Torment: Tides of Numenera Update #55: Red Novella Out, Production Update

The Torment: Tides of Numenera Kickstarter campaign has received a new post-funding update that includes two particularly valuable pieces of news.

The first is that the game is now playable from start to finish, though still only in a rough state. The developers are currently working on the introductory section of the game to implement the feedback they’ve received from the Early Access version of the game, in an attempt to make the game more approachable to newcomers to the world of Numenera.

The second is that the Red novella promised during the campaign, From the Depths, has been released to eligible backers.

Quoting from the update:

Eric checking in. In our previous update, we told you about how we were targeting an April milestone for getting the game content complete. We’re happy to say that we’ve hit that milestone this means Torment is now playable start to finish, albeit in a somewhat rough state.

The feedback we’ve gained from the backer beta has been invaluable in allowing us to improve upon the game in a number of ways. In particular, we’ve been in the thick of a massive user interface overhaul on both the art and design fronts, cleaning up a lot of the temporary and placeholder stuff that was in when the beta launched. It is shaping up extremely well.

Furthermore, we’ve been reworking the game’s introduction. This is one of the things we got the most comments about during the beta’s early stages – how while the strangeness of the world, the visuals and the writing were all engrossing, the pacing and the way information was communicated about the game systems and story felt like they could use a bit of work. The changes we’ve made should address these points while also moving things along a bit more quickly.

A lot of these polish points are still in the works, and we’re also chipping away at our bug lists, balance and systems tweaks both in and out of combat, and adding additional layers of improvements on for animation, visual effects and scene artwork. We’re still working towards a more stable and complete build for you to enjoy, but when the next beta update comes, it will be one of the most extensive we’ve done.

From the Depths: Red

We have some good news on the rewards front today. Those of you who backed Torment at levels that included novellas will be happy to hear we are releasing a new installment in our “From the Depths” series – The Red Hand.

This novella comes courtesy of writer Nathan Long, who crafted several characters and quests for Torment: Tides of Numenera. You will also likely recognize Nathan as the lead writer behind Wasteland 2, not to mention that he has well over a dozen fantasy novels and several TV episodes and films to his name.

The Red Hand is a Ninth World story set in the subterranean city of Haref, which shows how art and passion can inspire great acts of heroism, but can also be twisted into tools of oppression. It follows an artist in love with a revolutionary leader as his art turns her outrage into a powerful symbol of revolt, and then escapes his control.

The full update also includes a round-up of recent interviews and announces that posters are back in stock, for backers who are interested in physical rewards. Torment: Tides of Numenera is still slated for a release this year, though for now the developers have refrained from offering a more concrete release window. The title is already available in Early Access on Steam, however.