There are a lot of annoying catch phrases used by the video games press. From “suffice it to say” to “all in all,” they often have to do with the totality of a game. Just as pervasive are the terrifying comparative phrases. Everything you play is a clone, a wannabe, a killer, of something, some game. These phrases are an inescapable part of the way we talk about games (right now at least). We haven’t figured out a proper way to discuss a game on its own merits, so every discussion relates back to other games, other experiences. To hear people talk about Torchlight, you would think that the only way to talk about is to speak in unending comparative statements.
They are, of course, partially right. Torchlight is an action RPG like any other, if you count all action RPGs as having sprung fully formed from the depths of Diablo. The minds and artists behind it are alumni of Blizzard North and the original Diablo. They know their trade, and they practice it nigh unto perfection in Torchlight.
Torchlight concerns itself with the perfection and finessing of the loot-collecting action RPG formula. There is absolutely nothing in this game that places itself between the player and the unadulterated killing, collecting, and hoarding that appeal so much to gamers.
There is, of course, a nominally significant plot. Your character (a brawling Destroyer, summoning Alchemist, or ranged Vanquisher) travels to Torchlight, drawn by tales of Ember, a magical and terrible (and terribly strange) substance that lies thick beneath the soil of the town. Upon arriving, you are attacked by the same mage who you thought might aid you in your investigation of the Ember the taint it spreads across the land.
Predictably and somewhat disappointingly, this is merely a pretext for a lengthy, breathless dungeon-delve. You will not defeat the dastardly mage until you have traversed 30 long levels of dungeon (and the level cap itself is set at 100). As you progress, the game peppers each level with various distractions and diversions. Some enemies drop portals that port you to a small, two-level dungeon, sequestered away from the main levels. Another character in town opens successive portals, tasking you with finding riches in each one.
What torchlight doesn’t do is anything interesting with its setting. Every three or four levels of dungeon, the tile set and monster classes will change, owing to some plot pretext. Nothing else ever happens to the game world. You progress, you kill, you collect, and you level.
Which brings us to the killing and the leveling, those things that have to be flawless if a game as focused and specialized as Torchlight is hope to succeed. Items are classed as normal, magical, rare, set, and unique, and come in all of the according colors. Items can be socketed and enchanted, and your player can learn spells (and unlearn them) along with your various skills.
Adding to the min-maxing fun is your pet. This creature (a lynx or wolf-like dog) levels with you, has an inventory as big as yours, can learn spells, and can ferry junky items back to town to sell, while you continue the fight.
Despite the empty, bland plot and NPCs, the levels you travers in Torchlight are truly beautiful. The art and design of the game are whimsically fantastical and cartoonish, full of poofy explosions and bright flourishes. No one in Torhclight does anything by halves, and the environments are sumptuous and detailed, the strong lines of the cartoon-like art style working perfectly with the bold colors and oversized effects. It’s as if something from the later, more angular days of Disney (Hercules, say) were to get up and turn itself into a game.
Those last three paragraphs distill what is so excellent about Torchlight. The game is a delight to play and experience. Every new item could be that next great thing you are waiting for. Every spell and skill adds a palpable sense of excitement to the proceedings. As you blast, zap, stab, and pulverize the enemies, you will be struck by the fullness of the characters’ animations, the fidelity of your explosive battles, and the exuberant ensuing mess.
Torchlight throws items at you so fast, you often don’t know what to identify first, what to drop, or what to keep. Your pet can of course take them back to town and sell them, but then you might miss the amazing things that pets can do. You can feed them fish to turn them into spiders, elementals, ents, and more. You can teach the to cast offensive, defensive, and summoning spells. When I first saw my cat turn into a fire elemental, only to summon a batch of zombies and a flaming sword, I giggled to myself.
That is the kind of response Torchlight so adroitly and consistently evokes: you will be surprised, charmed, and amazed by the little touches, the delightful quirks that Runic Games has built into their first title. Everything from the instrumental, beautiful soundtrack to the outlandish weapons (and their names) will add a little bit of joy to your gaming session. This is how games should be. They should be bright, surprising spots in your day. They should do their best to draw you in, and then give you every reason to stay there.
Torchlight is nothing more than this: a incredibly tightly executed loot-fest, one that charms you with its beauty and traps you with its expansive, perfectly tuned mechanics. It is not extravagant in its design, and it does not reach to high. It knows what it is, and it excels at fulfilling its own potential.
The Good:
Stay a while and… Look: Torchlight is a beauty in every way, from art to effects to animations. Even the font is touchingly fantasyesque.
Look at all this stuff!: Torchlight masters the art of the loot drop and loot hunt. You will play for hours and hours. And then you will play some more.
An adventurer’s best friend: I love my cat, Battle Cat. She can summon swords, zombies, and skeletons, and turn into amazing animals. She makes what might have been a lonesome game a comfortable journey with a friend.
The Bad:
So what else is there?: Aside from a few portals and side dungeons, there are only so many distractions along the way to the endgame. You will wish for more by the end.
The Ugly:
What could have been: For all my praise, I wish there could have been just a bit more to the game. Maybe a more involving story would have helped? I want to care about all of this questing. As it is, my love affair with this game will fade eventually, and I’ll wonder where all of my time went.
Playthrough: I have played around 35 hours, using different builds and characters. I am by no means done.
Recommendation: There may be nothing more to this game than the looting and the leveling, but what looting it is. This game taps into something deep inside me, and it does it in an unassuming, colorful way. This is an excellent game, and we are lucky to have it on our hard drives (and for just $20!).
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