Game Review: Torchlight

From my post on the Here We Geaux blog....

So one of my favorite PC games from back in the day is a game called Diablo by Blizzard Entertainment. There is something about dungeon crawl video games that I just love. I remember playing that game for days and days until I finally beat Diablo himself. Since its release Diablo has become synonymous with the Action Roleplaying (RPG) genre of video games. That is, players choose classes, level up, manage gear and spells and the like from traditional roleplaying games but the game action itself is played in real time. There have been may games that have followed in Diablo's foot steps as a "top down" action RPG and one of my recent favorite examples is a game called Torchlight from Runic Games.

Torchlight takes place in a steam punk world in the namesake mining town of Torchlight. In this universe, an ore called Ember is the basis for alchemy and the foundation for all magic. The miners prospecting for Ember eventually dug deep enough to discover the ancient ruins buried beneath the town and the myriad of dangerous inhabitants found there. It is this "Ember Rush" that brings your character to Torchlight in search of fame and fortune.

You may choose one of three classes: the melee centric Destroyer, the magic wielding Alchemist, or the range attacking Vanquisher. You also get to choose a pet to accompany you on your adventures to help in combat and to carry items for you. Once you have decided on which class to play, from town you descend down into a randomly generated dungeon level to slay monsters, acquire gold and loot, and gain experience. One of the highlights of this game is the character customization. As you gain levels, you get to spend talent points in the different specialty trees available to each character. Combined with the limitless gear options available, this makes each character play differently and offers a unique game experience.

Each level lower increases in difficulty and rewards. You can play the game on different difficulty settings depending on how challenged you want to be. This is important, as it is just you and your pet against an entire dungeon of baddies. I found game play to be very responsive and fast and...God like! The array of spells and ability options to deal damage is both staggering and lethal. There is something very satisfying about being surrounded by a whole room full of demons, zombies, oozes and skeletons and letting off a power combo that devastates everything. Still, you have to be tactful enough not to get overrun, as for every mob you kill there seems to be 10 more there to take his place. You only have so much energy or mana to fuel your attacks, so resource management is key. Thankfully, this is aided by potions and locations in the dungeons to replenish what you have lost.

To me, one of the most fun aspects of Torchlight is leveling your character and customizing him to how you want to play. You get to pick talents, customize gear, and learn spells and abilities that reflect how you envision your character should be. No two characters are exactly alike and combined with the random dungeons, even when you hit max level there is still infinite playability. So if you are looking for a game that does not take itself too serious yet is a blast to play at your own pace, I recommend Torchlight!

-Wicked