Runic Announces Torchlight 2, Puts Torchlight MMO on Backburner
Runic Announces Torchlight 2, Puts Torchlight MMO on Backburner
Posted 08/05/2010 at 12:45am
| by Nathan Grayson
5
Comments
Print
Torchlight's a fantastic game – no doubt – but it's a bit formulaic. You go underground, bash monsters until they're six more feet under, and then stuff whatever improbable pieces of loot they were ferrying around at the time into your magic, interdimensional pants pockets. Runic Games, though, makes up for its own game's predictability in spades. Case in point: Torchlight 2 out of nowhere. After all, weren't we talking about the Torchlight MMO, like, a few weeks ago?
But no, that's on hold for now. Fortunately, we're still definitely sticking our hands in the air for the next portion of Runic's development rollercoaster ride, seeing as Torchlight 2's packing just about every feature that was conspicuously absent from Torchlight. Let's run down the list: Multiplayer? Check. Customizable characters? Yep! A world outside the literal cave your Torchlight 1 character basically lived in? You betcha. Five new character classes? But of course.
Which is all great, but the question remains: why Torchlight 2? Why now?
“It makes sense for us strategically, too, to get a good practice session, if you will, for multiplayer with Torchlight. To make an MMO is a huge endeavor. It takes years, it’s a big risk. This way we can really feel out how multiplayer works with Torchlight, and we can give players who have been complaining there’s no multiplayer in Torchlight what they want, too,” Runic's Max Schaefer told PC Gamer.
Best of all, Torchlight 2's going to see the light of day in a relatively short amount of time, as it's been pegged for a Spring 2011 release. And, if it sticks with the same price point as Torchlight, that'll mean Runic will – in all likelihood – end up releasing two games comparable to Diablo 3 for half the price in a quarter of the time. Perhaps Blizzard left its throne unmanned for a little too long. Perhaps it's time to crown a new king. We shall see.
More like this
zepontiff
August 06, 2010 at 7:52am
It will be a short reign as D3 will probably outsell Torchlight and Torchlight3 combined in 3 hours.
eric0rr
August 05, 2010 at 9:36am
i liked the first on, but never got thru it, got struck on the finla boss after 5 attempts and so I started playing tf2!
blkpanthr
August 05, 2010 at 9:16am
I havent played Diablo since the orignal, and i had the broke ass demo beofre that. 1995 or so i believe. Although i liked the game, i was kinda enh on getting the sequel so i never bothered. I played all the clones and spinoffs however: Dungeon Master, Titan Quest, Black&White, etc...
I picked up torchlight in may on the steam memorial day megasale for $5.99. Ill tell ya, that was a hell of a deal. Even at the 19.99 original price, it would have been a great deal...I basically find it like Diablo with Warcraft 3 graphics...
Honestly? id pay full price, maybe even more than the original $19.99, for a sequel. It was really that good...
stradric
August 05, 2010 at 5:20am
Ya, this was a smart move for them to go with the multiplayer version of torchlight before the MMO. I have a feeling that even with multiplayer, Torchlight 2 is not going to do as well. Torchlight lost its luster pretty quickly. It's basically HD Diablo without Deckard Cain -- just a mindless loot grind. And that can be fun for a while, but is ultimately very unfulfilling. Their only innovation is the pet, which is great, but doesn't hold the game above water for long. You know when one of your main feature draws is "fishing" that there is something lacking with your game.
My take is that people feel a little burned by Torchlight and they're not going to fall for it again even with multiplayer. For $10 though, I'd pick it up again.
Exarkun1138
August 05, 2010 at 4:28am
It's too bad that piracy killed the developer of Titan Quest, because I personally was hoping for a Titan Quest 2. TQ was the best of the "Diablo Clones", IMO. Even today, the graphics and gameplay hold up extremely well! SInce Diablo III is taking its sweet little time coming out, I guess I'll have to look into Torchlight and its sequel to quench my need for a new Diablo Clone. I still play and love Titan Quest, but I know the game so well, that I need something new. Here's hoping SOMEONE picks up the Titan Quest banner and does a worthy sequel!
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
We introduce Intel's latest class of tablet killers and review 4 of the first Ultra...
Where have all the memorable videogame enemies gone?
This month's issue
Feature
11 Hardware Hacks
Feature
Overclock Your CPU
How-To
Supercharge Your Smartphone
Build It
A Powerful $830 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Can RIM *ever* catch a break? Not today! App World numbers not as great as previously reported http://t.co/3ERRhr318 hours 57 min ago
- maximumpc: Solid state shakeup: Intel 520 SSD vs OCZ Octane vs Patriot Pyro SE! http://t.co/lXDufI7w10 hours 14 min ago
- maximumpc: Woman Ordered to Decrypt Laptop Claims She "Forgot" Key http://t.co/C2TCp4Ml11 hours 8 min ago
