ElegantTrout Reviews - Torchlight 2
- ElegantTrout
- Jul 4, 2016
- 6 min read
Torchlight 2. It's been nearly four years since release now. I initially got into this game with one of my best friends a couple years ago -- we were looking for a multiplayer game that could scratch that itch. You know what I'm talking about. How often do you look at your games library with a friend and wonder, "Hey, what are we going to play?" and you end up looking at the store page instead? That's what happened.
Then this game happened to us. I believe we got it on sale for around 75% off on Steam for $5 each, and I'm familiar with loot/action RPGs. One of the first games I played was Diablo. When I was a little kid, my older brother Geoffrey bought it and I was a curious, young boy. I was probably 6 or 7 at that time, but hey, I still remember that I enjoyed it. That, along with Final Fantasy Tactics, GTA 3, Silent Hill, and so on. Back to my point, I knew the genre decently well with Diablo, Diablo 2, and Path of Exile in my belt.
Now, character creation is a pretty big deal for me in any RPGs so I'll cover that first. It's a bit underwhelming with only 4 character classes (which is one-up from it's predecessor). Each character has three skill trees which reflect part of what they're good at, and refines it further. Not bad, it worked for Diablo, it should definitely work in Torchlight 2. The looks customization feels pretty standard, but no corners were cut so I can't complain. The best thing in this process, in my opinion, would be the pet options. Sure they don't do much other than serve as running inventories that can attack, but having all those pets to choose from feels great. Shame you can't interact with them further.
That said, it was a relatively small studio that made this game. Runic Games, partly founded by some video game vets, like some from Diablo fame.
Art style in-game is well done and coherent, but differs pretty greatly from the simplistic, drawn nature of the cutscenes. I feel like people's opinions are extremely conflicted when it comes to the game's art style. I've heard a lot of people's views on it, and they generally either like it or they don't, not much middle ground. Though it seems cartoonish, the game is far from it. It's a generally dark and mature storyline. Anyways, each location in the game is pretty different from each other, spanning from an idealistic wooded landscape, a desert area with cliffs and sandstorms, and eldritch spots that are out of this world. Though it can get pretty tiring after a while in the area, there's enough dissimilarities in the dungeons and main areas that it doesn't get so bad -- unless, of course, you're playing for the 2nd or 3rd time around.
I believe the best graphical aspects are the item variations and the skills of characters. Items look really lustrous or dangerous, depending on how the name wants to evoke it. Character skills look and feel super cool. The berserker can transform into a monstrous dark wolf and run around, embermages have pretty looking skills, and engineers have these robotic summons that they make that are unique and fun to look at. The only thing that detracts from this whole experience is that often times, the screens too cluttered to really admire any of these things. But that's okay, it's the action that really binds the game together.
Like many other reviewers, I'd have to agree that the soundtrack is crisp and welcome. Where the scenery is rather fresh and alive, we're treated to happy, sweet chords and melodies to further brighten the mood. Otherwise, where it's not so friendly or situations are tense, it gets dark, deep, or action-oriented. Skill, combat, and pet sounds are fine, nothing particularly above and beyond in that well. So while those are refreshingly good parts, there's the not-quite-there aspect of the voice acting in the game. It's very... Uninspired. Dry. Stiff. But like other reviewers have pointed out before, this isn't exactly a big issue, mainly because so many other games get that part wrong.
To wrap up, the main part of an Action RPG. Action, the RPG elements, and the controls. First off, the controls are good for what it is. Not a lot of issues here. Everything works as intended, and the user interface looks pretty, at that. Of course, it's standard formuoli from other like games before, but Torchlight 2 does a good job adapting each type of screen in it's own art style. The inventory is clean and manageable, and it's easy to navigate to your pet's inventory, your stat distribution page, and skill page. Neat-o!
The RPG elements in this game are, I feel, simple but inspired. Like I pointed out before, this game takes some inspiration from other games. Diablo 2 is the key one here. The skill tree with three different focuses are a proven thing that works. Look at Borderlands. It worked pretty magnificently there, provided that each tree is unique and works on an actual aspect of the character. Not that difficult. Stats in this game are free-reign, though they seem more like a formality to customize and it's mostly cut-and-dry. Not like with the Souls series where you can have so many builds to form, each class almost commands that you put points into so and so, with the only variable being how much health/defense you have.
Charge is a nice combat addition, where you become stronger in a certain way when you build up full charge. Some examples are, embermages have infinite mana while they're at full charge, and berserkers have increased crit chance. They're a welcome mechanic to the game for sure, as it can definitely make combat feel more intense as it builds it. That's pretty awesome. The other RPG aspects are clear cut. You have a gem and socket system like many similar games, which can power-up your offensive or defensive capabilities so long as your gear has sockets, and you have the gems that you want. You can enchant weapons and armors for increased stats or powers too, which are generally costly, but worthwhile in mid-late game. The item rarity system shows up here too, with commons to unique/legendary items. There are the occasional puzzles too, which can reward you with gold and items, but I find them more tedious than fun. If you die, you can resurrect yourself in town without losing gold, or you can resurrect at the entrance of your location but lose gold.
Speaking of death, one of the hardest parts of the game is really gauging how difficult your area can be. Sometimes, you could be breezing through an area, right? It's great. Feels great. You feel unstoppable. Suddenly, you come across a dungeon or group of enemies in the location your at, and the enemies are taking you down within a second. Next thing you know, you're dead. If you're not cautious, best keep on your toes for those pesky high damage enemies.
The action in the game is appreciable. It's fast paced. It's looks and sounds pleasing. Crits are absolutely tasty, and most of the skills/spells don't fall flat when it comes to the sheer dynamic presence of it all. While stats don't really cut it for me in terms of making a significant impact in the game, the various skills that you have in your disposal surely affect the action, the battles that you go through. There are a lot of skills that can grant you destructive power, improved evasion, life-steal capabilities, increased criticals, temporary shields, or allies to help fight in ranged or melee combat. Really, the skills are fantastic, and it definitely lends a lot to the usually hectic combat.
There's also a lot to do, which is great. I won't spoil it, but there's more than just a New Game + after you finish the game. Anyways, it's definitely a good co-op game. You can get into it with up to six people max, and while the plot isn't exactly front and center, that's ok. It does exactly what any good action RPG does -- has good action, and tried-and-true RPG elements. I'd definitely recommend it with a co-op buddy or three, but the game is definitely playable solo too. Is it good? Yes. Is it great? Well, are you playing with other people?
Stuff I Like:
- Loot system is polished, rewarding
- The fast paced nature of the game works in it's favor
- Lots of stuff to do post storyline
- Multiplayer is loads of fun
- Skills looks and sound amazing
- Clean, easy to navigate interface
- Soundtrack sounds great, really accents the visuals
- Pet customization is superb
Middling Stuff:
- Plot and writing is undistinguished, but there
- Kind of a pain to have to sign up for multiplayer access
- The character voices aren't up to par
- Setting and atmosphere is great, but can be suffocating at times with repetition
Stuff I Don't Like:
- Lack of Re-spec option
- Difficulty spikes when in certain situations
- Character customization is present, but isn't well done
Recommended For:
Action RPG fans who have at least one other person to play with, or those who don't mind gaming solo. It's affordable, especially when it's on sale. Those who want a fast-paced action adventure and don't mind an unexceptional story would like this.
Personal Score:
8.5/10
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