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.
