So I know this is a bit after PAX09, but I really wanted to post a more detailed preview about one of my favorite games I saw at the show – Torchlight from Runic Games.
My one sentence impression of Torchlight? Here ya go: “Torchlight is the best iteration of the action RPG I have seen.”
Now, when I say action RPG, Diablo II is the game that should immediately come to mind for anyone who is a fan of the genre. It simply has something inexplicably addicting, satisfying, and fun about it. The taste of Torchlight I got at PAX left me with the same feelings I got on my first playthrough of Diablo II. Anyone who knows me can tell you, I don’t often compare games to Diablo II, especially not when comparing them as equals, but Torchlight is one of the first games I have seen that may be able to stand its ground against the titan.
Speaking of titan, there was another game that I thought might fill the void Diablo II left when I eventually began to tire of it. Titan Quest, another action RPG released in the not-too-distant past, was a solid offering, but it was just simply lacking something. It wasn’t that it was a bad game; it just couldn’t compare to Diablo II. I know, perhaps it wasn’t trying to, and perhaps it was going in a different direction, yada yada, but for a game so similar to Diablo, one would think they would try to capture some of the magic that the Blizzard North title brought with it. I played both Diablo III and Torchlight at PAX, and I’m simply stunned to realize upon reflection, that Torchlight is the game left standing out in my head. Torchlight brought the magic. Admittedly, when I think of these two games, I am thinking of the future Torchlight; Torchlight as evolved into MMO form (the initial Oct. 27th release will be single player only), but that’s beside the point. The fact that the gameplay is standing out above Diablo III in my head? Huge.
Exploring the Depths
So enough on the competition, Torchlight brought the noise. I think part of what made it stand out so much was the clean, crisp, very stylized graphics. I wouldn’t call them “cartoony” like others have, (my Destroyer will still look like a badass when he is totally decked out in gear), but definitely stylized enough to give me a sense that this is their own unique world. Everything was put together so well, and the characters moved so fluidly I was truly immersed. The colors were bright without being overwhelming, giving each area I saw a distinct feel.
The one graphical/stylistic complaint I had from what I saw is with the fog-of-war while inside a dungeon. I found it a bit confusing how the fog wasn’t really visible until you started to see monsters. Occasionally my impression was that I had already explored an area, then suddenly I would run into a pack of dudes just chillin’, waitin’ to put the hurt on me. I’m not sure if I would rather have the map be revealed along with the monsters, or perhaps have the map be significantly darker than it was where fog-of-war was in place…but I’m sure Runic did it this way to prevent you from running along the edges of a dungeon, like in Diablo II, looking for that single branch or corridor that you missed.
Before I go too much further, let me give you some details on the game itself.
Torchlight Release Date: October 27th via Perfect World Entertainment. The game will cost $20 and will be available on Steam and Direct2Drive soon thereafter.
The Three Classes
3 Character Classes:
- Vanquisher : The Archer/Ranged-Kickass Type.
- Alchemist : The Magic/Low Tech/Slaps Stuff Together Steampunky Type.
- Destroyer : The Brutish/Fighting/Smash-Your-Face-In-With-A-Blunt-Object Type.
The Dungeons will be fully randomized each time you create a character, NOT each time you enter a game, as I had previously thought.
You will have a pet that follows you around. He can’t be killed, but can be damaged to the point where he will despawn. You can give him stuff (all that crappy vendor fodder trash!) to carry and take back to town to sell for you. He will level up, and you can even change his type by catching various fish(!) to feed him.
Characters can “Retire” and give benefits to newly created characters.
They are making an enormous effort to support the modding community and including a robust level editor that will ship with the game.
Last but not least, the music in the game is from the same guy who did the music for Diablo!
I don’t want to let this article get too long, but here are a few more of my in-game impressions from PAX. Playing as an alchemist rocks! The green bolts of energy I was firing were an extremely satisfying way to smite enemies, and watching my little imp run around and put the hurt on fellas was awesome. The feel and pacing of combat was just right, keeping me on my toes but still allowing me to demolish puny foes with relative ease. Loot was also an awesome part of the game, so much of it, always! Much to the dismay of the Runic employees watching me play however, years of Diablo II had left me jaded; I was leaving 90% of the loot on the ground! “DON’T PICK UP ANYTHING THAT ISN’T A UNIQUE!” was still blaring in my head. I guess that will change with time…
The Phattest of Lewt
Keep an eye out, we’ll be bringing you a full Torchlight review in October! (or June 2010…”one more character, just. one. more. before I write the review!” I’ll gasp at ClassicMoments, snarling at him when he tries to take away my precious…ahh yes, it will be a good time.)
UPDATE: Hey guys, the review is up, check it out here!
