Science-Fiction Weekly – Torment, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Batman Vs. Aliens

Most of you are hunting robotic dinosaurs today, but there's another science-fiction game you should consider dedicating time to, especially if you don't own a PlayStation 4. Torment: Tides of Numenera is readily available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and it's supposedly quite good. Game Informer's Matt Miller gave the game a respectable rating of 8.5 out of 10, and says it's a delight for speculative-fiction lovers.

Torment takes place one billion years in the future, well after the collapse of Earth's most advanced civilization. The remnants of that society still exist for a new civilization to discover, but it isn't just humans. Aliens, specters, and weird dream-like entities are all part of the same thriving society. Most beings don't know how to harness the power of the technologies and artifacts left behind by the previous generations, but those who can wield it gain immense power. The role you play is of a stranger in a strange land; someone who appears to be far removed from time and space, and has no business being here. I don't want to go too much into who you play, as it is a cool reveal, but it isn't what you would expect.

Torment is a top-down role-playing game that offers depth in its character customization, quests, and turn-based combat dynamics, but is mostly a game of text. You can freely move about the world to explore, but almost every discovery made is followed by page upon page of text that describes what you are looking at, how your character is feeling about the object of desire, and even the events that are unfolding around it. If you see a person standing at a bar, your character will describe how that character looks, even though you are seeing him with your own eyes. You get extra detail this way, more than you do in most games. Most of the action – even a few battles – unfold through text. That doesn't mean you don't have a hand in shaping what happens. Much like a Telltale game or a choose-your-own adventure book, most scenarios bring a multitude of choices. For example, during my playthrough I walked out onto a dock and came across two spinning pink cones. I was giving these options:

Two floating cones whirl and spin deliriously around each other, giggling like children being tickled. The air around them smells of sweet, burning leaves.

1. "What are you?"
2. [Quick Fingers] Touch a cone as it passes.
3. Watch them for patterns.
4. Leave the cones alone.

The writing is quite good, mostly handle by Monte Cook, a former Dungeons & Dragon writer who helped construct the 3rd Edition Handbook, as well as a handful of its modules. Heed my advice, Torment is not for everyone. It's slow and all about developing the story. I find the world fascinating, and although I'm still early in this adventure, love how my character is developing and interacting with the world. There's a real connection there between the player and character. The trailer below should give you an idea of what to expect from the narrative:

Regarding gameplay, I am noticing that the Xbox One version does suffer from bouts of unresponsiveness. I'll click on an item, and sometimes my character will stand motionless for four to five seconds before positioning himself next to it. Other times he won't do anything at all, which requires moving the character manually into a different position to trigger a response. This is a small complaint, but it has occurred roughly a dozen times, leading to a bit of frustration. The Xbox One version also runs into framerate issues in the more heavily populated city areas. Again, it's a small thing, but it is noticeable. Miller says he didn't encounter any of these problems on the PC version (which he reviewed). Neither of us has played the game on PlayStation 4. Don't let these small detractors hold you back from playing on Xbox One, however. Again, I'm enjoying the experience. It's a different type of game that I'm enjoying when I need to take a break from Horizon or Zelda.

In the world of superheroes, Marvel fans don't have to wait long to see the Guardians of the Galaxy share the screen with The Avengers. No, I'm not talking about the forthcoming Infinity War film, but rather the second season of Guardians of the Galaxy's excellent animated show. The fun kicks off on March 11 on Disney XD with an hour-long episode that sees Star Lord fighting Iron Man, Hulk taking on Groot, and all of the Avengers and Guardians going at each other. We'll have to watch the premiere to see why they are at odds with each other.

The first trailer for Alien: Covenant hits tomorrow, and was teased through the release of a new poster. The film is directed by Ridley Scott, and stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, James Franco, Noomi Rapace, and Danny McBride. While the name implies a return to form for the franchise, it is the sequel to Prometheus, with Fassbender reprising his role of the android David. Rumors suggest the majority of this film will take place outdoors, which could create a much different atmosphere for this long-running series.

Speaking of Aliens, NECA recently announced a new line of Batman action figures based on two crossover events. Along with a two-piece set that pits an armored Batman against a Predator, NECA is releasing a set featuring Batman versus Joker Alien. As silly as this concept sounds, I actually enjoyed the comic book series. The xenomorphs he faced were spliced with the DNA of Joker, Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy. The figures stand in at roughly 7", and are slated to release this July.

That's going to do it for this week's column. As always, I would love to hear from you in the comments section below. Play the hell out of Horizon and Torment and let me know what you think of both of them. See you again in seven days!