Quick Links
One of the most important decisions in any RPG is how to compose the party. Though many of the earliest RPGs focused on the trinity of Tank/DPS/Healer, possibly with a spellcaster thrown in for good measure, every game has its own idea of what the perfect party looks like, both for balance and player enjoyment.
RELATED:RPGs That Are Twice As Long As They Need To Be
Torment: Tides of Numenerais the direct evolution of these tabletop games that started the genre, so one would expect it to follow in their footsteps with teams consisting of warriors, spellcasters, and healers. While it’s possible to build one’s party that way inTorment,the complexity of the game’s story means that isn’t necessarily the best course of action. Here’s what every player needs to know about composing the best party.
Party Member Basics
Torment: Tides of Numeneraincludes six recruitable party members, but only three of them can accompany the Last Castoff at any one time.All party members can be found in Sagus Cliffs,the game’s first hub, and during the main story, the player will find a Bronze Sphere which can be used to dismiss and summon companions, making it easier to change party composition, a system unlike mostother tabletop RPGsand the games they inspired.
Players interested in composing the best party should know that party members don’t continue to gain experience when they aren’t in the group. Letting a character fall behind and then trying to incorporate them into the group later typically doesn’t go well, which can behard for beginners to get used to.
RELATED:Tabletop Games That Take The Longest To Complete (& How Long They Take)
All companions fall into one of the game’s three classes, with one exception: Rhin.Aligern and Callistege are Nanos, Tybir and Matkina are Jacks, and Erritis is a Glaive. Rhin has no class on account of her being a child.Knowing companions' classes is useful for deciding what kind of party the player wants to form, since a party that doesn’t include one of the classes may lack certain crucial abilities. Thankfully, the player’s own choice of class can make up for this, and unlike some games in whichparty composition is a life-and-death decision,the player can get by with an imperfect group.
Party Composition
Two major factors determine the ideal party composition: the player’s own build and their level of interest in the story. If the player’s build is a spellcasting-focused, mind-reading Nano, including other spellcasters becomes less important. Similarly, if the player isn’t super invested in the story, it’s okay to pick party members who don’t open up as much story-wise. Given how important the story is toTorment: Tides of Numenera,however,players should think carefully before dismissing a character on that account.The game might not be one ofthe longest RPGs,but it is one of the deepest, and ignoring the story is a disservice to its artful world-building.
RELATED:The Most Immersive Open World Games (May 2022)
In general, the player should bring one of the two Nano characters (either Callistege or Aligern), as they provide useful skills in and out of battle and have interesting stories that make them compelling for roleplaying purposes. Tybir’s sneakier combat style is useful, but he’s underwhelming overall compared to other choices. Rhin is one of the most fascinating and divisive characters in the game. Her usefulness in combat is basically nonexistent, but her storyline ranks amongst the best. Erritis is a good tank and solid all-around choice, and Matkina is useful in battle as well as being one of the most interesting characters in terms of story.
For players who want the best composition for fights, the combination of Erritis, Matkina, and either Aligern or Callistege is probably best.Players who want to learn more about the bizarre world ofTormentandsee some of the most interesting story arcsshould add Rhin to their party, perhaps replacing Erritis if the player is a Glaive or Aligern/Callistege if the player is a Nano.
Torment: Tides of Numenerais available for PC, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
