Torchlight 2 Review and Gameplay: Page 5 of 7

Torchlight 2 Review and Gameplay
That oh so long awaited sequel


Graphics and atmosphere

I think I'm not alone in saying this is the part of the game that put me off. It's not dark, it's not bloody, I'm not even sure if the game takes itself seriously with an art style like this. It's light and cartoony. Once I've accepted that fact though, it was a nice change of pace.

I feel like a villain out of a Marvel comic. Cool!

It feels like I'm in a comic book, which turned out pretty neat. The fact that they blend steampunk elements, rugged over-the-top weapons that look like they were made by homeless guys and, heck, every armor had a unique feel to it, made it that much more colorful. There isn't really a persistent theme here. It's like several worlds meshed together. Love it or hate it, it adds variety!

You can tell that Runic Games had a blast designing the world of Torchlight 2.

"Hey, what do you think of this sword?"

"It looks like a broken piece of metal tied to a stick with rope..."

"So, it's a keeper?"

"Hells yea!"

It's thanks to that kind of approach that we can have characters as awesome as this.

They obviously decided right away for an over-the-top, humorous blend of whatever they considered amusing. No dark gothic or traditional medieval setting. That being said, the environments themselves feel like they could've used more character. Though, that might be a consequence of the engine, which is obviously more demanding.

It's more 3D-ish than the usual 2.5D games, or at least it feels that way. Clearly, it's all model-based, as opposed to the older sprite-based styles. It also has a sort of solid feel. It's hard to explain, but in most 3D modeled games, hitting an enemy doesn't feel like you've actually hit them. More like "there is now a change in the monster's life value as a result of your click". I think Dungeon Siege, Titan's Quest, Sacred 2, and even Fate had this issue. Though, I never noticed until I actually played Torchlight and something felt really right about hitting a foe.

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High standards & easily bored. Good luck
Gamer Since: 1992
Favorite Genre: RPG
Top 3 Favorite Games:, ,