Planescape: Torment. The best isometric RPGs of all time
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Once every few years, a game comes along that redefines the rules. A game that reinvents a particular convention and genre. One that really gets to you, pierces your emotions and leaves a lasting mark. Something like that was definitely Planescape: Torment. Baldur's Gate's less famous cousin. An outstanding RPG through and through.
Imagine someone teleporting you into a sick dream of a mad clockmaker, waking you up with a severe hangover in the morgue, asking difficult philosophical questions, and offering a talking skull as your guide. And you, a person with scars, tattoos, and an outfit made of a piece of leather of an unknown beast (which must be uncomfortable as hell). And this is just the beginning of the journey.
Planescape: Torment is a legendary game. The developers at the unforgettable Black Isle performed a minor miracle. They've bypassed the rather rigid framework of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons so that we don't have to worry too much about clunky mechanics, and can freely sink in one of the more twisted worlds that have been created in this system. Planescape is a place of transformation, a place of transition. Every crack, every door can lead to another dimension, a secret room, a trap with no way out, or another plane of reality.
We play as a memoryless immortal who tries to discover the secret of their origin, find out who is hunting them and understand their own nature. We are accompanied by equally tormented, but charismatic companions we meet along the way. Each was hurt by the world in a different way. The whole game is a journey through amazing terrain, but also a confrontation with very different thoughts, emotions or whole philosophical doctrines. Almost every task or clash contributes something to our view of the world.
And on top of that, the game still looks beautiful with its offbeat ideas, colors, designs, and locations. With the Enhanced Edition, Torment aged slowly and with dignity. Of course, it's not an adventure for everyone, it requires a bit of self-denial because it's walls of text... But it is an outstanding text nonetheless.
TORMENT: TIDES OF NUMENERA
It's hard to challenge Planescape: Torment. It is a unique position and many get mad at the thought that someone could profane this sanctity, for example by trying to develop a direct sequel (although the modders once wanted to prepare an add-on dedicated to one of our companions, Fall-from-Grace). Anyway, it's not that easy to obtain franchise rights. However, inXile dared to create a spiritual heir called Torment: Tides of Numenera. It wasn't as good or as coherent as the adventure in Sigil, but it was still a high-quality adventure that offered some intriguing solutions and a decent, unusual story.
Fallout 2
The world is changing, the gaming industry is changing – but one thing that's not changing is war. Though its faces do. Under Bethesda, Fallout evolved into an action RPG and then into something an MMO, which was a controversial turn of events to say the least. That's why for many fans, part two remains the best and last true one (some also include New Vegas in this club). Which is hardly surprising.
The first Fallout launched a new wave of RPGs along with Baldur's Gate – it had good tools. The atmosphere of post-nuclear wastelands accompanied us at every step, emphasized by great dialogues. Added to this was the freedom of role-playing and the freedom of exploration. Fallout 2 while it started out as a game full of bugs, it delivered more of everything and showed just how powerful and compelling open worlds are.
The game dealt with complex issues (sects, drugs, nationalism, racism, slavery, and all the worst things in society), and was both straightforward and satirical. The unforgiving, but very open-ended mechanics reinforced the sense that we were screwed. Of course, we slowly climbed toward the top and could become the hope or the terror of the wastelands. Or something in between. The choice was ours.
The quests still have a chance to surprise you with the complexity and available options, and the game remains alive through mods as well. The United States has never been so beautiful, so scary and so fun at the same time. Fallout was witty, seditious, and sometimes even educational.
Fallout tied all its elements with aesthetics like from the old postcards, which is why you can't deny its charm, even despite the outdated graphics. And there's no denying – a remake similar to the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate would not go amiss. Because if we can get over the clumsy graphics, we're in for a unique journey.
ATOM RPG
In 2018, AtomTeam studio released a game that cannot be described as anything other than a Fallout in the USSR. This production is very clearly inspired by those isometric classics. It's worth giving it a chance.
