Game:

Planescape: Torment (1999)

Category:

Review

Duration: 5:38:53

117,801 views

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A retrospective review of Black Isle's 1999 "avant-garde" AD&D CRPG, which was based in the exotic "Planescape" campaign setting and promised to subvert the conventions of both fantasy and computer roleplaying games. Covers the game's release and reception, the circumstances surrounding its development, its gameplay, art and sound direction, writing & roleplaying, and whether it lived up to its promise. As always, feel free to skip around the video using the chapter timestamps below. Couple of minor corrections: I incorrectly refer to Dragon Dice as a Forgotten Realms title, and there were one or two names I wasn't sure how to pronounce, for which I apologize. There's also a line about sales I had to re-record so my voice changes a bit, and I mistakenly refer to Josh Sawyer's "Pentiment" as "Penitent". Anyway, next video will be Westwood's NOX. Enjoy!

Timestamps:

00:00 Opening
01:40 Chapter 1 - Introduction and Overview
14:04 Chapter 2 - The Making of Planescape: Torment
14:23 2:1 - The Planescape licencing deal & early Interplay projects
36:04 2:2 - "Last Rites" enters development
1:02:18 2:3 - Public reveal & reception
1:17:09 2:4 - Delays & disputes
1:31:12 2:5 - Release and aftermath
1:43:58 Chapter 3 - Gameplay
1:44:21 3:1 - Gameplay Basics and Overview
2:10:20 3:2 - Gameplay Analysis: Setting the stage & the combat problem
2:27:30 3:3 - Analysis: "Interactive Narrative Adventure" and pacing
2:40:13 3:4 - Analysis: Challenging Conventions
2:54:04 Chapter 4 - Visuals and Sound
2:54:30 4:1 - Planescape and Tony Diterlizzi
2:58:10 4:2 - Art and Graphics
3:18:30 4:3 - Audio
3:27:01 4:4 - Music
3:36:25 4:5 - Tabletop Art vs. Torment's Art
3:46:53 4:6 - Playing Torment today
4:00:05 Chapter 5 - Story and Roleplaying
4:00:39 5:1 - The Planescape Setting & Sigil
4:22:12 5:2 - Story Overview (Mild Spoilers)
4:38:33 5:3 - Story Analysis: Setting Expectations (Mild spoilers from here onwards)
4:45:17 5:4 - Analysis: Representing Planescape
4:56:23 5:5 - Analysis: "Avant-Garde" Fantasy & General Writing
5:13:46 5:6 - Analysis: Roleplaying in Torment
5:26:33 Chapter 6 - Outro & Final Thoughts
5:35:53 Acknowledgements

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