Planescape: Torment

I've been trying to like this game, and the craft that went in to making this thing is clearly evident. When it came out, I'm sure I would have found it amazing, but these days, the plight of the Nameless One is just not that compelling, and the philosophical question that the game hopes to address neither arises quickly enough nor is it that interesting.

#3 Best by Average Percentile on Criticker

A strong point of the CRPG boom of this particular era was the focus on writing, world building, and lengthy dialogue trees, and this game took that to new extremes. In the spirit of the Planescape setting, it spins a bizarre yet structured world stuffed with vivid character and a thoughtfully dense story on the subject of morality and identity. And yes, there is also combat, which is ironically straightforward despite the exotic equipment and abilities you stumble upon at every turn.

Still my favorite I've ever played. Yeah, the fighting mechanic is nothing to write home about, but the absorbing world and philosophy of this game is unparalleled.

It's hard to explain all the reasons why this game is so enthralling; I'll just highlight the atmosphere, which is just about pitch perfect. Everything, from the general setting, to the UI elements, to the main storyline and each of the sidequests and stories, contributes to a singular whole. PS:T feels like a coherent, indiosyncratic work of art, which is a true rarity in an industry where most games are extremely derivative and seem to lack any sort of auctorial vision.

Has one of the most compelling stories in any video game I've ever played, with some of the best dialog choices I've ever seen. However, the combat is pretty dull and I found myself wanting to talk myself out of fights more often than not. Still, the game is so brilliantly written and presents such a fascinating world that you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not at least trying it out.

Takes from Baldur's gate and adds in humor and more interesting personalities. A gem in the old RPG tactics genre.

The classic CRPGs are not my thing but I've always adored Planescape due to the humour, atmosphere and the way you could talk your way out of situations. Memorable characters and arguably the best plot in the entire genre.