Developer: Runic Games
Publisher: Runic Games
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Switch, PS4
Tested on: Switch
Torchlight II (Switch) – Review
Back in 2012 we had our first run-in with Torchlight II, which we concluded was somewhat of a mix between Diablo II and Diablo III. The developers seemingly got too inspired with some of the content of the newest installment of Diablo, where some bosses etc seemed a bit too ‘similar’ to one another. Nonetheless, the freedom to fully create your character as you like by investing stat and skill points as you see fit allowed for a proper amount of freedom making sure you could experiment and create several different builds. Now, seven years later, the game is released on all major console platforms, and we were lucky enough to take a look at the Switch version.
Story
In Torchlight II you’ll be chasing the Alchemist, who was the protagonist of the first game, while he undoes all the good he has done. This is pretty much the main theme of the game and there is not that much extra to explore story-wise. You’ll get to see a few cutscenes in-between the different acts and that’s about it. It’s pretty much a revamped version of the Diablo II story but in its own original Torchlight style.
Graphics
The graphical quality of Torchlight II is still decent after all these years. It’s unsure if anything has been done to enhance the graphics, but the comic-like style of everything in the world of Torchlight II makes a few botched details rather forgivable. You’ll be treated to many softer colors, making things very pleasant to the eyes. There is a bit of gore here and there, but overall the game is somewhat PG friendly in what it does. The different areas are well dressed and there are a lot of nooks and crannies to explore. Overall the Diablo meets WoW-esque style of the game still looks good after nearly seven years and the Switch handles everything on screen well, be it in docked mode or while playing handheld.
Sound
Torchlight II has great sound design. The quests all have accompanying voice acting, which makes the game feel more alive. Other than that, you’ll have a rather cinematic soundtrack, while you can hear parts of your enemies flying around as you mercilessly bash their skulls. While some sound effects feel a bit generic, the SFX are decently done.
Gameplay
Torchlight II is an action RPG, just like it was on its initial release seven years ago. The game is created by some of the original creators of Diablo, and thus it follows the same formula. You’ll roam around the world, completing quests, bashing monsters, all while leveling up and collecting gear. Unlike in Diablo, your pet isn’t completely useless and will join you in battle, and it can also equip items and go back to town to sell your excess crap.
Controls work as they should but there seem to be issues with the hit detection at times. While this can be annoying, it’s a negligible issue. The UI takes some time getting used to, and the game doesn’t give you that much explanation on how to progress in terms of leveling up your skills and stats. It’s pretty much Diablo II all over again, where you figure everything out yourself, but at least you can reroll some choices if you happen to change your mind the further you get in the game. The gear is dependable on stats or level and this system works decently. The game gives you a lot of freedom to create your character as you see fit, and that’s probably the biggest strength of Torchlight II.
The Switch version comes with a few bugs though. Sometimes your character will move, just like you’d see with lag spikes in online shooters, the stats don’t portray the right information and there are random crashes now and then, making you lose some progress. Of course, the game has just been ported, but we hope there will be fixes in the near future for these rather annoying interferences.
Conclusion
Torchlight II is still an impressive action RPG after all these years. While it’s clear it borrows some elements from the Diablo series, the game still has a lot of original quirks and the classes are fun to mess around with. The console versions do not come without a few bugs, but we are quite sure these will get patched in the near future. If you loved this release on the PC and you now want to play it on the go, the Switch version proves to be a lot of fun.
Torchlight II (Switch) - Review,
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[…] very recently did Torchlight II make it onto Switch (in fact, you can find our review of it right here) but already there is a third game in the franchise to look forward to. Originally announced as […]