Torchlight 2 | Review

By: Christopher Brimmer
Posted: September 29, 2012

Torchlight II takes you back to the quirky, fast-paced world of bloodthirsty monsters, bountiful treasures, and sinister secrets - stepping up to give fans of the action RPG genre what they've been longing for!

It’s been a good second half of 2012 for the action RPG genre. We've slain El Diablo for a third time, ventured through the wastelands in search of a second Vault, and now it's time to come back to the lands of Torchlight. Instead of comparing Torchlight II to these other offerings, I'll spend my time here telling you what the developers at Runic really got right and the reasons why you should check this game out.

Gameplay

When I started playing Torchlight II, I already had a good amount of playtime with its other relatives in the genre. Some of those focused on story, others focused on pushing you onto a treadmill to purchase items from a central online AH. What I really dig about this game is that Runic chose to focus their attention on what really makes an action RPG great: keeping you out in the world clicking on things to get more loot.

You start out the game by choosing one of four classes: Berserker, Outlander, Embermage, and Engineer. You also pick your pet companion which does double duty as a pack mule and can even be sent back to town to sell your loot and maybe pick up a few more potions while there. You set out into the world to help stop the evil Alchemist and his plans for bringing evil to the world, however I'll admit the story isn't why you're here; it's to explore the world, defeat evil and get loot.

I've seen more random events and secret areas out in the world in the first 10 hours playing Torchlight II than I've seen in any of the other action RPG games this year. I enjoyed tracking down this phase beast then entering the portal it spawned after being killed only to find myself in an arena against a giant rock golem. After killing it, I was given a key and had to choose which door to open. When I chose, the narrator exclaimed "You have chosen poorly" and a horde of enemies spewed forth from the door and killed me. The whole time I had a smile on my face because these events are everywhere.

Perhaps the most talked about feature of this game is the offline/LAN co-op play options. I spent last weekend camping with my family in Northern Wisconsin with no internet connectivity. My daughter tucked into bed in the camper, I sat at the table with my teenage son and played Torchlight II via the wifi LAN we made. For a few hours at least, until my wife declared I needed to come out and sit by the fire with her. When we got back home, our progress was updated via Steam and we picked up where we left off. I'm reminded of the line of a Joni Mitchell song, "You don't know what you got til it's gone." I am sure, the next few LAN parties, we host will include Torchlight II with its 6 player capacity limit.

What action RPG wouldn't be complete without an almost limitless variety of gear to mark your progress? Giant buster swords, punching daggers, portable cannons, they're all here and on the surface it would seem that not much has changed since the first game. Digging a little deeper you'll find a myriad of neat updates that are innovative without re-inventing things.

When you get an item the first difference you'll notice is that it will have two sets of requirements: level and attributes. In order to use the item you just need to fulfill one of those requirements. Not high enough level? No problem just make sure you meet the attribute requirements. I've found that as a rule of thumb, if the item is made for your class, you'll have no problem meeting the attribute requirement well before the level requirement. If I wanted to step outside the comfort zone of my class and maybe be an embermage with a rifle, or a berserker with a shield and sword, I still have that flexibility if I adjust my attributes or wait a few more levels.

The last thing I'd touch on regarding equipment is modifications. You can take gems and put them into socketed weapons and armor to gain various bonuses, but what really makes Torchlight II shine is the additional methods by which you can add bonuses. For instance, you can find enchanters in the game who will, for a fee, attempt to apply a random bonus on one of your items. Most enchanters in town will add one bonus, but if you find one out in the wild, they will be able to add two, maybe even three at times. If that doesn't satiate your need for customization, some weapons even come with unlockable bonuses that require you to kill a set amount of enemies with the weapon first. So when I found a greatsword with sockets and an unlockable, I enchanted it twice and felt like I had just won the lottery.

Gameplay: 9/10

Presentation

I've shown Torchlight II to many of my friends and the most consistent comment I get is that the graphics look "too cartoony" or that that the character models look dated. What I see is a concerted effort towards producing a game that doesn't mimic the stylizations of other action RPGs. Where other games went with an apocalyptic "Mad Max" or dark gothic look, Runic chose to have a more comic book/animated series look, and it works well. The landscapes, dungeons, caves, flora and fauna all look great and have the added benefit of being approachable to younger audiences and those with less than powerful gaming computers.

Presentation: 9/10

Overall

Torchlight II is an action RPG with a ton of content, wrapped up in a low priced package. For less than the cost of going to a movie with popcorn, you get a game chock-full of side-quests, events, and items. You can play in the woods, on a plane, in a train, in a....well you get the idea. It's definitely a must-have game for your RPG collection.
Torchlight II: 9/10 

Game Info

Platform: PC

Publisher: Runic Games

Developer: Runic Games

Release Date: September 20, 2012

Christopher Brimmer doesn't just write for HalfReal Review ya' know! Be sure to check out his site NoobSource.com where he writes not just game reviews, but board game reviews too!