InXile have released the first in-game screenshot of Torment: Tides of Numenera. At this point, you're probably thinking, "yes Phil, it's right there above these words. Can I go now?" Oh reader, you beautiful naive pixie - in order to fit our standard image size, that screenshot has been cropped by a scandalous width of seven pixels. Who knows what might lurk in that unseen border. You'd better read on to find out.
This is also not the full screenshot. It's a close up of a light fixture, which I have called "Solitary Lamppost". Why am I now posting select segments of the full landscape? Maybe because it's a fittingly symbolic representation of the area's name - The Bloom - which, according to inXile, is a living level.
"The Bloom is a vast, semi-sentient predator, a monstrous, organic creation that extends its tendrils through the folds of reality. Its pathways, nooks, and crannies conceal terrors and wonders alike, and for those daring or desperate souls who are forced to find refuge here, any step has the potential to send them to another world. It's a hub, a centre of commerce for those who trade in the relics of other worlds."
It's also possible that I'm posting a lamppost in order to pad out a story that is entirely centred on a single screenshot.
I call this segment "Weird Balcony," and with it bring news of a Kickstarter update in which lead artist Koy vanOteghem discusses the thinking of the game's 2.5D perspective.
"Bear in mind, any extra time we spend noodling in 2D will be made up 10-fold when we get to our beta build and we are not ripping our eyes out trying to figure out how to get all that geometry to render efficiently on screen," he writes. "Our early tests are showing very promising frame rates for our 2D assets, freeing up additional processing power for characters, FX, lighting, post-processes, etc." It's hard not to agree with his theory that ripping out eyes isn't the most productive use of the dev team's time. It's also worth remembering that the characters will be 3D, viewed through an isometric camera.
Right, it's time. Without any more delaying tactics, here's the complete Tides of Numenera screenshot. You can even click it for a bigger version.
Thanks, Eurogamer .
