The review of Torchlight 2, in any case, should turn out to be controversial, because such projects are always called clones of the famous pioneer in the person of the Diablo series. In fact, before the players appears quite a distinctive work with its world, history and heroes. You can find out all the details about the game in the materials from this article.
Development team
In the review of Torchlight 2, first of all, it should be noted the hand of those same developers who created the world of the first two parts of the famous Diablo. The Shefer brothers used their achievements, but also invited other masters in the genre. Some worked on several parts of the Fate series, others stood at the origins of a project called Hellgate London. The tandem of masters used their existing skills, but at first glance it can be said that the project does not deserve the title of “clone”. The same developers decided to test themselves in an already familiar concept, but with a completely different shell. It is she who makes the project unique, and this was previously proved by the original game from this series.
General gameplay
The Torchlight 2 review does not say that the gameplay completely repeats the concept of Diablo. Only here the secondary is not felt here due to the many small innovations that the developers have proposed. For example, a player can find fishing spots and fish for themselves nice bonuses or even things. A significant role is also played by the design of locations, which emphasizes the identity of the world where the action takes place. This does not change the basic mechanics, but allows you to brightly differ from most projects of the genre. The player will still have to explore the locations with his own created character with the selected class. On each new map, to advance you need to pump to a certain level and defeat the boss on the main storyline. This will continue until the final enemy. There are no restrictions on moving to a more complex location, but already at the entrance the character can easily meet his death. This is especially felt near Zerifesh, where various dangers lurk in the desert sands.
Class system
When reviewing characters in Torchlight 2, the imagination of the developers begins to manifest. There are no strict definitions in the class system, and this pleases the user. For example, the Wanderer is a long-distance fighter, but he is given a wide choice of weapons and leveling. He can use a classic bow, heavy guns with great damage, or become almost a magician with a poison debuff. The development system in this regard is especially pleasing, because by resetting skills in cities, the user can experience different roles. The second fighter is Berserk, which specializes in close combat, but also has magical skills. The next class - Amberling - can be any variation of a wizard. By selecting individual spells, the player can use any of the elements, and this is especially important for a change. In the review of new classes in Torchlight 2, the Engineer should be noted separately. This is the set of all pumping variations that may exist in a game of this genre. From an armored tank to a powerful shooter - the choice is only for the user.
Customize the look and pet
If everything is clear to the fans of the genre with an overview of the classes in Torchlight 2, then customization is a clear minus. The developers added a setting for changing some parameters, but this is not enough for a feeling of uniqueness. Characters within the same class category will in any case be similar to each other, and therefore it is not worth staying in the editor window for a long time. One of the interesting innovations, in comparison with the first part, is the availability of a pet. The helper can be a ferret, eagle, wolf, panda or other animal. The assortment is quite large, but they perform the same functions. The character’s personal friend helps to exterminate enemies, and also has its own inventory. When collecting many unnecessary things, they can be folded into pet cells and sent for sale to the city. The player can also configure the mode of action of a comrade. He will aggressively attack the first enemy in the area or act more on defense.
Leveling in the game
Any review of Torchlight 2 must necessarily demonstrate a role-playing system, since here the creators of the project also contributed to the originality. At first glance, everything is standard: four characteristics and five initial points for leveling. If you look closer to the parameters that they give, then there is something to think about. For example, a force, in addition to the standard damage increase, is also responsible for a critical attack. This makes it immediately useful for shooters along with agility. This characteristic increases the chance of dodging and critical hits. Magic is useful in terms of increasing the amount of energy spent on any spells. Also pumping in this direction provides a chance of instant destruction of the enemy. Stamina is responsible for the supply of armor and the number of health units. Ideally, critical hits should be pumped to any class, because all skills can be increased in damage. The player can put points in that parameter, which is most lacking, although you should definitely decide on the main direction.
Plot
An overview of the game Torchlight 2 can be done even without mentioning the plot, because here it does not play an important role. To fully understand it, the player will have to get acquainted with a considerable amount of text, since there is no voice acting in the dialogs. After defeating the dragon Ordrak, who spread damage under the mining town of the same name, peace reigned in the world. One of the three heroes who participated in that campaign was the Alchemist, who contracted damage from research on Amber’s magic crystal. After some time, he abducts the Heart of Ordrak and destroys the city of Torchlight, being obsessed. His former associates, the Victorious and Destroyer, are defeated in the battle against him. The Alchemist kills the girl, and the man goes on the run. The main antagonist decides to enslave the Elemental Guardians in order to completely destroy Amber with the help of their strength and the Heart of Ordrak. This time, other heroes with new abilities will have to fight him.
Graphics and style
In terms of graphic performance, Torchlight 2 is very different from Diablo. The design of each location resembles a cartoon and drawn style with characteristic features. For some people this will be a clear advantage, while others perceive this through the prism of skepticism. There will be no shortage of variety of locations, another thing is that similar biomes already appeared in the same Diablo. Swamps, steppe, plains, desert, etc. have already been used by various games. On the other hand, you can also look at the setting, where fantasy dominates with an admixture of steampunk. The latter genre is manifested in the presence of mechanisms, in some enemies and small arms. If you think logically, it is almost impossible to create something unique in this direction. Fantasy involves dungeons of gnomes with boiling lava, a camp of creatures like orcs, and other creatures. The secondary design is not too much felt, but to the pros it will not be possible to record. The benefit of a variety of enemies levels this problem a little.
Miscellaneous details
Endless entertainment is one of the most significant advantages that Torchlight 2 gives. A review of the game may concern certain minuses in the secondary nature of the concept, the game process, the development of the world, but every user will like the opportunity to enjoy interesting entertainment for a long time. After the first adventure, the character will be level 50-52, and then access to the "New Game +" will appear. Enemies here will become an order of magnitude stronger, and finding the first legendary weapon will be a real joy. You can also add fishing to the unique details using a fishing rod or dynamite. It is interesting to investigate all locations not only for additional orders, but also for all sorts of secrets. Invisible switches open access to those parts of the map where the user can find useful treasures. Along with the role of the savior of the local world, you can feel like a discoverer and explorer. This is not felt in every game of this genre.
System requirements
Passing the game Torchlight 2, even if not completely, will give a lot of unforgettable sensations, and low system requirements can be considered a separate plus. Now they may even seem ridiculous against the backdrop of the rapid development of technology. A Pentium 4 processor with a clock frequency of 1.4 gigahertz and a video card with 256 megabytes of internal memory will be enough to run at minimum settings. RAM requires 1 gigabyte, and the hard drive 1,500 megabytes of memory. For comfortable entertainment, almost all parameters should be multiplied by 2, with the exception of the processor clock speed. It is enough to have a Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz or similar in parameters from another company. For 2012, the specifications look too low, and therefore any interested user, even with an old computer, will be able to join the adventure.
Summary
In the review of the passage of the game Torchlight 2 we can say that the project turned out to be not perfect. Exclamations from fans of the genre about the secondary sound often, but they are not always true. Game developers were at the origins of the emergence of this category of projects in the industry, so the selection of a familiar concept seems quite logical. They tried to add new elements, albeit insignificant, but organically complementing the overall picture. Graphics can be both a disappointment and a godsend for players. Gameplay without experimentation will seem monotonous, but there is almost no framework for a role-playing system. Pumping is done at the proper level. If independent adventures are tired of the order, then you should call friends in a cooperative. A company of up to six people to save the world will be much nicer. Torchlight 2 deserves attention, although its overall rating is somewhere above average, which has been repeatedly noted in the reviews.