Torment: Tides of Numenera interactive trailer demonstrates a quest in action

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Torment: Tides of Numenera is a "philosophical role-playing game" and spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment, and as you might expect based on that description, a lot of what happens depends entirely upon what you do as a player. The "interactive quest video" released today offers a taste of how that will work: Will you help? Will you hinder? Or will you just dive in, make a mess, and then lie your face off about where it all went wrong?

The early-game side quest seen in the video actually has seven possible outcomes, so there's plenty to poke at, and it won't be nearly this easy to see them all in the real game. Not that you should get too hung up on making the "right" choice anyway, as creative lead Colin McComb explains. "[Torment] is designed so even failure is interesting and consequential, and sometimes, more advantageous than success," he says. And like its namesake, even death will sometimes have an upside.

Stick with the video once the quest is complete, as it also explains how your actions will influence the Tides, the unseen forces that shape the development of your character. One series of choices, for instance, attunes players to the Indigo tide, representing values like justice and equity; but it also deepens your connection to the Red tide of action and emotion.

Torment: Tides of Numenera comes out on February 28.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.