Torment: Tides of Numenera trailer teases choice-heavy combat

Techland and inXile's Torment: Tides of Numenera has spent the last couple of months ramping up its trailer presence ahead of its February 28 launch date. The latest explores its combat which, much like its core inspiration, Black Isle's Planescape: Torment, is typically choice-heavy. 

Which places a fair bit of responsibility on players. Do you steam into combat firing on all cylinders, or do you sidestep hostility by relying on deception, persuasion and/or stealth? Do you spend earned experience points on might, speed or intellect—or do you instead upgrade your core skills? Upon reaching new tiers, which abilities will serve you best on the battlefield, and should you opt for a more offensive playstyle or a defensive-leaning approach?

And that's all before you get to Cyphers—the most powerful items over and above weapons and armour. Over to you, Mr narrator person: 

Besides the vast level of customisation Tides promises, I'm most interested in the Allies system noted above, particularly mention of special abilities such as "trans-dimensional alter egos." I'm also suddenly reminded of this Red Dwarf episode. 

The Castoff Labyrinth sounds interesting too—a mysterious maze "deep inside your own mind", where the player is sent upon death. This hub of sorts is explorable, we're told, within which players can uncover new sub-plots, increase their powers and ultimately come back to life "even wiser than before."

Torment: Tides of Numenera is due February 28. 

Deputy Editor, PC Gaming Show
Latest in Adventure
Image of illuminated manuscript-style drawings from the game Pentiment.
Random characters kept swearing in Obsidian's font-obsessed murder-mystery when its procedural error system ran amok: 'Naughtiness abounded'
An image of a corpse with the text "You've been re-educated."
I played the lost videogame sequel to 1984, and came away more nostalgic than ever for gaming's awkward adolescence in 1999
Rosella encounters a satyr in a forest in King's Quest 4
Eagle-eyed streamer spots that Roberta Williams' portrait in King's Quest 4 is based on her author photo on the back of the game box: 'I never noticed it before.'
Myst puzzle game
'You’ve been asking, and we’ve been listening': Myst remake adds a whole new world to the classic adventure, one originally introduced in another overhaul from 25 years ago
The character takes a test in a school room.
Expelled! review
Max, protagonist of Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Double Exposure, stares with trepidation at something off-screen with her friend.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure reportedly a 'large loss' for Square Enix, says analyst, who adds: 'The company's IP fundamentally varies too much between good and bad'
Latest in News
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened