Planescape: Torment

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Classification: CRPG

Design: W-RPG, Low Fantasy, Dark, Gritty
Theme: Philosophy
Setting: Mythic, Crossworlds, Metaphysical Place
Combat Style: Pauseable Real-time
Reward System: Experience
Play Style: Single-player
Point of View: Isometric
Color Palette: Subdued
Control: Full Control
Voice Acting: Partially Voiced
Character Backstory: Predefined, Free-form
Playtime: 40-60 hours
Funding model: Publisher

Spoiler – Complete CRPG analysis for Planescape: Torment

I. Defining Features

The three core categories Character Development, Exploration and Story that need to be applied and quantified to determine if an interactive computerized game can be labeled as a Computer Role Playing Game (hereafter referred to as CRPG) are listed to show the necessary component elements and qualifying factors.

Spoiler – i. Must Have

Any proposed or purported CRPG must contain all three core categories and their essential necessary Must Have conditions fulfilled to achieve the (minimal) CRPG status.

These core categories must maintain some form of progressive nature that will improve from when the game starts and leads to a conclusive game ending.

1. Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.

MC1: You can control and role-play one or more unique characters (➙ avatar or party, not only uniform units.) Yes
MC2: You can progressively develop character stats or abilities (➙ e.g. through an in game value (usually exp. points) gained by quests, exploration, conversation, combat, …) Yes
MC3: You can equip items to enhance character stats or abilities Yes
MC4: Stat checks are required (➙ you need to develop your character in order to progress and finish the game) Yes

2. Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.

ME1: You can find new locations Yes
ME2: You can find and collect items (➙ There is an inventory. There must be more item types than quest items, weapons, ammunition or consumable stat boosters) Yes
ME3: You can find information sources (➙ e.g. NPCs, entities, objects that provide info) Yes

3. Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.

MS1: You can get information from information sources (➙ e.g. hints, goals, quests, skills, spells, training, …) Yes
MS2: You can follow quests (➙ there is at least one main quest) Yes
MS3: You can progress through connected events while playing your character's role. Yes

Spoiler – ii. Should Have

Each core category and the auxiliary category Combat also have related Should Have conditions; the reviewer should make a comment if a sub list item is not fulfilled. Should one or more (SH) not be fulfilled the game is most likely a special CRPG (see Tags) or a CRPG light.

If all (SH) are fulfilled too there's no further discussion necessary — the game is a true CRPG.

1. Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.

SC1: You can create your characters. Yes — You can distribute some stat points in the game at character creation, but that's it.
SC2: Pre-planning is required for character development Yes
SC3: Tactical use of abilities is required (➙ primary means of problem solving, gameworld interaction and overcoming challenges. The player's physical coordination skills are secondary.) Yes

2. Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.

SE1: You can find NPCs (➙ non-player characters who you can interact with.) Yes
SE2: You can choose a path (➙ there is at least some branching.) Yes
SE3: You can interact with the game world (➙ e.g. you can pull levers, push buttons, open chests, hack computers, … appropriate to the game's setting) Yes
SE4: The gameworld can affect your characters' conditions or circumstances such that you have to learn and adapt to overcome these challenges (➙ e.g. weather, traps, closed doors, poisoned areas, …) Yes
SE5: Inaccessible areas can be reached due to character enhancements or by solving quests or puzzles (➙ e.g. unlock locked areas, overcome obstacles, repair bridges, dispel barriers, …) Yes

3. Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.

SS1: You can interact with information sources (➙ e.g. NPC conversations, riddle statue questions, …) Yes
SS2: You can make choices in those interactions. Yes
SS3: Some of those choices have consequences. Yes
SS4: Thinking is required in order to progress (➙ e.g. irreversible choices, moral dilemma, riddles, …) Yes
SS5: The story is influenced by your decisions and your characters' actions and stats or abilities. Yes

4. Combat (Meta)
Describes how combat (or more general: conflict resolving) corresponds to elements of Character Development, Exploration and Story.

SF1: Combat is influenced by character stats or abilities (➙ e.g. amount of damage, chance to hit, weapon access, …) Yes
SF2: Combat involves random elements (➙ e.g. game internal dice rolls.) Yes
SF3: Combat provides some challenge (➙ e.g. requires preparation, use of tactics or environment.) Yes

Planescape: Torment is a CRPG.

II. CRPG Elements

Optional elements are listed in the Nice to Have (NtH) list. With it you get precise information which optional CRPG elements are implemented in the game. A general game info questionnaire is added too, to do some rating.

Spoiler – 1. Character Development

Choice

You can name your characters. No
You can choose a gender. No
You can choose looks or voice. No
You can choose or create through play your own class, profession or race. Yes — You can change your class later in the game by talking to certain people.
You can choose traits, alignment or disposition. Yes — Your alignment changes based on your actions during the game.
You can choose abilities. Yes
You can choose spells. Yes
You can modify primary stats. Yes
Lots of different equipment is available. Yes
Lots of different spells or abilities are available. Yes
Abilities can unlock or block others or branch. No
Character classes or development paths can be changed during the game. Yes
You can have pets as party members. No

Interdependence

(Story) Character stats can change NPC disposition towards the PC. Yes
(Story) Stats, abilities or spells can affect available dialogue options. Yes
(Story) Unique items are in the game or can be made. Yes
(Exploration) Stats, abilities or spells can affect available paths through the game world. Yes
(Exploration) Stats, abilities or spells can affect the amount of things you can see, find or know in the world. Yes

Interactivity

You can create combos with spells or abilities. No
Your character's stats can be modified by using spells or abilities. Yes
Your character's afflictions can be cured by using spells or abilities. Yes
You can rest or sleep. Yes
Stats can limit in some way what you can equip or carry. Yes
You can control party members or pets like your main character. Yes

Immersion

You need to specialize (➙ can't have everything.) Yes
You can create or choose a background story for your character. Yes — Yes and no. Quite a unique aspect of this game.
You can tweak your character lots of times over the whole game. Yes
You can wear normal clothes, not only armor. No — There are, however, many different, interesting items to wear.
Factions provide prizes for your deeds (➙ e.g. houses, medals, ranks, …) Yes
Magic is in the game in some form. Yes
Your characters can be afflicted with negative status effects (➙ e.g. diseases, fatigue, etc.) Yes
Your characters can eat or drink. Yes — Can, but don't have to.

Spoiler – 2. Exploration

Choice

You can follow different paths to reach a goal. Yes
You can reasonably go where you want. Yes
You can return to previously visited locations. Yes
There are few artificial borders, rare level loading. No — The infinity engine is based on individual areas.

Interdependence

(Character) Char development choices can affect available paths through the game world. Yes
(Character) Char development choices can affect the amount of things you can see, find or know in the world. Yes
(Story) You can find and recruit new party members or tame pets. Yes
(Story) Exploring off the beaten path yields rewards, e.g. optional quests, secrets or interesting locations. Yes
(Story) You can visit and make use of social locations (➙ e.g. taverns, inns, marketplaces.) Yes

Interactivity

You can collect items (➙ there is an inventory.) Yes
You can trade items for currency and better equipment. Yes
You can interact with items. Yes
You can break or destroy items. Yes — Weapons can break upon use.
You can repair items. No — ?
You can move items. No
You can combine or disaggregate items. No
You can gather pieces of flora or fauna for later use. No
You can craft equipment, spells or items (➙ e.g. alchemy.) No
Inventory size is limited. Yes

Immersion

There is a place you can call home. No
You can explore lots of unique, beautiful and interesting locations. Yes
Locations can evolve or change (➙ e.g. town / destroyed town.) Yes
There are non-hostile creatures (➙ e.g. wildlife.) No
Types of creatures make sense in the area they are encountered in. Yes
Creatures are wandering persistently (➙ no random encounters.) Yes
Looting makes sense (➙ no shield on a dead wolf.) Yes
Time is measured (➙ e.g. there is a day/night cycle.) Yes
Time affects the game world (➙ e.g. some things are only available at night.) No

Spoiler – 3. Story

Choice

You can reasonably do what you want when you want to do it (➙ quest order doesn't matter much.) Yes
Some quests depend on each other. Yes
Some quests rule others out. Yes — Not sure, but I think so. Perhaps in regard to factions.
Quests can be solved in more than one way. Yes
You can join factions, though not all at the same time. Yes
You can make moral choices (or romance choices.) Yes

Interdependence

(Character) Character stats can change NPC disposition towards the PC. Yes
(Character) Char development choices can affect available dialogue options. Yes
(Character) Unique items are in the game or can be made. Yes
(Exploration) You can find and recruit new party members or tame pets. Yes
(Exploration) Exploring off the beaten path yields rewards, e.g. optional quests, secrets or interesting locations. Yes
(Exploration) You can visit and make use of social locations (➙ e.g. taverns, inns, marketplaces.) Yes

Interactivity

Dialogue is fleshed out (➙ there are multiple options in one conversation.) Yes
There is more than one game ending. Yes
You can have conversations with party members or take care of pets. Yes
There are many side quests. Yes
State of the game changes in accordance with the player's actions. Yes
You can solve or create conflicts between factions. Yes

Immersion

Lore is provided (➙ context, faction rules, laws, history, …) Yes
There are different factions (➙ races, groups, guilds.) Yes
NPCs or party members are well developed (➙ expansive background stories, etc.) Yes
NPCs or party members interact with each other. Yes
NPCs have schedules. No
There are surprises and twists. Yes
The storyline is character-driven (➙ character development within the narrative.) Yes
There is a proper ending or sense of closure. Yes
There are memorable antagonists. Yes
Your main character is defined. Yes — Both yes and no. The game is quite unique in this area.

Spoiler – 4. Combat (Meta)

Units

Combat can be avoided due to stats (➙ e.g. enemies flee) No
You can control at least six characters. Yes
Your characters are specialized (➙ different battlefield roles.) Yes
Enemies are specialized (➙ require different tactics.) Yes
Resource management is necessary. Yes
Units have multiple attack options. Yes
Delayed attacks are possible (➙ e.g. counterattacks, attacks of opportunity, etc.) No
Movement-focused special abilities are available. No
Units have multiple resistance options (➙ e.g. armor, elemental resistance, etc.) Yes

Environment

Combat can be avoided through sneaking or gameworld manipulation. No
You can get a good sense of space (➙ e.g. there is a grid.) No
Combat can start at variable distances. Yes
Directional facing plays a role (➙ e.g. more damage from behind, flanking.) Yes
Terrain is variable (➙ e.g. natural choke points, cover, combat bonuses.) Yes
Terrain can be manipulated (➙ e.g. you can create barriers.) No
There are elevation effects (➙ e.g. combat bonuses from higher grounds.) No
There can be zones or items on the battlefield that reward units who get there in time. No
There can be Zones of Danger on the battlefield (➙ e.g. environmental damage.) No

Scenarios

Combat can be avoided through dialogue. Yes
Combat can have different win scenarios (➙ e.g. keep NPC alive, defend town.) No
Combat can have side objectives aside from "win/loss". No
Characters don't die immediately but can be revived during combat. No
Decisions on the battlefield have character development consequences. No
There are memorable bosses. Yes

Roleplay Focus: Character : Exploration : Story = 0.78 : 0.68 : 0.96
Gameplay Focus: Choice : Interactivity : Immersion = 0.74 : 0.73 : 0.81
Combat Focus: Units : Environment : Scenarios = 0.67 : 0.33 : 0.33

III. Fun Features

Spoiler – Fun Features

1. Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.

FC1: Are there useless skills? No
FC2: How would you rate character progression? Balanced
FC3: Is there auto-leveling of some sort? No

2. Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.

FE1: Is Auto-Mapping available? Yes
FE2: Is Fast Travelling available? No
FE3: Are there quest markers? No
FE4: Is there a quest compass? No
FE5: How much realism is there? Balanced
FE6: How much looting is in the game? Some

3. Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.

FS1: Does the story follow cliched paths? No
FS2: How linear is the game? Network-like
FS3: How would you rate the suspense? Ok
FS4: Are there pre-selected options? (➙ Choice is reduced.) No

4. Combat (Meta)
Describes how combat (or more general: conflict resolving) corresponds to elements of Character Development, Exploration and Story.

FF1: How much fighting is in the game? Some
FF2: Grinding: Is filler combat necessary to develop your character? No

5. Interface

FX1: How often is gameplay interrupted with loading? Sometimes
FX2: How would you rate the game's interface? Ok

6. Difficulty

FD1: How difficult is the game? Normal
FD2: Can difficulty be adjusted? Yes
FD3: How balanced is trading? Good
FD4: How much reloading is necessary to beat the game? Some
FD5: How good is the AI? Medium
FD6: How much handholding is there? Little

7. Gameplay Features

FG1: Are there Easter Eggs? Yes
FG2: Are there minigames? No

This fact sheet was created using CRPG Analyzer 1.01 Beta.

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Planescape: Torment

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