Torchlight II

Genre: Top-Down Action-RPG

Players: 1-4 Co-Op (Local Wireless, Online)

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Review:

Torchlight II is a Top-Down Action-RPG originally released on PC in 2012 and later brought to other platforms, with the Nintendo Switch getting a version of the game in 2019. Like the first game in the series, Torchlight II is a game that is in much the same vein as the Diablo games, which makes sense as two of now-defunct developer Runic Games’ founders were founding members of Blizzard Entertainment and creators of Diablo and Diablo II. However, while Diablo has a darker aesthetic, Torchlight II is a bit more cartoony in its presentation (although it certainly doesn’t shy away from blood and violence).

The presentation here is mostly good, although I will note that environmental textures can look pretty low-resolution and environmental details can look pretty low-poly if you zoom in. And if we’re comparing to Diablo III, it just doesn’t have the same level of detail overall as Diablo III on the Switch. However, Torchlight II still boasts a clear resolution and solid framerate, and while it may not be quite on the level with Diablo, it still looks very good. This is accompanied by a low-key fantasy soundtrack that ends up blending into the background of the action more than anything, with voiced characters delivering competent but forgettable performances. Not bad, but the emphasis here is clearly on the action.

When it comes to the gameplay, as you might expect this game plays a lot like Diablo, and has the same strong loop of fighting hordes of enemies, grabbing loot, and upgrading your character. However, Torchlight departs from Diablo in multiple ways, with one of the most notable of these being its pet system, with players starting out with a pet that fights enemies alongside them and can even cart off items to town to sell. This is a wonderful feature, both because it helps you to free up inventory for more loot, and it adds a strategic element as you’ll be temporarily losing the support of an ally to do so. Pets can be outfitted with their own equipment, players can fish at certain locations for fish that can temporarily transform pets into different types of monsters… suffice it to say, the pet in this game is an integral part of the experience.

In the transition to the Switch, there’s some good news and bad news here. On the one hand, the controls on a game controller are mostly pretty good, and players are given a lot of freedom to re-assign commands on the controller as they see fit. However, the limitations of the controller do mean that you’ll likely be using fewer skills than you would on the PC, as there are only so many buttons to assign them to. Also, I’ll note that the Nintendo Switch version of the game doesn’t support the touchscreen.

However, while the controls here are mostly pretty good, I did run into problems. I prefer ranged characters, and I was dismayed to find that the range of these weapons is pretty pathetic (depending on class upgrades, this can be improved, but only marginally). What’s more, it’s not always easy to aim, and didn’t feel quite as fluid as it does in Diablo III. What’s more, I found myself repeatedly running into an issue where a button press for an attack or ability didn’t register for some reason.

Finally, what is arguably this game’s biggest flaw is its lack of couch co-op. While the lack of this feature is standard across all platforms, it still bears mention as it stands in stark contrast to Diablo III. At the very least, the Nintendo Switch version does allow players to play co-op using a local wireless connection, making this version of the game a bit more friendly to co-op play than other platforms.

Okay, so Torchlight II simply isn’t on the same level as Diablo III. However, it’s still an excellent entry in the genre, and a fantastic game to play in online or local wireless co-op. The $20 price tag certainly helps it to stay competitive with Diablo, and there’s enough of a difference in the game’s presentation and features that it sets the game apart and makes it worthwhile in its own right. If you’re a fan of this sort of game and don’t mind the lack of local co-op, Torchlight II is well worth playing.

tl;dr – Torchlight II is a loot-hunting Action-RPG in much the same vein as the Diablo series, and it does some interesting things with the genre like its pet system. However, some control issues, graphical issues, and the lack of couch co-op keep it from being quite on the level of Diablo III, although fans of the genre who are happy to go it solo or use online or local wireless co-op will find that Torchlight II is still an excellent budget-priced Diablo alternative.

Grade: B+

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