Runic details how Torchlight will be different on XBLA

With the announcement that Torchlight will hit Xbox Live Arcade within two months, we're sure many players are curious as to what changes have been made during the transition from Mac and PC. Thankfully, the wait is over, as Runic has already detailed many of the changes on its website. First, the developer notes that the user interface has seen more than just a few tweeks: It's been redesigned from the ground up.

Furthermore, the inventory grid has been abandoned in favor of a hard item limit. Players will be able to carry 50 items at a time, regardless of their size. Certain items, like potions and scrolls, can still be stacked in a single slot. Speaking of potions, the game will automatically pick the best potion to use in a given situation, so there's no need to worry about using a strong potion when you only need a little bit of health or mana. Eight skills can be mapped at once, with Runic noting that many of its staffers "actually find it easier to use a variety of skills on the console vs. PC."

Finally, player control is done directly and there are "no virtual cursors ever." With no specific target control, melee combat has been tweaked, while ranged combat now uses an auto targeting system. Meanwhile, the distance of "lobbed skills" can be "finessed" using the analog triggers. Runic states that other console dungeon crawlers like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath offer a "general idea" of what to expect.

In other words, expect to start playing the game and discover that several hours have passed the next time you look at the clock.