A floating skull, a half-demon female thief, an innocent and holy succubus, what more could you possibly ask for?
First off, let me just say that the story for this game is absolutely fantastic and mind-blowing. The level of intellect and philosophical values in the dialogues of this game is top-notch.
You start off the game in the Mortuary, lying on a slab of concrete. Upon awakening, you initiate a conversation with a floating skull and realise that you remember nothing of your past, not even your name. (well actually, it's the skull that approaches you). Almost immediately, you sense that you would soon embark on a great journey of the unorthodox. Maybe the mere sight of the floating skull gave some hint of that... then again, maybe it's because someone literally tattooed a whole novel your back telling you who to find and where to go from here.
As you set foot on the world outside, an amazing spectacle besieges your eyes. Satyr-like and centaur-like beings, dragon-kins and ordinary people roam the city, known as Sigil. Floating robe-clad beings hammer away at the metallic walls. You notice that as varied are the denizens of Sigil, you would still stand out like a sore thumb... namely due to the scars of countless wars and battle your body has endured.
A host of people and creatures make known their request to join you on your journey. Aside from Morte, the floating skull, encountered in the beginning, you will meet up with Annah, a mostly human female with demon blood in her veins. Dak'kon, a humanoid that seems intent on joining you. Ignus, a hovering man whose skin is no more than a coat of living flames. Nordom, a rogue robot that seemingly gain sentience. Grace, a succubus that defies her very nature of sexuality. And Vhailor, a living suit of armour that serves the very foundations of justice.
On your voyage to discover who you really are, you find out that you are immortal as well and seek to find why you can't die, and at the same time, find out how you CAN die.
Graphics:
This game has been made more than a decade ago, but even then, the visuals are still spectacular and are still pleasing to the eye. At that point in time, the animation of the creatures and people that inhabit the universe of Planescape was done rather fluidly and gracefully.
The resolution of the game may be a little outdated when you compare it to games of this generation, but it does give it a sense of nostalgia to see it in its 800x600 glory.
Gameplay:
One of the most unorthodox feature about the gameplay of this RPG is that you actually benefit more through intelligent conversations rather than through mindless fighting. Indeed, you will be rewarded with a much richer experience through the dialogues of many of the NPCs that your encounter and with it, piece together the puzzle of your character's history. You can still go in with your sword waving and smashing every face you see, but you will be missing out on A LOT of the story and even plot critical elements of the game.
Sound:
The voice acting, although minimal, is possibly what makes this game feel so alive. To hear a ghost of a woman lament about the love you had for her. To hear the cries of pain of you and your companions as they are struck with a blade or a rock. To hear an old crone speak out loud in a sickeningly creepy voice "What can change the nature of a man" somehow hits not only the main character, but also hits you as a human being as well (I know, pretty deep and philosophical, but it got ME thinking about it even after I completed the game twice).
The sound and ambience also play a part in creating the setting of a huge world, walk into a market place and you can hear the chattering of the passers-by, walk into a foundry and hear the metal clanging together and the gears in motion.
The music of the game is a little moody, but it fits very well into the theme of self-discovery, and the epic battle music that is played when you are fighting seems to reinforce just that notion, the last thing you want is to die without finding out who you really are.
Interesting fact - The robot companion that joins you is voiced by the person who voices Homer Simpson.
Overall:
If you're tired of the traditional save-the-world-from-an-evil-overlord kind of story, then give this game a shot. I can guarantee you that much of the game is truly unorthodox and twisted (take note that if you really want to enjoy this game, you would have to do a lot of in-game reading and a lot less fighting).