Torment: Tides of Numenera review – much more than a nostalgic homage

Spiritual successor to classic RPG Planescape: Torment raised $5m in crowdfunding three years ago, and the complex adventure is worth the wait

Torment: Tides of Numenera exemplifies that most modern of creative success stories: the Kickstarter smash hit. Developed by inXile Entertainment (the team behind Wasteland 2) it was launched on the crowdfunding platform in 2013 and reached its full $900,000 target after only six hours. By the end of the campaign it had raised almost $5m.

Why such fervid interest? Torment: Tides of Numenera is the spiritual successor to the renowned 1999 role-playing game Planescape: Torment, which, alongside other classics like Baldur's Gate, helped redefine the genre. Set in the complex Planescape D&D campaign, its narrative took in a multiverse of coexisting dimensions, it featured a rich cast of well-drawn characters and an emphasis on dialogue rather than battle.