The idea behind the TouchArcade Game of the Week is that every Friday afternoon we post the one game that came out this week that we think is worth giving a special nod to. Now, before anyone goes over-thinking this, it doesn’t necessarily mean our Game of the Week pick is the highest scoring game in a review, the game with the best graphics, or really any other quantifiable “best" thing. Instead, it’s more just us picking out the single game out of the week’s releases that we think is the most noteworthy, surprising, interesting, or really any other hard to describe quality that makes it worth having if you were just going to pick up one.
These picks might be controversial, and that’s OK. If you disagree with what we’ve chosen, let’s try to use the comments of these articles to have conversations about what game is your game of the week and why.
Without further ado…
Planescape: Torment
The mobile platform is one of the best avenues for bringing previously niche titles to a much wider audience. There are games that I’ve known about during my gaming life but either I didn’t own the platform they were on or just never got around to playing them during their time that I was able to experience just because they came out on iOS. Some of those stand as my all-time favorites and I’m grateful they didn’t continue to completely pass me by. I feel like the arrival of Planescape: Torment ($9.99) this week is one of those games that fits this sort of situation perfectly.
Originally released for desktop in 1999, Planescape: Torment was developed by Black Isle Studios using the Infinity Engine, which had previously gained notoriety by being the engine BioWare used for their classic Baldur’s Gate. What set Planescape apart from that game and what has made this title in particular so beloved among its cult of fans was its focus on story elements over combat as well as the rich universe and interesting characters where it all takes place. This is a super weird game in the best way possible, and is really unlike anything else out there, especially during the time it released nearly two decades ago.
Beamdog has taken the reigns of bringing Planescape up to modern standards, and you can expect a similar experience to their previous enhanced re-releases of other Infinity Engine classics like Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 and Icewind Dale. While Planescape: Torment has been available digitally on Steam and GOG for quite a few years now, it was a pretty janky experience getting it run properly on modern desktops. This new release gives desktop players a more stable way to experience the game, but for mobile players it also allows them a way to play this game on the go.
Beyond that, as alluded to in the introduction, Planescape: Torment being on iOS means it’s a game that I’ll actually get to experience at all, which was pretty unlikely otherwise. While totally workable, it’s a bit of a cramped experience on phone-sized devices, and is probably best experienced on larger tablet screens. Personally I’ll be playing on my phone anyway, but I’m just grateful to be able to finally get a chance to play this game at all, even if it’s a little tiny. If you’ve enjoyed the previous Infinity Engine re-releases on mobile then Planescape: Torment is another one to add to your library. And if you’re like me and never had a chance to experience this classic, then this is easily the cheapest and most accessible way to rectify that situation.
