Torchlight II screenshot

Torchlight II (NS) – you'd have to say, it does expect an awful lot like Diablo

The dungeon crawler that managed to beat Diablo at its ain game is finally released on consoles, only what's changed in seven years?

In many ways a video game'south launch is becoming one of the least of import steps in its often lengthy lifespan. Many modern games don't piece of work well when they first come up out and are missing so much content and promised features they can become nearly unrecognisable after only a few months, let lonely years. Such was the original fate of Diablo III, which arrived in considerably compromised class back in 2012 and only straightened itself out two years later with the Reaper Of Souls expansion and the loot 2.0 update.

What that meant was that the yr information technology was released it wasn't the all-time activity-based dungeon crawler around, Torchlight Ii was. The two were released but months apart and Torchlight II had a considerably smaller upkeep and team, but, initially at to the lowest degree, it seemed to understand the need to constantly reward players with new spectacle and loot a lot better than Blizzard.

And nevertheless after launch Torchlight II apace faded from the limelight. Developer Runic Games moved on to other things and were eventually shut down, so at present it'due south vii years since the original PC version came out and only now is information technology being ported to current consoles. Consoles that already take Diablo Three in all its updated glory. And suddenly the situations are reversed.

We would offer to explain Torchlight II's backstory and characters, but no disarming reason is given for why y'all're hacking and slashing your way through dungeons filled with every fantasy monster known to man, other than the fact that doing so is extremely entertaining. Thankfully though, the game has no interest in wasting your time with unlikely explanations of why you're doing what y'all're doing.

But no matter how exciting slicing your style through hordes of orcs is, even bringing downwardly one of the game's giant-sized bosses is null compared to the teasing apprehension of getting some rare loot afterwards. In Torchlight II you lot constantly experience like you're on the verge of winning the lottery, and frequently you do.

Whether it's a new piece of armour, a magic battle axe, or any of the other space range of knick-knacks, the hope that the next enemy volition leave behind a game-irresolute slice of equipment is all the encouragement you need to keep playing. Despite the boodle drops being random the rewards yet seem to be perfectly timed, and always interesting enough to experience worthwhile but never overpowered enough for you non to instantly get-go craving something slightly better.

All of this is as true now every bit it was in 2012 but at the time it did help to hide the fact that in terms of gameplay Torchlight II isn't really very different to Torchlight I – and that came out all the way back in 2009. There's an impressive diverseness in the range of weapons, from good quondam-fashioned swords and magic to steampunk way guns and explosives, and the backdrops include proper outdoor areas ranging from deserts to gas-filled swamps, but in terms of actual original ideas Torchlight II has e'er been lacking.

Another mode Torchlight Ii originally managed to obscure these problems was in its 6-player co-op mode. However, that's been reduced to iv players on the Switch and tragically at that place is no local play or split up-screen. Yous can link upwards with someone else'southward Switch only there's no way for ii or more to play on the same console, and that's a real shame given how intrinsic co-op is to the game'south entreatment.

There's also an inevitable trouble with the controls, since the game was originally designed to piece of work with a mouse and keyboard. Giving you direct control of your graphic symbol works fine though, equally it does in Diablo, with only ranged combat seeming a bit fiddlier than it should exist. The inventory system has also had to be reworked by… copying Diablo Iii as closely as possible. Which works, admittedly, simply seems a fleck of a cheek.

Although the multiplayer has been undermined in that location are other smaller touches that are still worth noting. For example, the pets were the best example of the concept at the time, with your graphic symbol able to bring everything from a panda to a ferret along with them. They're substantially animated inventories that tin can be trained to go shopping for y'all while yous stay in the dungeon – selling unwanted loot and bringing back essential supplies.

And while the story is almost non-existent the game does have plenty of character, not only thanks to the pets and monsters but also the unusual form types. The Berserker uses quick burn down animal-themed attacks, the Embermage wields elemental magic, the Engineer utilises steampunk technology, and the Outlander has ranged weapons and simple magic.

Customising weapons and armour is also an impressively complicated affair, as the character progression takes a fairly onetime school approach, in that you have to manually assign skill and attribute points, and there's only a limited selection to undo the decisions yous brand. This forces you to specialise, not only making your avatar more unique and distinctive simply increasing the urge to play with a completely different character in the New Game + mode.

Torchlight Two is notwithstanding a smashing game but it's ane that'south been dragged out of its original timeframe and unfairly made to compete with modernistic games and seven years of Diablo Three updates. Although the saddest affair is simply that we'll probably never encounter a sequel, now that Runic Games are no more. But perhaps this belated port means someone else volition take up the pall, perhaps even in time to exist a rival to Diablo Iv…

Torchlight 2

Torchlight II Switch review

In Short: It's no longer the Diablo killer it used to be, but this remains a superior dungeon crawler, with great activity and loot that still puts it amid the genre'southward all-time.

Pros: A perfectly teased trail of boodle and addictive activity, with a huge variety of attractive, varied backdrops and enemies. Iv-role player online co-op and mountains of content.

Cons: Very few new ideas of any kind. Perfunctory story and forgettable dialogue. No local co-op options and minor compromises in terms of controls.

Score: 8/10

Formats: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC
Price: £17.99
Publisher: Perfect Earth
Developer: Panic Button and Runic Games
Release Date: 3rd September 2019
Historic period Rating: 12

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