The first Torchlight on Xbox 360 released in 2011 and was one of my favorite games to play, a year later the sequel arrived for PC but Xbox players had to wait seven years before we could finally get our hands on it. We have no idea why it took so long but it is well worth the wait. As you imagine a few things might feel and look a little dated but overall Torchlight 2 really shines on Xbox One, especially on the X-model with 4K visuals and 60FPS. If you don’t really know what to expect from Torchlight than it is easily explained by comparing it with the insanely popular Diablo. You go on quests, fight million of enemies and collect loot to improve your character and pet. It is a gameplay loot that might become a little repetitive but remains so much fun and rewarding. Anyway, here is our review for Torchlight 2, made by Runic Games in 2012 and ported by Panic Button in 2020.
What we liked!
- Addictive gameplay: While it doesn’t really bring something new to the table Torchlight 2 offers you a splendid and addictive gameplay loop. With easy to understand controls, a limited amount of downtime for changing equipment or selling them and multiple difficulty modes to find your skill range. Levels and dungeons are big enough so you really feel that you are exploring a world but small enough to not get lost.
- Replay value and playtime: The longevity of Torchlight 2 deserves a medal, the game only costs you ā¬20 and you can literally invest hours and hours into characters. An average main quest run will take you around 25 hours, with sub-quests around 40 hours. Take into consideration four different classes, different pets, online co-op and a hardcore mode (you only have one life) Torchlight 2 won’t be a game that you finish in a few hours like Call of Duty.
- Pets, pets, pets, and pets.. lots of pets! To cover the most important question, no you can’t hug your pets, sadly enough. But oh my.. the choices for pets are plenty! Panda’s, an alpaca, owl or fancy a ferret? Just a few of the possibilities. Pets help you with carrying loot and cast some powerful spells to aid you in battle. You have equipment for your pet and can set the behavior mode so your best friend seeks out enemies or only defends you when you are attacked. You can even give some money to your pet and order him to go buy some potions or identify scrolls. And no need to worry about losing them, they always return! So no need to contact local animal shelters!
Somewhere between
- Visuals: Torchlight 2 has some beautiful diverse environments with multiple original enemies that really look fascinating and stunning. But at that same moment, you will also notice some extremely blurry textures. This really becomes obvious when you use the zoomed-in camera angle, I think most gamers will use the zoomed out camera, as this provides a better strategic advantage, so most of you won’t notice it. One thing that is really remarkable is the use of color, caves with a bright blueish surrounding, for example, are really spectacularly beautiful.
- Co-op but no local support: I always applaud when you have co-op options so it is absolutely great that Torchlight 2 can be played with an online friend (or stranger) but a local option would have been nice too.
What we disliked
- Weird audio issues: This is the first time I notice this with a game but the sound is really quiet. I normally put my soundbar on 18% but for Torchlight 2 I have to increase it to 35%, often I forgot about it and went into a different game to be literally blown away by the sound. I tried changing some stuff in the audio options (menu) but nothing helps. The balance by default is really weird too, for example, the music is almost unhearable and you need to alter the settings first.
We had to wait several years for Torchlight 2 but it was totally worth it. While the audio issues are annoying everything else is absolutely fantastic. The addictive gameplay and insane amount of content will easily give you 40+ hours of playtime.
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Gaming is a passion and I wanted to share my Xbox enthusiasm. That’s why I started LifeisXbox, to make sure gamers all around the world know what games they should buy or avoid. I would like to thank you for visiting my website. Your support is very welcome and I hope you stick around!
