or not, whether you want to have answers. If you are - it will be one of the most interesting games ever for you. The plot completely forms the game, to be honest - the second playthrough, even after 9 years, was far from being so interesting. And my first playthrough was messed up in funny way because for roleplaying reasons I decided to leave all my companions before visiting Ravel. Who could've knew that it would be impossible to go back and I would end the game with an insanely powerful wizard who has collected all the experience which was meant for 5 people, with all stats 25 long before the end
Oh, I got involved in the world and the plot, I played this game as an obsession, And when playing the game wasn't enough for me, I ripped all the dialogue and the dev commentary from the game and consumed it all, I had a good two months when I went completely down the rabbit hole on this game. I have never done that with any other game/book/film, it was an obsession, and honestly when I look back upon it now I look back with fondness.
1:21:35 Anna is a Tifling, a half fiend. Fall-From-Grace embodies everything Anna blames for the misery she's been heaped with because of a legacy she never once asked for. Anna has all the MORE reason to caff against Fall From Grace BECAUSE she's not a stereotypical demon, she CHALLENGES Anna's views, which never makes anymore comfortable.
That is what I was realizing. Both are "decent" people, for the world they inhabit. However, Fall-From-Grace is the complete opposite of what a demoness is "supposed" to be, the very thing that Anna gets lumped in with.
This is quite possibly the best video on UA-cam about the best game that ever was. Thanks for that bit about Lustmord being the intended composer for P:T's soundtrack. While I think Mark Morgan has done a fabulous job, creating something as strange and seemingly discordant as Sigil itself, I can't help but imagine how it would have sounded like if Interplay didn't decide to sever ties with L. Shame about that. On an unrelated note, I think combat in P:T can be massively satisfying under some circumstances. While it lacks the strategic depth of, say, Baldur's Gate, where you would have to genuinely think how to best approach every encounter and prepare for most of them with spells and potions, it has something else - if you remember the first time you used Mechanus Cannon on somebody, or ever managed to land a sneak attack on Trias for 150 damage, you will know what I mean. I guess it's more of a power fantasy thing if anything else, but it really nails the feeling of being a few centuries old immortal that could wield fabulous power if only he remembered how to do that! It's such a shame that the new generation of gamers can't find in themselves what it takes to appreciate this absolute diamond of a game. I don't think it's anyone's fault - they are a product of their world as much as we are - but still, it's a fantastic, enthralling and thought-provoking story that does not deserve to be forgotten. Thank you - again - for doing your part in keeping its legacy alive.
Why-where-how? This whole channel is a frigging dragon's hoard worth of treasure and I've been oblivious of it! I vibe 100% with this humor and just everything offered here.
Looks like a pretty good game, chief! Every time that I think your research and ability to repackage all of the information into perfectly sized chunks can't get any better, you get better. You've - no joke - inspired the way that I make videos... that are never finished/uploaded, because I can't physically make myself edit audio of my own voice. (On a sidenote, I love that there are speedruns of P:T, which are basically spoiler-free.)
@@planescaped It's like Skyrim with words. Warlockracy recently did a KOTOR 2 video that made many comparisons to P:T. My pet theory is that - much like how KOTOR 2 lampshades scaling enemies and both games include cheeky in-game lore to explain why CRPGs give you a party of misfit loners that hate each other - P:T is would it would be like for a character whose life is save-scummed to experience all of a game's content.
I’m always pumped when I see a Grim notification but an almost 2 1/2 hour epic on Planescape:Torment? Unreal. Also, Para-Pug is still my favourite, fully-developed bit but the “Roll a D12 to see how successfully you go fuck yourself” was hilarious.
As someone who's recently started collecting and enjoying crt tvs again, I love the tv segments and the editing, looks awesome and probably a blast to do or total chore to get to look right! b.t.w. I just found a pink disney princess tv/vhs/dvd combo on the side of the road and set it up for my daughter!
Thanks for the amazing content! I got laid off yesterday and really appreciate the distraction! You're probably my favourite video game reviewer on youtube
they also removed the name of original creators from the store pages, now most people (who never played original) might think Beamdog are the original creators
Well it sure is a good thing the EE versions of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 aren't bug ridden messes that they still need to patch to this day to even get on par with the stability of the original games on older hardware... oh wait-
I can't even begin to imagine the time and effort it took to write and record such a banging script. Thoroughly enjoyed this 2 hour binge, Grim, can't wait to see what you release next! 🙂
"yeah, i could rescue your cat" is a great phrase i'm going to steal. i'm a speech teacher, and when i want to talk about how emphasis is often at least as important as word choice, i use the phrase "i never said she took my money." "i never *said* she took my money," "i never said *she* took my money," etc.
Love the creativity you put into the bits and jokes, while also provideing fair criticism of the games you review. I think you found a unique niche with indepth vintage gameing reviews that span 1 hr+. I wish you much succes for your UA-cam career.
Despite all the claims that Torment is "just a book with bad combat attached", the ability to make distinct character choices is really what *makes* this game. I will never ever make an absolutely evil choice, like thrusting Morte into the pillar of skulls. However, having such a wide variety of options available as a player is what elevates Planescape. As for the Beamdog situation, it's astonishing to me that so many people (even in this comment section) can't seem to grasp the concept of thinking something was "meh" or "bad" and then simply moving on, rather than it having it consume their entire online personality.
Planescape Torment is one of the few RPGs which allow you to be evil but I find it so repugnant going all the way down that path I can't do it. There's no joy in it it's the equivalent of feeling like being kicked in the nads over and over making Dak'kon your slave, being cruel to Morte, lying to Annah about liking her etc.
I came back to this 8 months later and tried to like it again. I know you have your dedicated fans, and I guess I'm one of them, but sincerely - Your videos mean something to me. They have... effects on me. In a good way. In a way I think you really understand, and intend. So in that light - Thank you, beard man.
"There will be fiendish babes, *human babes,* angelic babes, *asian babes,* and even undead babes." I love the idea of an executive reading this and going, "SOLD! Y'know, when you were just promising _human_ babes, I was iffy on it. But then I kept reading and when I saw you're planning on including those famously nonhuman _Asian babes,_ ya got me onboard!" lmao XD
Please play this game. I just got it for the first time early this year and after finishing it, it really is one of the best games ever made (at least in terms of story/writing). It's really that good.
god i get so pumped every time you upload. Its like a burning that starts in my taint and rips up my spine until my hair is on fire like one of those 90s kids in the sega ads. And the only thing that will put it out is seeing that banger of an intro
I played this game last year, because I remembered people saying it was quite good. It certainly showed its age, but the writing made that laughably irrelevant. What a timeless masterpiece. Excellent video, you have a new subscriber!
Torment is an iconic RPG, and leans heavily on the RP aspect. The experience is more of a digital novel with a graphical interface than a "game" in the modern sense. The vast majority of your time will be spent reading text, and your imagination fills in the gaps. Combat is bare bones, but good enough way to diversify the experience. Contrary to most games of its era, combat is best enjoyed by going full spellcaster route. Playing through Torment for your first time is a special experience, particularly if you have familiarity with the old 2nd Edition Planescape Campaign Setting.....the best that classic DnD had to offer IMO.
I really like the color palete in this game, the juxtiposition of the earthy tones with the alien... everything else always struck me as really cool and then Disco Elysium came through pairing the beauty and vibrance of water color paintings with all sorts of grim themes in a war torn location and gave me the same kind of vibe.
Long time watcher, not sure if I've ever commented, but others are saying it, I'm going to say it: excellent job with all the reviews. I always look forward to whatever game you'll be covering next as many times it's a title I never got to in my pathetically long list of games played. The craft, intricacy and depth you utilize to present these games is awesome and I know myself and many others truly appreciate the time and effort you put in to them. I remember this game back in the day on the shelves, probably when I was endlessly perusing the aisles at Best Buy and picking up the triangular box for Half-Life over and over again. I might give it a try on PS5 or Steam when my PC is resurrected someday. Thank you for the hard work!
I have been trying for years to find a reason to want to play this game and you are the first person to give me several within the first 20 minutes of your video.
@@zerpblerd5966 I've got a rich and fulfilling life with dozens of interests, responsibilities, and social opportunities every week, yet a new Grim vid makes me feel all giddy in a unique way. I get where this dude is coming from. It's weird, but true
@@zerpblerd5966 I would imagine his life's circumstances need more than the exchange of one simple pleasure for another, but I sympathize, there are a variety of reasons why the flavors of life can be reduced to few.
Great video, and also a great channel! I must admit that I did not expect just how phenomenally well one could make a video about Planescape: Torment while also fitting in enough "haha funnies" to warrant some chortles and big, earnest smiles from yours truly. Regardless of that, though, the quality here was outstanding and definitely not something I would have expected out of a fellow with less than 100k subscribers. I suppose the situation at hand is similar to that of Planescape itself - few are the people who can recognize and appreciate greatness, hmm? With that said, I appreciate the stuff you mentioned, in regards to the "hot babes", as I had no great knowledge of the context surrounding them. Very intriguing stuff. Not only that, but I also wound up updating my journal as a result of it! The great depths at which you allow yourself to examine the story, coupled with the gameplay itself, are very pleasant - might I even say sublime - and the whole video was a joy to behold, especially the many convincing advertisements that I would have immediately bought into, had I a landline phone. One more thing I'd like to point at and express great respect and adoration over, would be the style of your videos, as well as your thumbnails. The whole idea of a "brand" is a bit bothersome, but you're definitely presenting a unique style that could be interpreted as "your brand", and it really tickles some part of my brain. Again - bravo! I'll take great pleasure in examining your future endeavors and older exploits. More folks ought to get to working on stuff like this!
I played this game on the notebook I had with me on the 9 hours long bus rides between home and university. The dark and shakey bus made some parts very memorable, as at times, I didn't want to stop playing but my eyes couldn't handle the tiny letters anymore and my battery was about to die. Anyway Vibes: Immaculate Eyesight: wrecked Journal: updated
I'm so happy to see you're back. I hope you are finding some happiness and pleasure in this life. Your videos do look like someone who has found a great way to earn some money while expressing themselves artistically. That has to be a nice source of joy. :)
I know this game isn't that big of a secret, but I love how you shine a light on so many of the older, more obscure titles, some of which I've never heard of u til your videos. Also, you just have that type of voice that is real comfy to have in the background while playing video games, so I hope you continue growing as a channel, and keep pumping out the top tier content.
>some slang terms that don't have a basis in reality, like "cutter" and "barmy" Wow. Let me tell you about this country called "England" and it's wonderful language...
Really enjoy your channel man, always find myself checking for your new uploads. The amount of effort and work you put into these reviews, I can’t even imagine.
Found this after having just finished the game for the first time. I really enjoyed your review and agree with pretty much everything you put forth. One issue I had with the game, however, was that for this game that's been lauded for majority of my life as "best written ever" -- It really suffers by making very important dialog be repeatable and often is necessary for the player to just grind through dialog trees. This is really at it's worst when talking with companions and in the final area... It feels less 'role-playing' and more 'codex mining'. That and it's kind of grating to have every conversation go "Greetings. I have questions". You are right in that this game walked so Disco could run.
After finishing, some tidbits and Devil's Advocacy: - The official novel is awful. Just plain awful. First off, it names The Nameless One. Secondly, that name is Thane. Thirdly, did I mention that they decide that The Nameless One's name is Thane? Fourthly, he uses a sword. - It does, however, expand on Fhjull Forked-Tongue, retroactively making them the most important character. Unfortunately, this includes spelling out why TNO had Ravel take away his mortality. - That "why no 1st person camera?" review is hilarious. The levels are flat images with walkable sections, so that camera wouldn't be terribly useful. A jump button, though... now we're talking. - It's thematically appropriate that so many people stop playing, when they get to Carceri. - I wish that the Steam achievements for P:T that require multiple playthroughs were self-aware. - Two Worlds is a great speedrun game. Kind of weird that they added so much terrible optional content. Beamdog hot-takes: - IMHO, the trans vendor trash merchant's behavior in SoD doesn't make any sense. Hank and Becky would be exotic names that someone would comment on, in the Forgotten Realms, not Mizhena or anything else that you'd get from smashing your face on a keyboard. Besides, Elminster is trans, you can make any of your party members trans within the first 15 minutes of the very first game, and Edwina is very popular. It's like having a dialogue option to ask a Walmart cashier about their vest. - A common interpretation of Safana's character is that she uses her massive Charisma to manipulate people in a very Chaotic Neutral sort of way for fun and profit. Beamdog slut-shaming her and implicating the players was a bit offensive. People generally don't like being told how they feel. It reminded me of EAWare's Dragon Age 2 DLC assuming that the player visited prostitutes on a regular basis (to set up a joke, where your character preferring the trans one is the punchline) with the writers being shocked in interviews that anyone would play a character that would be faithful to their romantic partner, much less not have a romantic partner at all.
Beamdog's writing is bad in general, and instead of trying to get better, they seem to insult their customers for making valid criticisms. Sure, some critics are bigoted nutjobs, but that's always going to be the case. The fact some nutjobs exist doesn't invalidate criticisms of your product general. Quite frankly, when it comes to its writing, Beamdog's output is... not good. And in this case, it was... not good... in ways that were sometimes gross. For instance, tokenization. Having your only trans character be unimportant and irrelevant, with their gender identity only being revealed in a ham-fisted way never relevant to anything ever again is gross as it presents them not as a person but as a weird novelty. Dismissing the character of Safara by slut shaming her to claim she is nothing but a "sex object" is... well, sexist as it pretends femme fatales can't personality and character. Saying Jaheera was nothing but a "nagging wife" is both bizarre and offensive. These were real characters with actual personality. Maybe they could have been written better, but guess what? Dismissing their character/personality with reductivist descriptions like those is actually being sexist. Beamdog were the ones who saw these characters as nothing more than their gender. I get it. Writing is hard. If they sincerely tried their best but just failed to do a good job, people would understand. But they didn't. Their lead writer explicitly said she didn't care if the dialogue she wrote felt "forced" to people, with her and the company dismissing critics as being sexist and transphobic. No. Doing a bad job then dismissing anyone who criticizes you as a bigot is gross.
I think the main gripe about Beamdog is how they bundle their enhanced editions of games with the original ones and asked twice the money. In case of BD series, initially there were the enhanced and original versions separately (on GOG) and people were buying mostly the og version since the enhanced ones had some unwanted graphical changes and were extremely buggy at release like not working journals etc. and modded originals just looked better. edit: forgot to mention about goodies such as soundtracks, which were a free addition in the original versions and after "enhancing" they became a separate entity you "can" buy for the price of a full game at discount.
Well I wish that was the main gripe people had with beamdog but no, for a lot of people the main gripe was that those SJWs are putting a trans-character "in their face" and in their classic video game... even though it wasn't their classic video game, it was an original expansion.... and it wasn't in their face, it was like a sentence only if you took the time to do that character's personal mini-side quest.
My main issue with the Beamdog releases was that they kept on rebalancing the BG games to a major degree. Most of that rebalancing was just nerfing things that were considered "too powerful" in the original game. Some classes/spells/abilities got completely ruined by this. It's difficult for me to comprehend the reasons for this tinkering. Why try to rebalance a very old single-player game? It certainly did not make it more fun.
@@Veldrynvs I don't think they did rebalance Baldurs Gate much... well except for the monk, which really needed a few tweaks. They added a story mode difficulty and a extremely hard - Legacy of Bhaal difficulty but those difficulties were completely optional. They also fixed some exploits but thats not really rebalancing, such as disallowing some spells to be used in Nahal's Dweomer like sequencers and contingency spells.
@@alexoelkers2292 For example they changed the Polymorph Self spell so that it no longer allows transformation into a Sword Spider, just a much weaker "normal" spider. They also nerfed the Poison Weapon ability of the assassin, so it does much less damage now, making the kit near useless. There are tons of changes like this. Nerfs on top of nerfs, always making stuff weaker than before. Even if these were "exploits", why fix them now? This is a very old single player game, where every current player is only playing it to satisfy his/her nostalgia. If I want to enjoy the assassin I used to play with years ago, then let me do it. If I want to have fun with an "exploit", then let me have it. If they want to release a new re-balanced version, they should do it separately. I just want to old game with updated visuals and UI.
@@Veldrynvs Your issue is sane and makes sense unlike the mob of right wing mouth breathers who review bombed the game over one character with 20 sentences of text.
Damn, this game makes reference to the Dark Tower books? I really wish those booms were more popular so I could have people to talk to about them Weird aside, I once looked up a phrase from the books used to describe the sound that occurs in an area where dimensions bleed into each other. "Sounds Hawaiian doesn't it?" And when I looked that up for the first time, the top result on Google was a UA-cam video from a Middle Eastern country, Pakistan I think, where they had recorded a strange noise that they described as the Trumpets of Revelation. No one had commented "Sounds Hawaian doesn't it?" on the video, I don't think it was in the description, and it certainly wasn't in the title. That phrase mystified me the first time I read it, and has sat even heavier at the back of my mind ever since looking it up.
This video is longer than the movie Aliens ... and I've re-watched this more. Aliens is one of my favorite movies. Do I have to now include this video in my "favorite movies" list?
I remember playing this game as a kid. At first I was confused with all the content it had, not understanding the story, then after starting a new playthrough and actually focusing on what was written, I grew to love it - this damn thing made a 13-year-old to listen the message it was trying to send! I think one of the few bits I remember the best is Reekwind, the man who was driven half-mad from being cursed to smell like a vat of moldy ranch dressing. He earned a few coins from people who were willing to put up with his smell long enough to hear one of his stories, and it even gives the player an opportunity to create a new story for him, talking about the importance of names - how they must be both treasured and be wary of. This was a nice blast from the past, the video was a real treat
Same here, my first time playing I was just confused, since it was probably the first game I ever played where reading was important, so I didn't realize, I just ran around, triggered the mortuary alarm, somehow got out of there (possibly by dying in a way that I got resurrected outside), and then died outside in such a spot that I actually woke up in ragpicker's square or the buried village itself... Which made me feel so confused and powerless that I just put the game down... ...i came back to it about a year later, because I kept thinking about the fascinating atmosphere, and I started over, and finally paid attention to the dialogue, and... oh man... (the next part, i didn't have to describe, i now realize, since i got to the part in the video where he describes it, but nevermind) For me, two of the few bits I remember the best are the one which caused me whole body chills - the memory you can get in the Brothel, of having a discussion with someone, and logicking them so well that they just accept and believe they don't exist, at which moment... They just cease to exist. and then the one which caused me... basically the reaction that Nameless One is described to have - the sensory stone of Deionarra, where Nameless One gets to watch himself through her eyes, when he was manipulating her, as well as at the same time he remembers it from his own memories... That... Well... Suffice to say, until Hellblade, that moment was the only time a game utterly broke me and made me cry hysterically.
@@whoknows8264 For SoD, Beamdog writers retconned a lot of characters, and then because they appear in BG2 they get retconned back, like what happened in SoD did not happen. They really wrote themselves into corners multiple times.
Isn't SoD an expansion? That can be completely ignored? Or did they also change BG 1 and 2? Honest question, never played the Enhanced Editions of those games.
i got a problem to feel that unique vibe and dark spirit of the game at the beggining too. I was expecting, well more generic dungeons and dragons after baldurs gate and other similiar fantasy games. I was hit in the face, and shocked at the start, left with "what the hell is going on" in my mind. But I returned (twice tbh), and made past the first area. Now its the best rpg I ever played
Completely disagree on the whole Beamdog issue. It's one thing to put in dumb non-sense in your new DLC, it's another when said non-sense ignores/shits on the established lore or characters. It's not theirs to change. Simple as that. Something tells me you wouldn't agree with Beamdog when Minsc would quote Ben Shapiro, Alex Jones, or whoever.
Considering Ben and Alex are performance artists who hock and mock those who honestly watch them it wouldn’t be a good fit for Minsc who’s an actual brain-damaged individual.
I'm quite fickle when it comes to actually having the ability to sit down and stick with a game, but listening to long format essays while I paint is one of my favorite things. I just discovered your channel, and I'm really thankful that I've been able to learn about, and, in a way, enjoy titles that I otherwise wouldn't be able to. Primal and Nocturne are two other games I've discovered thanks to your efforts. So, thank you for sharing and working on these. 🦇
I know this isn't the focus of this video, but since it went so bizarrely hard on the Beamdog controversy, I feel someone should point out what the video says on the topic is misleading. I doubt anyone cares about all the details, but for the main example, most people who got angry about the trans character weren't upset about a trans character existing in the game (of course, some sucky people were). Most people were upset she was a poorly written, offensive tokenization. Imagine devs noticed their game had no black people so they added one NPC who, as almost his first comment to you says, "Hi I'm black." That'd feel weird. And that's what happened here. The character was written so poorly it stood out like a sore thumb. Them being trans had no relevance to anything said or done, and them telling you they're trans made no sense at all. It was pure tokenization. It was putting a trans character in just so they could say, "We have a trans character!" It's gross. You don't promote inclusivity by having a throwaway NPC awkwardly tell the player they're trans for no reason. That does the opposite. It presents trans individuals as strange, unusual and ultimately unimportant as anything more than a novelty. I'm happy when I see good trans representation in games, but Beamdog's handling of this was so inept it made me nauseous to read.
@@calisto789 I'm not sure what you mean by "the threads" as the issue was discussed in many places across many sites, but I have no doubt for some people in some areas her being trans was enough of an issue for them to be upset. However, the overall discourse was not merely about her being trans. This is evident by the many contemporaneous articles at the time which discussed how the poor writing of the character caused her being trans to be off-putting like I described. This was made worse by Beamdog kneejerk reaction of defending what they did, pretending criticisms were merely from bigots. The actual truth is what Beamdog put in its game was a harmful type of tokenization, which while presumably unintentional, was in fact a form of bigotry.
Another banger of a video for the Goth Gamer Nation. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos, they are always a highlight of my week when I watch them. Also side note! Love the nails they look so good, I am jealous!
my grandma bought me Fallout 1(who knows why) and i loved that game, and years later a friend lend me a cd with Planescape Torment, i think it was cracked?? im talking maybe 9 years ago, or maybe even more, and i loved that game so much planescape dudes didnt see a penny of my money, until they released it years later on steam, which i bought right away back on the day it was easier to pirate a game, now it is easier to just buy it and download it
Holy sheeit. Max Derat is interested in making a video essay about the philosophy of this game. I watched this entire review to help me understand the game. Now my algorithm is giving me tons of >60 minute long reviews of good, old games like PT. It's like a whole, new area of UA-cam content just unlocked for me. I have never sat through a whole list people who donated. You made something boring pretty fun. You ought to look into voice acting if you haven't already performed as a VA.
First time seeing your channel Grimbeard, amazing content and I'm so happy there's more recognition of this cRPG masterpiece. Only 1hour into this video essay, but as you were discussing the story I was reminded of something that I always thought was strange. How come the player's incarnation didn't succumb to amnesia? It was the first(?) incarnation to have this 'power'. Obviously there's a meta reason for that, because otherwise you can't really play the video game; but I think considering how much this idea of multiple incarnations and amnesia is explored there has to be an answer to this. I know that in one of the latter portions of the game you find someone or maybe a scroll that talks about there being a 'final' incarnation and that if it doesn't succeed that TNO will be doomed to memory loss forever. But it's never explained to my knowledge why that is or how it came to that. Has anyone made a timeline of incarnations? The paranoid one was probably one of the most recent ones in light of that particular prophecy talking about 3 more incarnations and the final one.
I vaguely recall there being an explanation in the game. I think it had something to do with what the paranoid incarnation did. It's been a while since I last played the game.
If I remember correctly, TNO's memories disappear after a certain number of deaths, but I'm not sure about that. Things that are definitely in the game do point to some other reasons, but those are spoiler territory, proceed with care : TNO might have to die in the Fortress of Regrets for his memories to fade, most likely due to the negative energy plane it happens to be on. I can't speak for the "good" incarnation, but it's confirmed for the "paranoid" and "practical" ones. As to the comment before regarding the paranoid incarnation, it's related to him destroying all the leads left by the practical one. This might also be why you don't otherwise lose your memories, your TNO has no record of his past events. I'm guessing that if you wake up with no memories and read your journal some of your previous personality will come through your writing. It makes the repetitive nature of "updated my journal" have even more meaning.
Just to point out you can actually lose the game and die, or get trapped. There are a few ways. but all of them is the result of your choic and kinda alternative ending... very early ending... But that's the thing, Torment is not more a game, that it's a roleplay adventure, and roleplay is about acting, not gaming. So yes, it is more of a interactive story than a game, but it doesn't mean it's a bad thing.
![Scars & Stories [Planescape: Torment vs. Torment: Tides of Numenera]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-_rHuBwaFdw/mqdefault.jpg)
This really updated my journal.
*Updated my journal*
*Updated my journal*
*Updated my journal.*
Updated my journal.
Updated my journal
One fun fact I love about the Nameless One's growth is that, while he can be a fighter, wizard, or thief, he can't be a cleric. Whatever the Good Incarnation did, no god, *not even the most evil of evil gods*, wants to grant him divine power.
Holy shit that *was* the good incarnation. That's actually kind of messed up.
Huh. I had thought it was multiple different incarnations(said something to that effect in the game manual?)that served all the different Gods and by the time we get to our incarnation TNO has served all of them at one point or another and because of reasons none of them will grant him power ever again.
@@ЯрославЛ-ф1жmakes sense since he is an atoner
I'm 38 and I've never commented on a UA-cam video but I needed you to know how happy I was when I saw a new 2 hour+ Grimbeard video in my subscriptions. Your work is really appreciated. Thank you for doing this.
I am also 38 and love all of Grimm's content!
You are allowed to comment even IF you are ancient.
imagine posting as if 38 is some ancient age, from a generation that doesnt engage with technology.
first comment?? Ok boomer
At 38 you surley must've done a lot of trolling online. Some that you regrett, and some that you still laugh about.
*Endure. In enduring, grow strong.*
This line has gotten me through PTSD, agoraphobia, surgery, and other kinds of "torment" throughout my life. Every few days, despite it being many years since finishing it, I think of something from this game. It's one of a kind.
The game has also had a strong impact on me when I grew up and I know a close friend of mine who also had the same experience. I can't imagine we're the only ones.
dude, same thing happened to me for a while. The fact that a videogame character can actually affect the way you feel about struggle speaks volumes of the quality and heart felt passion the devs had while making planescape.
I had a similar experience with new Vegas. It's amazing how games can affect the way to deal with real life.
@@therandomdickhead5744 Any particular line or scene or just the playing experience in general?
For me it was RDR1. Man John in that game would plot, would not cheat and seemed like a solid dude.
Then when RDR2 was out, seeing John as a guy who made spur of the moment decisions, had to deal with the consequences of being rash. Well it was a moment of, "yep, I remember being that guy". There is even a cringe vid of 19y.o. me on YT, its a uh hangover/substance fueled outburst to a journey that went wrong back in the day. We look back and laugh now, but I always walk away far enough to not hear it.
Just when I started to think “Gee, I hope Grim is doing ok” you show up with a 2 hour banger.
HIs patreon updates are invaluable. Kick him a buck a month! (or more if you can)
For real this mf don’t miss
@@XeroxPunk You know I think you might have just convinced me.
Sus amugus had me dying, as did the trans rage part... "Ok bye, and they immediately evacuate their bladder" with a pissing sound in the background... Comedic genius
The video was doing so good until that part, UA-cam needs a middle option as I couldn't give a thumbs up anymore but the rest was too good for a thumbs down. This won't age well as more and more butchered children come forward about how the movement ruined their lives.
I have bad news: Little Caesar's $5 pizza is now a $7 pizza and you don't even get anything extra. what the hell
Dude, they skipped $6?
Updated my journal
@Tendies Offmyplate Don't blame me. I voted Putin.
@tendiesoffmyplate9085 It's funny to me that you think that's the problem. Like it's The Lion King and as soon as "the right person" isn't in power, everything instantly falls to shit. As if these aren't the ramifications of global politics that have been building up since the last big economic crisis no matter who's in power because the system is designed to boom and bust like this.
Keep being dumb I guess.
@@mikicerise6250 You should have voted for Eegore
On the subject of this reveiw that says "there is no incentive to play beyond the first area", I just wanna retell my personnal experience. The first thing you can see when you're out of the Mortuary are a pillar and walls where the names of everey person who died is carved.
But there are so many dead that some of those names are just scribled and almost unreadable, so there is this ONE DUDE who just tries to remember all the names he ever read so that thoes guys would not be forgotten. THIS is Planescape, it's just, imo, brilliantly strange and a little sad. I dig it ;)
Interesting tidbit I can't help but mention everywhere:
The game actually contains a script which, when Nameless One dies, picks a random unimportant NPC in the area you died in, and kills them.
When there's no unimportant NPCs left, you actually get an actual game over screen.
(Not sure if the enhanced edition does it too, but the original one did. You can test it out, just keep dying in lower sigil, and watch as/if it gradually depopulates =D)
Never noticed, though my Nameless didn't die that often tbh, and as far as I remember it was most often in areas where there wouldn't be a whole lot of neutral NPCs in the vicinity so I wonder how those were handled.
@@childesinthev.761 i don't remember it exactly, so i'm not sure, but I think "random unimportant npc" also includes enemies.
however what I DO remember exactly is actually reading that script when i was rummaging around in the game's files with the mod tools, as well as I remember what i said - i kept dying in lower sigil, noticed it depopulating, kept dying, and then got a game over screen, a special one for that case (but i don't remember what it said, i just remember it was unlike any other of the game over screens you can get)
There's also this bit where the more times you die, the more shadows show up to plague you in... well, in a certain location.
@@MidnightSt Perhaps you don't remember because each time you die, you lose a piece of yourself. While the body can heal, it is your mind that pays the price...
Absolutely love this channel. The vibe, the humor, the editing. It's such a refreshing change from everything else out there. Hope you keep up the good work
I’m on my third day of kicking heroin and you gave me the first laughs I’ve had since I started. Appreciate it. ❤
Hope youre doing well mate.
@@advancedlevelgaming appreciate that. Made it through. Clean since.
@@krebward Super glad to hear that. Wish you all the best and a future full of the things that fulfill you.
Wow. Keep up the good work! 👍🏻
@@krebwardThis is so heartwarming. Wishing you nothing but the best.
I particularly like the version of the ending where falls-From-Grace delibrately takes just a little bit of your soul in a kiss...so she will be able to FIND you in the blood war. She is, after all, an immortal demon living in a planar nexus. One can imagine the follow-up quest.
...i don't remember that. Not sure if it's because it didn't happen to me, or because there was just so many powerful things that this one got lost amongst them... Either way, it's sad that I don't remember it, because that's... amazing.
Also, for a time, I was actually trying to write and make P:T2 - The Blood War, so... yeah, one can definitely imagine the follow-up quest =D
(I was 13years old, so whatever I wrote and made (in RPG Maker) was utter crap, but... I was certainly feeling inspired =D)
i have a funny version of the ending to trade you to, though.
maybe... if you don't know about it yet:
you can become the new king of Dead Nations.
@@MidnightSt oh i know it. It counts as a bad end becuase you're stuck in a freaking chair for the rest of eternity. You can also piss off the Lady of Pain or that necrormancer that kidnaps Morte and meet a final end as well.
This doesnt happen in every ending- I've seen two. She did mention in one ending of searching for you but it would be difficult because the planes are infinite. I always thought this was them setting up for a sequel that...alas...never happened :/
@@MidnightSt There are several endings to the game. I've heard as many as 8 but haven't verified that. I've seen 2 myself.
Early on if you run afoul of the Dustmen, there are situations where you'll just be talking with a random NPC in the street and they'll say something to the extent of "hey wait a minute, aren't you that Wanted guy?" and your immediate dialogue options include just snapping their neck and murdering them to keep them from calling the guards and starting a combat encounter... and there are essentially no negative consequences for doing this. There's no BS alignment system that game-ifies your decision. You don't get any naughty-points. Your party members don't turn against you. You successfully avoid combat. You're the only person who knows what you did. The first time I killed someone in this way, I expected to be tut-tuted by the game, and the fact that the universe didn't seem to care that I'd just murdered someone in cold blood ate away at me. I've literally felt guilty about it for over 20 years, and it's a perfect summation of what makes Planescape so great.
There is an alignment system, though?
@@supertaoman12 it’s not visible to the player though - it only operates behind the scenes so the game doesn’t tell you anything has happened. It’s not that there is no alignment at all - just that it isn’t reductive and obvious, hence, no “BS” where the game editorializes loudly on your actions. You need to install a mod just to see how your alignment is affected by various actions.
This is how I felt gunning down civilians in spec ops the line. No warnings about civilians, nothing but your actions and the corpse in front of you.
It then overdoes this a bit later but it's fine
i tried it for a few times, got confident then tried it again with the wrong npc, turned out it the guy didn't die and he kicked my ass and made everything hostile in that area. I would have done better trying to reason with him. It does throw a few curve balls at you
Ultima Underworld had the same concept. You could go to towns and pick up quests and do business, or just wipe out the entire city and take everything. None of them ever come back.
This dude deserves way more attention on yt.
Thank you for all the time and effort you put on these videos Grim
Agree
He's super niche yet extremely well goth. In retrospect, I subtly agree whilst appreciating his perspective.
dakkon is the only npc in my 30 years of gaming, who made my jaw drop, with the level of his writing and his principles. to this day The Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon continues to baffle me with its sheer wisdom.
Balance in all things.
Except the circle of Zert is all bullshit. It was created by the Nameless One. It turned Dak'kon into a slave that the Nameless One could manipulate.
@@-Zakhiel- His teachings are wise tho, and they grant magical powers. The "Why" it was created matters, but it does not negate the power the teachings have.
its based a lot upon zen from hinduism/buddhism/stoicism
@@-Zakhiel- it doesn't matter, there's power in belief. Power enough to unmake a man, or grow a tree.
In knowing the teachings of Grimbeard I have become stronger.
Step 1: Know of Grimbeard.
Step 2: Sup deeply of the learnings.
Step 3: Become one with the universe.
We shall become the strongest
the teachings of grimbead. amen
The second coming of Albert Camus!
What new magic powers did you get?
Dak'kon for me always played sort of a "Vergil" role.
As you start the game, TNO almost aimlessly wanders this forest of houses, or places, called Sigil, just like Dante wanders the forest, not knowing how or why they got there and the only way forward is well, anywhere. The point is not to just explore Torment's places, but also philosophies. While every npc serves as a moral compass for their alignment. Dak'kon's role is so much more refined and meaningful. Playing the role of an underworld guide, clearly knowing more than he let's on, Dak'kon still never influence's TNO's choices directly, but puts emphasis on term "knowing", subtly making TNO use more of his brain in general, while also putting even greater emphasis on "knowing oneself", which is the main motive of his religion/philosophy and also both, his and TNO's greatest problem. Both Dak'kon and TNO have lost themselves and are trying to find themselves by helping the other one find himself. However, there is also more to just knowing and knowing oneself. Knowing the nature of a man, or nature of sin, as Dante put it, seems to be the key question/philosophy of Planescape and the Divine Comedy, and I find it rather sad when people focus on a question "what can change the nature of a man?" when they should be focusing on "what is the nature of a man?" which might seem silly at first but in actuality is an incredibly complex topic, with no real conclusion.
The theme itself reminds me of a tale about a scorpion and a frog, in which a scorpion stings a frog while it's carrying it across the river apologizing for killing them both and saying "It's in my nature." Which is even more fascinating when you look at the older version of the same tale which includes a scorpion and a turtle in which they both survive with turtle having the last say: "Truly have the sages said that to cherish a base character is to give one's honor to the wind, and to involve one's own self in embarrassment." It's truly fascinating to see same conflicting philosophical ideas pop up for hundreds of years, if not longer.
The other thing I find fascinating are similarities between Dak'kon and Zerthimon, and, Saint Peter and Jesus in Matthew 14:22-33 (google it and read it, it's very short). Dak'kon, being a devout follower of Zerthimon, loses his faith which causes him to realize he does not "know" himself which causes the ground beneath him to lose way and turn into liquid, and he can only be saved by "knowing oneself" which he confirms by solidifying his faith.
What are you talking about? I played Devil May Cry to its completion and that never happens...
🙃
I often describe it as the best book I have ever played, and the best game I have ever read.
Yup :)
Accurate
You might enjoy Disco Elysium. Not the same vibe fantasy wise but the level of writing, the fact that you read more than play, and even some of the themes are very similar. Worth checking out at least (if you haven't already).
Too specific for such a universal masterpiece
@@thechris312 Disco Elysium was great.
I listen to Whirling in Rags at least once a week still, lol.
1:12:01 he didnt try to cheat his way into heaven. He just did something unforgivable that he couldnt never do right in a single lifetime. So his solution was to gain more than one lifetime of time.
It's kinda late, but I can stay up for another hour and watch Grim Beard talk about my favorite game. I still think "Planescape: Torment" is one of the best storytelling experiences I've ever had playing a game.
Sure, you can stay up for another hour, but can you stay up for another TWO HOURS?!?
ever
game, book, movie
and I've experienced a lot
Endure, in enduring grow strong.
I don’t know how I missed this. I played a tonne of these games. Baldurs Gate 1&2, ice wind dale, stonekeep just loads of them and somehow I missed this. Well, got some classic gaming to catch up on…
@@adamwest8711 this is a different beast than those
do you like to read novels? if not, then this game may not be for you
I played Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale first, but Planescape: Torment was always my favourite, due to the sheer choices presented to you, and the way the setting and characters are fleshed out. Not many developers do this with CRPGs, especially nowadays. Disco Elysium was the most recent RPG that I've played that I felt got the exploration/storytelling/pacing correct while having little to no combat
This game is defined by only one thing - whether you are involved in the plot and the world or not, whether you want to have answers. If you are - it will be one of the most interesting games ever for you. The plot completely forms the game, to be honest - the second playthrough, even after 9 years, was far from being so interesting. And my first playthrough was messed up in funny way because for roleplaying reasons I decided to leave all my companions before visiting Ravel. Who could've knew that it would be impossible to go back and I would end the game with an insanely powerful wizard who has collected all the experience which was meant for 5 people, with all stats 25 long before the end
Oh, I got involved in the world and the plot, I played this game as an obsession, And when playing the game wasn't enough for me, I ripped all the dialogue and the dev commentary from the game and consumed it all, I had a good two months when I went completely down the rabbit hole on this game.
I have never done that with any other game/book/film, it was an obsession, and honestly when I look back upon it now I look back with fondness.
Who knew that leaving everyone behind can end up making you stronger lol
1:21:35 Anna is a Tifling, a half fiend. Fall-From-Grace embodies everything Anna blames for the misery she's been heaped with because of a legacy she never once asked for. Anna has all the MORE reason to caff against Fall From Grace BECAUSE she's not a stereotypical demon, she CHALLENGES Anna's views, which never makes anymore comfortable.
Big brain take
That is what I was realizing. Both are "decent" people, for the world they inhabit. However, Fall-From-Grace is the complete opposite of what a demoness is "supposed" to be, the very thing that Anna gets lumped in with.
This is quite possibly the best video on UA-cam about the best game that ever was.
Thanks for that bit about Lustmord being the intended composer for P:T's soundtrack. While I think Mark Morgan has done a fabulous job, creating something as strange and seemingly discordant as Sigil itself, I can't help but imagine how it would have sounded like if Interplay didn't decide to sever ties with L. Shame about that.
On an unrelated note, I think combat in P:T can be massively satisfying under some circumstances. While it lacks the strategic depth of, say, Baldur's Gate, where you would have to genuinely think how to best approach every encounter and prepare for most of them with spells and potions, it has something else - if you remember the first time you used Mechanus Cannon on somebody, or ever managed to land a sneak attack on Trias for 150 damage, you will know what I mean. I guess it's more of a power fantasy thing if anything else, but it really nails the feeling of being a few centuries old immortal that could wield fabulous power if only he remembered how to do that!
It's such a shame that the new generation of gamers can't find in themselves what it takes to appreciate this absolute diamond of a game. I don't think it's anyone's fault - they are a product of their world as much as we are - but still, it's a fantastic, enthralling and thought-provoking story that does not deserve to be forgotten. Thank you - again - for doing your part in keeping its legacy alive.
Why-where-how? This whole channel is a frigging dragon's hoard worth of treasure and I've been oblivious of it!
I vibe 100% with this humor and just everything offered here.
That was an amazing review! Wasn't sure I would ever have the patience for another run of Planescape, but now I am. You do deserve more recognition
This came up at random, and I gotta say, you are the first time UA-cam recommendations have gotten it *just* right
Looks like a pretty good game, chief! Every time that I think your research and ability to repackage all of the information into perfectly sized chunks can't get any better, you get better. You've - no joke - inspired the way that I make videos... that are never finished/uploaded, because I can't physically make myself edit audio of my own voice.
(On a sidenote, I love that there are speedruns of P:T, which are basically spoiler-free.)
*perfectly-sized
Sigh.
@@dildojizzbaggins6969 Holy shit, I'm a grammar/spelling nazi and even I think you're being pedantic.
It's a decent kotor 2 knockoff but needed moar pew pew lasers.
@@dildojizzbaggins6969 sized perfectly
@@planescaped It's like Skyrim with words.
Warlockracy recently did a KOTOR 2 video that made many comparisons to P:T. My pet theory is that - much like how KOTOR 2 lampshades scaling enemies and both games include cheeky in-game lore to explain why CRPGs give you a party of misfit loners that hate each other - P:T is would it would be like for a character whose life is save-scummed to experience all of a game's content.
I’m always pumped when I see a Grim notification but an almost 2 1/2 hour epic on Planescape:Torment? Unreal.
Also, Para-Pug is still my favourite, fully-developed bit but the “Roll a D12 to see how successfully you go fuck yourself” was hilarious.
As someone who's recently started collecting and enjoying crt tvs again, I love the tv segments and the editing, looks awesome and probably a blast to do or total chore to get to look right! b.t.w. I just found a pink disney princess tv/vhs/dvd combo on the side of the road and set it up for my daughter!
Hearing that motif from the soundtrack never fails to give me chills.
One of your best vids (right up there with Deus Ex) and that's saying something. 100k round the corner for sure.
Thanks for the amazing content!
I got laid off yesterday and really appreciate the distraction!
You're probably my favourite video game reviewer on youtube
My only real issue with the beamdog editions is that they removed the original versions from stores when they came out.
Plus I don,t think they included OR supported the banter accelerator which is pretty essential for PST.
they also removed the name of original creators from the store pages, now most people (who never played original) might think Beamdog are the original creators
Well it sure is a good thing the EE versions of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 aren't bug ridden messes that they still need to patch to this day to even get on par with the stability of the original games on older hardware... oh wait-
I can't even begin to imagine the time and effort it took to write and record such a banging script. Thoroughly enjoyed this 2 hour binge, Grim, can't wait to see what you release next! 🙂
"yeah, i could rescue your cat" is a great phrase i'm going to steal. i'm a speech teacher, and when i want to talk about how emphasis is often at least as important as word choice, i use the phrase "i never said she took my money." "i never *said* she took my money," "i never said *she* took my money," etc.
Love the creativity you put into the bits and jokes, while also provideing fair criticism of the games you review. I think you found a unique niche with indepth vintage gameing reviews that span 1 hr+. I wish you much succes for your UA-cam career.
There's a lot a work behind every video. We thank thee for such quality content
Planescape, my childhood, my worries, my love, my death. This was a game. Thank you Grimmy.
I’ve used this video to put me to sleep 3 days in a row now. Underrated video use.
Despite all the claims that Torment is "just a book with bad combat attached", the ability to make distinct character choices is really what *makes* this game. I will never ever make an absolutely evil choice, like thrusting Morte into the pillar of skulls. However, having such a wide variety of options available as a player is what elevates Planescape.
As for the Beamdog situation, it's astonishing to me that so many people (even in this comment section) can't seem to grasp the concept of thinking something was "meh" or "bad" and then simply moving on, rather than it having it consume their entire online personality.
I think of it as a sign of maturity. Or lack thereof.
PM lplol6yyyy6
Fraà
Planescape Torment is one of the few RPGs which allow you to be evil but I find it so repugnant going all the way down that path I can't do it. There's no joy in it it's the equivalent of feeling like being kicked in the nads over and over making Dak'kon your slave, being cruel to Morte, lying to Annah about liking her etc.
Your videos have some of the best opening skits for video game reviews, and this one beats them all. The combat “We’ll see what we can do!” killed me.
I came back to this 8 months later and tried to like it again. I know you have your dedicated fans, and I guess I'm one of them, but sincerely - Your videos mean something to me. They have... effects on me. In a good way. In a way I think you really understand, and intend. So in that light - Thank you, beard man.
"There will be fiendish babes, *human babes,* angelic babes, *asian babes,* and even undead babes."
I love the idea of an executive reading this and going, "SOLD! Y'know, when you were just promising _human_ babes, I was iffy on it. But then I kept reading and when I saw you're planning on including those famously nonhuman _Asian babes,_ ya got me onboard!" lmao XD
Please play this game. I just got it for the first time early this year and after finishing it, it really is one of the best games ever made (at least in terms of story/writing). It's really that good.
god i get so pumped every time you upload. Its like a burning that starts in my taint and rips up my spine until my hair is on fire like one of those 90s kids in the sega ads. And the only thing that will put it out is seeing that banger of an intro
I played this game last year, because I remembered people saying it was quite good. It certainly showed its age, but the writing made that laughably irrelevant. What a timeless masterpiece.
Excellent video, you have a new subscriber!
Torment is an iconic RPG, and leans heavily on the RP aspect. The experience is more of a digital novel with a graphical interface than a "game" in the modern sense. The vast majority of your time will be spent reading text, and your imagination fills in the gaps. Combat is bare bones, but good enough way to diversify the experience. Contrary to most games of its era, combat is best enjoyed by going full spellcaster route. Playing through Torment for your first time is a special experience, particularly if you have familiarity with the old 2nd Edition Planescape Campaign Setting.....the best that classic DnD had to offer IMO.
I really like the color palete in this game, the juxtiposition of the earthy tones with the alien... everything else always struck me as really cool and then Disco Elysium came through pairing the beauty and vibrance of water color paintings with all sorts of grim themes in a war torn location and gave me the same kind of vibe.
Oh god I would have loved it if they made a Planescape game in the style of King's Field. That guy had good fucking taste.
Forgot completely that my playback was on .5 speed and by god was that intro fuckin surreal
OH HELL YEAH BRO i was about to go to sleep i can't wait to watch this when i wake up i hope you're doing well Grim!!!!!!!
Long time watcher, not sure if I've ever commented, but others are saying it, I'm going to say it: excellent job with all the reviews. I always look forward to whatever game you'll be covering next as many times it's a title I never got to in my pathetically long list of games played. The craft, intricacy and depth you utilize to present these games is awesome and I know myself and many others truly appreciate the time and effort you put in to them. I remember this game back in the day on the shelves, probably when I was endlessly perusing the aisles at Best Buy and picking up the triangular box for Half-Life over and over again. I might give it a try on PS5 or Steam when my PC is resurrected someday. Thank you for the hard work!
I'm glad i'm awake for this. Thank you Grim!
I have been trying for years to find a reason to want to play this game and you are the first person to give me several within the first 20 minutes of your video.
oh man I've been waiting on this one. Literally, your content is like the only thing I actively anticipate these days.
you should definitely work on that and enhance your life
read a book, try The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
@@zerpblerd5966 I've got a rich and fulfilling life with dozens of interests, responsibilities, and social opportunities every week, yet a new Grim vid makes me feel all giddy in a unique way. I get where this dude is coming from. It's weird, but true
@@zerpblerd5966 I would imagine his life's circumstances need more than the exchange of one simple pleasure for another, but I sympathize, there are a variety of reasons why the flavors of life can be reduced to few.
Great video, and also a great channel!
I must admit that I did not expect just how phenomenally well one could make a video about Planescape: Torment while also fitting in enough "haha funnies" to warrant some chortles and big, earnest smiles from yours truly. Regardless of that, though, the quality here was outstanding and definitely not something I would have expected out of a fellow with less than 100k subscribers. I suppose the situation at hand is similar to that of Planescape itself - few are the people who can recognize and appreciate greatness, hmm?
With that said, I appreciate the stuff you mentioned, in regards to the "hot babes", as I had no great knowledge of the context surrounding them. Very intriguing stuff. Not only that, but I also wound up updating my journal as a result of it!
The great depths at which you allow yourself to examine the story, coupled with the gameplay itself, are very pleasant - might I even say sublime - and the whole video was a joy to behold, especially the many convincing advertisements that I would have immediately bought into, had I a landline phone. One more thing I'd like to point at and express great respect and adoration over, would be the style of your videos, as well as your thumbnails. The whole idea of a "brand" is a bit bothersome, but you're definitely presenting a unique style that could be interpreted as "your brand", and it really tickles some part of my brain.
Again - bravo! I'll take great pleasure in examining your future endeavors and older exploits. More folks ought to get to working on stuff like this!
I reacted to this upload with glee befitting a child looking beneath a heavingly-boxed Christmas tree. THANK YOU GRIMBO MCGRIMBLEFACE.
I played this game on the notebook I had with me on the 9 hours long bus rides between home and university. The dark and shakey bus made some parts very memorable, as at times, I didn't want to stop playing but my eyes couldn't handle the tiny letters anymore and my battery was about to die. Anyway
Vibes: Immaculate
Eyesight: wrecked
Journal: updated
I'm so happy to see you're back. I hope you are finding some happiness and pleasure in this life. Your videos do look like someone who has found a great way to earn some money while expressing themselves artistically. That has to be a nice source of joy. :)
I think it was in the glossary entry that TTO's appearance is reflective of Ravel's black-barbed magic.
"Overcook chicken? Maze. Miss a dentist appointment? Believe it or not: Maze."
Keep coming back to this one. This is definitely some of your finest work my friend.
Love your rat sentiments bro, Rat gang 4 lyfe
I know this game isn't that big of a secret, but I love how you shine a light on so many of the older, more obscure titles, some of which I've never heard of u til your videos. Also, you just have that type of voice that is real comfy to have in the background while playing video games, so I hope you continue growing as a channel, and keep pumping out the top tier content.
the most heinous of crimes "preorder a ubisoft game"
Cannot express how glad I am to see uploads from you. Loves me my well-produced longforms.
"might have been good in the days before they had books"
Oh yeah, planescape torment, a game that came out before books.
This was a first video I saw from you and Im hooked on your channel since. You're a real diamond to this platform.
Wait... I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO RESURRECT PEOPLE?!?!?
I'm certain this channel will explode soon. This content is so good. Thank you for your hard work, love the channel
>some slang terms that don't have a basis in reality, like "cutter" and "barmy"
Wow. Let me tell you about this country called "England" and it's wonderful language...
Really enjoy your channel man, always find myself checking for your new uploads. The amount of effort and work you put into these reviews, I can’t even imagine.
Found this after having just finished the game for the first time. I really enjoyed your review and agree with pretty much everything you put forth. One issue I had with the game, however, was that for this game that's been lauded for majority of my life as "best written ever" -- It really suffers by making very important dialog be repeatable and often is necessary for the player to just grind through dialog trees. This is really at it's worst when talking with companions and in the final area... It feels less 'role-playing' and more 'codex mining'.
That and it's kind of grating to have every conversation go "Greetings. I have questions". You are right in that this game walked so Disco could run.
Grimbeard and Planescape: Torment. 30 seconds in, and I already know this will be my favorite video of the year.
After finishing, some tidbits and Devil's Advocacy:
- The official novel is awful. Just plain awful. First off, it names The Nameless One. Secondly, that name is Thane. Thirdly, did I mention that they decide that The Nameless One's name is Thane? Fourthly, he uses a sword.
- It does, however, expand on Fhjull Forked-Tongue, retroactively making them the most important character. Unfortunately, this includes spelling out why TNO had Ravel take away his mortality.
- That "why no 1st person camera?" review is hilarious. The levels are flat images with walkable sections, so that camera wouldn't be terribly useful. A jump button, though... now we're talking.
- It's thematically appropriate that so many people stop playing, when they get to Carceri.
- I wish that the Steam achievements for P:T that require multiple playthroughs were self-aware.
- Two Worlds is a great speedrun game. Kind of weird that they added so much terrible optional content.
Beamdog hot-takes:
- IMHO, the trans vendor trash merchant's behavior in SoD doesn't make any sense. Hank and Becky would be exotic names that someone would comment on, in the Forgotten Realms, not Mizhena or anything else that you'd get from smashing your face on a keyboard. Besides, Elminster is trans, you can make any of your party members trans within the first 15 minutes of the very first game, and Edwina is very popular. It's like having a dialogue option to ask a Walmart cashier about their vest.
- A common interpretation of Safana's character is that she uses her massive Charisma to manipulate people in a very Chaotic Neutral sort of way for fun and profit. Beamdog slut-shaming her and implicating the players was a bit offensive. People generally don't like being told how they feel. It reminded me of EAWare's Dragon Age 2 DLC assuming that the player visited prostitutes on a regular basis (to set up a joke, where your character preferring the trans one is the punchline) with the writers being shocked in interviews that anyone would play a character that would be faithful to their romantic partner, much less not have a romantic partner at all.
Beamdog's writing is bad in general, and instead of trying to get better, they seem to insult their customers for making valid criticisms. Sure, some critics are bigoted nutjobs, but that's always going to be the case. The fact some nutjobs exist doesn't invalidate criticisms of your product general. Quite frankly, when it comes to its writing, Beamdog's output is... not good. And in this case, it was... not good... in ways that were sometimes gross.
For instance, tokenization. Having your only trans character be unimportant and irrelevant, with their gender identity only being revealed in a ham-fisted way never relevant to anything ever again is gross as it presents them not as a person but as a weird novelty. Dismissing the character of Safara by slut shaming her to claim she is nothing but a "sex object" is... well, sexist as it pretends femme fatales can't personality and character. Saying Jaheera was nothing but a "nagging wife" is both bizarre and offensive. These were real characters with actual personality. Maybe they could have been written better, but guess what? Dismissing their character/personality with reductivist descriptions like those is actually being sexist. Beamdog were the ones who saw these characters as nothing more than their gender.
I get it. Writing is hard. If they sincerely tried their best but just failed to do a good job, people would understand. But they didn't. Their lead writer explicitly said she didn't care if the dialogue she wrote felt "forced" to people, with her and the company dismissing critics as being sexist and transphobic. No. Doing a bad job then dismissing anyone who criticizes you as a bigot is gross.
41:55 I saw that. You're a legend, beardo.
I think the main gripe about Beamdog is how they bundle their enhanced editions of games with the original ones and asked twice the money. In case of BD series, initially there were the enhanced and original versions separately (on GOG) and people were buying mostly the og version since the enhanced ones had some unwanted graphical changes and were extremely buggy at release like not working journals etc. and modded originals just looked better.
edit:
forgot to mention about goodies such as soundtracks, which were a free addition in the original versions and after "enhancing" they became a separate entity you "can" buy for the price of a full game at discount.
Well I wish that was the main gripe people had with beamdog but no, for a lot of people the main gripe was that those SJWs are putting a trans-character "in their face" and in their classic video game... even though it wasn't their classic video game, it was an original expansion.... and it wasn't in their face, it was like a sentence only if you took the time to do that character's personal mini-side quest.
My main issue with the Beamdog releases was that they kept on rebalancing the BG games to a major degree. Most of that rebalancing was just nerfing things that were considered "too powerful" in the original game. Some classes/spells/abilities got completely ruined by this. It's difficult for me to comprehend the reasons for this tinkering. Why try to rebalance a very old single-player game? It certainly did not make it more fun.
@@Veldrynvs I don't think they did rebalance Baldurs Gate much... well except for the monk, which really needed a few tweaks. They added a story mode difficulty and a extremely hard - Legacy of Bhaal difficulty but those difficulties were completely optional. They also fixed some exploits but thats not really rebalancing, such as disallowing some spells to be used in Nahal's Dweomer like sequencers and contingency spells.
@@alexoelkers2292 For example they changed the Polymorph Self spell so that it no longer allows transformation into a Sword Spider, just a much weaker "normal" spider. They also nerfed the Poison Weapon ability of the assassin, so it does much less damage now, making the kit near useless. There are tons of changes like this. Nerfs on top of nerfs, always making stuff weaker than before.
Even if these were "exploits", why fix them now? This is a very old single player game, where every current player is only playing it to satisfy his/her nostalgia. If I want to enjoy the assassin I used to play with years ago, then let me do it. If I want to have fun with an "exploit", then let me have it. If they want to release a new re-balanced version, they should do it separately. I just want to old game with updated visuals and UI.
@@Veldrynvs Your issue is sane and makes sense unlike the mob of right wing mouth breathers who review bombed the game over one character with 20 sentences of text.
Damn, this game makes reference to the Dark Tower books? I really wish those booms were more popular so I could have people to talk to about them
Weird aside, I once looked up a phrase from the books used to describe the sound that occurs in an area where dimensions bleed into each other. "Sounds Hawaiian doesn't it?"
And when I looked that up for the first time, the top result on Google was a UA-cam video from a Middle Eastern country, Pakistan I think, where they had recorded a strange noise that they described as the Trumpets of Revelation.
No one had commented "Sounds Hawaian doesn't it?" on the video, I don't think it was in the description, and it certainly wasn't in the title. That phrase mystified me the first time I read it, and has sat even heavier at the back of my mind ever since looking it up.
You thought no one would spot what you did at 41:54 ? I DID. And I LAUGHED.
".....thanks to my ability to be emotionally affected by almost anything."
- Same here, brother. I feel ya.
This video is longer than the movie Aliens ... and I've re-watched this more. Aliens is one of my favorite movies. Do I have to now include this video in my "favorite movies" list?
I just imagine curst has very strict tax laws. Nothing like taxes to stop you from slipping into a chaotic evil hell dimension
I remember playing this game as a kid. At first I was confused with all the content it had, not understanding the story, then after starting a new playthrough and actually focusing on what was written, I grew to love it - this damn thing made a 13-year-old to listen the message it was trying to send!
I think one of the few bits I remember the best is Reekwind, the man who was driven half-mad from being cursed to smell like a vat of moldy ranch dressing.
He earned a few coins from people who were willing to put up with his smell long enough to hear one of his stories, and it even gives the player an opportunity to create a new story for him, talking about the importance of names - how they must be both treasured and be wary of.
This was a nice blast from the past, the video was a real treat
Same here, my first time playing I was just confused, since it was probably the first game I ever played where reading was important, so I didn't realize, I just ran around, triggered the mortuary alarm, somehow got out of there (possibly by dying in a way that I got resurrected outside), and then died outside in such a spot that I actually woke up in ragpicker's square or the buried village itself... Which made me feel so confused and powerless that I just put the game down...
...i came back to it about a year later, because I kept thinking about the fascinating atmosphere, and I started over, and finally paid attention to the dialogue, and... oh man...
(the next part, i didn't have to describe, i now realize, since i got to the part in the video where he describes it, but nevermind)
For me, two of the few bits I remember the best are the one which caused me whole body chills - the memory you can get in the Brothel, of having a discussion with someone, and logicking them so well that they just accept and believe they don't exist, at which moment... They just cease to exist.
and then the one which caused me... basically the reaction that Nameless One is described to have - the sensory stone of Deionarra, where Nameless One gets to watch himself through her eyes, when he was manipulating her, as well as at the same time he remembers it from his own memories... That... Well... Suffice to say, until Hellblade, that moment was the only time a game utterly broke me and made me cry hysterically.
"And I said 'hang on Bill, I really need this!'"
That whole segment had tears in my eyes! Briliant!
If they altered someone else's work and removed the ability for people to play the original the review bombers are unironically in the right imo.
So beamdog actually changed original content? Not just added stuff through the dlc?
@@whoknows8264 For SoD, Beamdog writers retconned a lot of characters, and then because they appear in BG2 they get retconned back, like what happened in SoD did not happen. They really wrote themselves into corners multiple times.
I don't agree with this argument because you can just pirate the original version if you want to.
is it worse?
Isn't SoD an expansion? That can be completely ignored? Or did they also change BG 1 and 2?
Honest question, never played the Enhanced Editions of those games.
This is my first Grimbeard video. Are you my soulmate? I'm enthralled. Thank you. I cannot wait to watch your entire library 😇
i got a problem to feel that unique vibe and dark spirit of the game at the beggining too. I was expecting, well more generic dungeons and dragons after baldurs gate and other similiar fantasy games. I was hit in the face, and shocked at the start, left with "what the hell is going on" in my mind. But I returned (twice tbh), and made past the first area. Now its the best rpg I ever played
Great video. Just found your channel a week ago. Consistently thoughtful videos with humor in my wheelhouse!
Completely disagree on the whole Beamdog issue. It's one thing to put in dumb non-sense in your new DLC, it's another when said non-sense ignores/shits on the established lore or characters.
It's not theirs to change. Simple as that. Something tells me you wouldn't agree with Beamdog when Minsc would quote Ben Shapiro, Alex Jones, or whoever.
it is theirs actually
They're the developers so they can do whatever they want.
Considering Ben and Alex are performance artists who hock and mock those who honestly watch them it wouldn’t be a good fit for Minsc who’s an actual brain-damaged individual.
I'm quite fickle when it comes to actually having the ability to sit down and stick with a game, but listening to long format essays while I paint is one of my favorite things.
I just discovered your channel, and I'm really thankful that I've been able to learn about, and, in a way, enjoy titles that I otherwise wouldn't be able to.
Primal and Nocturne are two other games I've discovered thanks to your efforts. So, thank you for sharing and working on these. 🦇
I know this isn't the focus of this video, but since it went so bizarrely hard on the Beamdog controversy, I feel someone should point out what the video says on the topic is misleading. I doubt anyone cares about all the details, but for the main example, most people who got angry about the trans character weren't upset about a trans character existing in the game (of course, some sucky people were). Most people were upset she was a poorly written, offensive tokenization.
Imagine devs noticed their game had no black people so they added one NPC who, as almost his first comment to you says, "Hi I'm black." That'd feel weird. And that's what happened here. The character was written so poorly it stood out like a sore thumb. Them being trans had no relevance to anything said or done, and them telling you they're trans made no sense at all. It was pure tokenization. It was putting a trans character in just so they could say, "We have a trans character!" It's gross.
You don't promote inclusivity by having a throwaway NPC awkwardly tell the player they're trans for no reason. That does the opposite. It presents trans individuals as strange, unusual and ultimately unimportant as anything more than a novelty. I'm happy when I see good trans representation in games, but Beamdog's handling of this was so inept it made me nauseous to read.
I was in the threads when people were mad at her inclusion.
The fact she was trans was absolutely a major factor in the general dislike of her.
@@calisto789 I'm not sure what you mean by "the threads" as the issue was discussed in many places across many sites, but I have no doubt for some people in some areas her being trans was enough of an issue for them to be upset.
However, the overall discourse was not merely about her being trans. This is evident by the many contemporaneous articles at the time which discussed how the poor writing of the character caused her being trans to be off-putting like I described. This was made worse by Beamdog kneejerk reaction of defending what they did, pretending criticisms were merely from bigots.
The actual truth is what Beamdog put in its game was a harmful type of tokenization, which while presumably unintentional, was in fact a form of bigotry.
Another banger of a video for the Goth Gamer Nation. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos, they are always a highlight of my week when I watch them. Also side note! Love the nails they look so good, I am jealous!
Another banger! Or should I say, smanger 😎
I too chuckled at "gay actor Michael Douglas"
my grandma bought me Fallout 1(who knows why) and i loved that game, and years later a friend lend me a cd with Planescape Torment, i think it was cracked?? im talking maybe 9 years ago, or maybe even more, and i loved that game so much
planescape dudes didnt see a penny of my money, until they released it years later on steam, which i bought right away
back on the day it was easier to pirate a game, now it is easier to just buy it and download it
"Names are only the means by which you can be tracked across the plains" is somehow one of the most profound things I've ever heard
Holy sheeit. Max Derat is interested in making a video essay about the philosophy of this game. I watched this entire review to help me understand the game. Now my algorithm is giving me tons of >60 minute long reviews of good, old games like PT. It's like a whole, new area of UA-cam content just unlocked for me.
I have never sat through a whole list people who donated. You made something boring pretty fun. You ought to look into voice acting if you haven't already performed as a VA.
TWO HOURS AND TWENTY ONE MINUTES OF CONTENT FOR THE GOTH GAMER NATION
First time seeing your channel Grimbeard, amazing content and I'm so happy there's more recognition of this cRPG masterpiece. Only 1hour into this video essay, but as you were discussing the story I was reminded of something that I always thought was strange. How come the player's incarnation didn't succumb to amnesia? It was the first(?) incarnation to have this 'power'. Obviously there's a meta reason for that, because otherwise you can't really play the video game; but I think considering how much this idea of multiple incarnations and amnesia is explored there has to be an answer to this.
I know that in one of the latter portions of the game you find someone or maybe a scroll that talks about there being a 'final' incarnation and that if it doesn't succeed that TNO will be doomed to memory loss forever. But it's never explained to my knowledge why that is or how it came to that. Has anyone made a timeline of incarnations? The paranoid one was probably one of the most recent ones in light of that particular prophecy talking about 3 more incarnations and the final one.
I vaguely recall there being an explanation in the game. I think it had something to do with what the paranoid incarnation did.
It's been a while since I last played the game.
If I remember correctly, TNO's memories disappear after a certain number of deaths, but I'm not sure about that.
Things that are definitely in the game do point to some other reasons, but those are spoiler territory, proceed with care :
TNO might have to die in the Fortress of Regrets for his memories to fade, most likely due to the negative energy plane it happens to be on. I can't speak for the "good" incarnation, but it's confirmed for the "paranoid" and "practical" ones.
As to the comment before regarding the paranoid incarnation, it's related to him destroying all the leads left by the practical one.
This might also be why you don't otherwise lose your memories, your TNO has no record of his past events. I'm guessing that if you wake up with no memories and read your journal some of your previous personality will come through your writing. It makes the repetitive nature of "updated my journal" have even more meaning.
The fact that Tides of Numenera just came out on GamePass makes this video timely
Just to point out you can actually lose the game and die, or get trapped. There are a few ways. but all of them is the result of your choic and kinda alternative ending... very early ending... But that's the thing, Torment is not more a game, that it's a roleplay adventure, and roleplay is about acting, not gaming. So yes, it is more of a interactive story than a game, but it doesn't mean it's a bad thing.