When I was a bit younger, like thirty odd years younger, I spent a fair amount of time playing PC games. Honestly not much has changed, mostly the platform, but the escapism offered in digital experiences has been a constant for me. During these earlier years the Sierra and LucasArts adventure titles were my go-to games, and while not every game ranked as the 'best ever made,' I still have fond memories of the ones I played.
I really enjoyed the fantasy setting of the experience, and the musical score had some great moments, especially some subtle themes suggesting a more mysterious world.
This is where Torin's Passage sits; it was a fun experience and had an interesting narrative premise but is never really remembered in the same light as some of the titles released by developer Sierra On-Line. Created by Al Lowe of Leisure Suit Larry fame, the game was intended to be a more family friendly experience in comparison to the Larry series, so was written to include elements of humor that were targeted at parents along with jokes for younger players. Puzzles and gameplay mechanics were also then built to allow for this younger audience to progress. Did this mean the game was less fun? Not at all, when thinking about the game I remember enjoying Torin's adventure more than I do the puzzles.
The game's narrative focuses on the protagonist Torin looking to remove a spell recently cast on his parents which takes him on a journey through the nested realms of his world, and one of self-discovery as he uncovers the truth about his lineage. I really enjoyed the fantasy setting of the experience, and the musical score had some great moments, especially some subtle themes suggesting a more mysterious world. I would love to have had more adventures on, and in, Strata. Having booted it up recently via the GOG.com release, memories of exploring a magical world came rushing back when seeing the Crystal City of The Lands Above, and I still think that it's a cool game from my childhood – even if it wasn't the 'best ever made.'
