Torchlight II Hands-On Impressions

We stumble out of the dungeon and into the sun with our first look at the sequel to last year's hit indie RPG.

When Torchlight was released last year as a digital download at a bargain-basement price, fans of the dungeon crawling and hack-and-slash genres showered it with praise. While the game wasn’t built to the same scale as the Diablo series it emulates so lovingly, the experience was both accessible and entertaining, sending you back into the depths of the earth for one more quest, or another chance on the enchanter lucky-dip.

The fact that a sequel is on the way is of little surprise, but the speed with which developer Runic Games is bringing it to market is. Torchlight II feeds directly on the community feedback from the first game and overhauls combat and the user interface and adds a much requested feature in multiplayer. The team believes the latter is best with two to four players for an online game of this nature. While presently there are no plans for the inclusion of player-versus-player combat, they are actively looking at the option to include duels against friends. Bringing the Torchlight franchise to the massively multiplayer online stage also hasn’t been ruled out, and while they're currently focusing their energy on bringing this product to players, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the studio turn on persistency and up-sell players to a free-to-play business model in the future.

A total rework of the character system means that the classes from the first game will not be making a return appearance, meaning there will not be an option to import previous characters from the original game. In their place, four new archetypes are being introduced, two of which were playable at Gamescom 2010. The first, the Railman, is an explorer gentleman with a penchant for big, heavy weapons and melee combat. The second is the Outlander, a hybrid ranged-attack and dark-magic user with both a rifle and a magic glaive used like a boomerang and excellent against groups of enemies.

Fans who got tired of the spiral staircase feel of the level design in Torchlight will be pleased to hear that the game will now expand out of the catacombs, offering a central quest hub, a starting zone, and four new areas in a mixture of indoor and outdoor settings. Outdoors players can expect a day and night cycle as well as dynamic weather effects, which we experienced as rain while playing, Instances will be available in all the zones.

Itemisation has also received some work, and while you will still face the potential of receiving loot outside of your class type when killing a boss, the team hopes that some tightening of which loot drops and when--combined with the ability to trade items with friends--will help alleviate the issue of building up giant cash reserves when selling off all the epic and legendary gear that doesn’t fit your class. Loot should never be a scramble online, though, with all of the items appearing onscreen being solely for you. You will be able to view only your own lootable items, so there shouldn't be any issues with thievery or complex loot rules to cause squabbles.

While it wasn’t on show during our demonstration, we were also told that Torchlight II will ship with some extra community features in its virtual box. Modding tools similar to the ones used by the development team will allow players to design their own Torchlight levels for others to play. Details remain sketchy, but we're eager to see what kinds of levels can be made and how the publisher approaches rating and promoting content.

Runic identified pricing as one of the key factors to its success, saying it is aiming for the lowest price point possible for the sequel. Though the build we saw was only in a pre-alpha state, it was already looking sharp and running smoothly. Expect this game to hit the PC and Mac in the spring of 2011.

58 Comments

  • lorly1

    Posted Aug 16, 2011 3:35 pm GMT

    have they announced the fourth class yet

  • -DaNuTz-

    Posted Aug 16, 2011 2:52 pm GMT

    can't wait to try the multiplayer with my friends

  • xSlider257

    Posted Aug 16, 2011 2:41 pm GMT

    I assume Dan meant Spring of 2012 for a release? Bummer I was really hoping to see this before Diablo III arrives.

  • Mirrebex

    Posted Aug 1, 2011 3:13 pm GMT

    awesome game.. waiting anxiously.

  • OdinssonThor

    Posted Jun 1, 2011 6:03 am GMT

    I hope to god games like this NEVER come to xbox!

  • AzatiS

    Posted May 9, 2011 3:01 pm GMT

    @guitarist1980 Lets see...

    Was no D2 , combat weak , combat fake , effects were a joke, no physics ( like D2 had much )...

    Well guess what. Torchlight had so much success for the same reasons you claiming it failed!!

    Fast and chaotic combat , intense fights at time , great and many skills to choose from ( trees or spells ) and a very well done storyline/dungeon system for a 15euros GAME!!! PERIOD...

  • Rixtake

    Posted Mar 19, 2011 9:00 am GMT

    I have played Fate: The Traitor Soul for over 383 hours. I've seen Diablo II and was unimpressed. Fate is Harry and Hermione do Diablo. I believe it's multiplayer on Wildtangent. It's marketed for kids which is probably why it's been overlooked. I'm 62. Can be found for $20 or less.

  • Dunbon

    Posted Mar 17, 2011 3:27 pm GMT

    I hope to god this comes to xbox.

  • guitarist1980 posted Feb 4, 2011 7:25 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    guitarist1980

    Posted Feb 4, 2011 7:25 pm GMT (hide)

    I thought Torchlight was decent.. it was no Diablo 2. The combat seemed weak.. when you attacked something it felt fake.. the effects were a joke.. and there were no physics what so ever. The game had some charm though and it was very simple to pick it up for a few mins at a time. I liked the art style, it was "cute". With some experience and some work done already I think there next installment will be a much much better game.

  • guitarist1980

    Posted Feb 4, 2011 7:25 pm GMT

    I thought Torchlight was decent.. it was no Diablo 2. The combat seemed weak.. when you attacked something it felt fake.. the effects were a joke.. and there were no physics what so ever. The game had some charm though and it was very simple to pick it up for a few mins at a time. I liked the art style, it was "cute". With some experience and some work done already I think there next installment will be a much much better game.

  • Raiden_II

    Posted Jan 2, 2011 12:15 pm GMT

    I loved the graphic style of Torchlight, it was warmer then in many other titles of that genre. And not feeling so empty.
    I'm definitely looking forward to Torchlight 2. :-)

  • kuinkz

    Posted Oct 27, 2010 9:29 am GMT

    @Nuggetol Runic Games were founded by the game designers of the Diablo and Fate series. Game designers are the master mind behind everything of a game, so yes, they have indeed worked directly on those games. Wiki it if you are not sure.

  • elancion

    Posted Oct 25, 2010 9:39 pm GMT

    i recently reinstalled diablo 2 to give it the grand ole replay. it was cool going back down memory lane,but i have to admit i enjoyed playing torchlight a lot more. of course d2 had a better story than torchlight,but in my opinion the game play and questing (not to mention the insane loot system) in torchlight are way more fun and hardly felt tedious unlike D2.
    i think some of the bias may come from the fact that the character design in torchlight is a little more exaggerated when compared to D2. game play wise torchlight takes all the things that made d2 a great game and improves as well as expands upon them. in my opinion if there was ever a D2 ultimate edition, torchlight would be it (minus the story and difference in character design of course).

  • twistyanddark

    Posted Sep 24, 2010 3:44 am GMT

    Necromancer, Demonologist, Airbender, Spiritdancer, Paladin, Lady Knight, those who know what I am talking about must expect TL2 and its editor. The others just installed it, played a bit and quit.

  • Nuggetol

    Posted Sep 4, 2010 5:45 am GMT

    @Exorte Runic games never directly worked with either of those games, i believe that a few members of Runic Games worked on them though.

  • Exorte

    Posted Sep 2, 2010 4:12 pm GMT

    Runic game have developer from both fate and diablo. that is why.

  • Chirisa

    Posted Sep 2, 2010 12:52 am GMT

    imo torchlight bears a lot more resemblance to Fate though that games probs inspired by diablo as well, but the pet the fishing and hack'n'slash gameplay all there. those games are a lot a like.

  • hecktickXx posted Sep 1, 2010 8:31 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    hecktickXx

    Posted Sep 1, 2010 8:31 am GMT (hide)

    torchlight 1 is poop =/ hope the 2nd is better

  • Madbane

    Posted Sep 1, 2010 3:56 am GMT

    to be honest I didn't like Torchlight, it was a medicore Diablo 2 like game with some World of Warcraft like content, and it didn't had a good story, anyway I hope Torchlight 2 will not be a cheap game like first one...

  • Asakura83

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 8:27 pm GMT

    finally multiplayer in Torchlight2..looking foword for it