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Torchlight 2 review: Up in the world
I gave Diablo 3 a five-star review, and though the word "perfect" didn't come up, I did call it "a masterpiece." I still stand by that score, despite the somewhat bumpy reputation the game has earned since launch. Now, Torchlight 2 has finally arrived to complete the pair. Besides their obvious genre connection, Runic Games' Max Schafer co-founded Blizzard North (where he helped make Diablo and Diablo 2), and these two anticipated sequels have crossed paths more than a few times during production.Spoiler: I'm giving Torchlight 2 a half-star less. The game makes some minor missteps in design, and I don't think the pacing or the scope matches up to that of Diablo 3.I say that right here in the beginning so I can move on to a different point: Ratings and comparisons aside, Torchlight 2 is an accomplishment by this studio of less than 30 people, a feat that's impressive regardless of any other long-awaited dungeon crawlers that arrived earlier this summer. It's an excellent follow-up to the popular first game in the series, and at a ridiculous price of just $19.99 it demands to be played both by fans of the genre and of great PC games.%Gallery-166151%
Runic taking break from Torchlight after Mac version, not working on Torchlight MMO
Runic Games is planning to take a break from Torchlight sequels and isn't working on the Torchlight MMO."While we have no plans to begin work on an MMO, that's partly because we have no plans, period!" Runic CEO Max Schaefer told Joystiq today. "We're waiting to do the Mac port of Torchlight 2, and fix whatever launch issues we have, and then decide after we've had a good night's sleep or three. It is likely that nothing that would be called an MMO is the next thing we do, though, but that's not 100 percent certain."Runic president Travis Baldree said something similar today on Reddit: "I'll be frank, we have no plans to jump into that right now. The landscape is a little different than a few years ago, and creating the amount of content we did for Torchlight 2 was a supreme effort with a team this size. Taking on an MMO immediately afterward is not our current desire."There had been previous allusions, along with expectations of Runic parent-company Perfect World, regarding the Torchlight MMO, but our attempts to further clarify were not answered by publishing. Torchlight 2 launched today on PC.
Torchlight MMO might be a long time coming
Even with Torchlight II newly released, people are already wondering what's in store for Runic Games in the future. A handful of questions about what comes next popped up in a recent Runic Games AMA, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun sat down with CEO Max Schaefer to talk about the future. If there is to be a Torchlight MMO, it will look radically different from most MMOs out there today. "We don't just want to make the standard MMO in the Torchlight universe. We want to change up the genre and put a unique stamp on it," said Schaefer of the Runic dev team. While the possibility of a new and different sort of MMO in the Torchlight universe exists, that's not what the team has its sights set on yet. Schaefer said that the devs "might be so tired of making Torchlight that we're kind of burned out" and may very well choose to do something outside of the Torchlight world entirely for now.
Torchlight II launches today
Happy birthday to Torchlight II -- like, the actual day of its birth, not a commemoration of the date after the fact. Games have a rather longer gestation period than humans, but they can be every bit as cute and loveable when they come out. The game's already been available for pre-purchase on Steam, but now it'll also be available as a digital download from Runic Games, Perfect World, GamersGate, GameFly, and GameStop. Torchlight II is up for a mere $20.00, which is made possible by the digital distribution and is meant to make the game easily accessible to a wider community. If you're already a fan of the game or hop in and realize you love the music, consider picking up the soundtrack. You can get it totally free (and totally legally). We visited with the Runic Games folks at PAX Prime and got our hands on the game, so if you're looking for a vicarious introduction to the game before deciding to buy it, we can help. As far as post-launch plans, the Runic Games team confirmed in an AMA that its next project likely won't be another Torchlight sequel or the Torchlight MMO that has long been on the table.
Torchlight 2 soundtrack goes free to hear, right here
Runic Games is celebrating the impending launch of Torchlight 2 with the release of the game's soundtrack, which is available to download at Joystiq, free of charge. The soundtrack features 28 tracks and is composed by Matt Uelmen, who also crafted the music for Diablo 2.Uelmen recorded a live symphony for the game's soundtrack in Bratislava, Slovakia, according to a May 2011 blog. Torchlight 2 will launch in two days, giving you plenty of time to listen to Uelmen's music before you hear it in the game.
Torchlight II gives away its full soundtrack
Can you not wait for Torchlight II's release on Thursday? Do you need some form of the game right now before you lose your mind? If that's the case, you may wish to seek professional help, as that's not a normal level of excitement. But you can also sate that urge by downloading the game's full soundtrack right now completely for free off the official site, all 28 tracks mastered in professional quality for anyone who wants them. If you'd rather have a physical disc in an attractive jewel case, well, that's an option as well. The download contains a high-resolution booklet that you can print out and assemble at your leisure. The 120mb download might be a bit onerous for anyone still on a dialup connection, but everyone else should be able to nab the full soundtrack in a matter of moments. Completely for free. Who says we can't have nice things?
Runic's post-Torchlight 2 plans: Mac port, patches, and a trip to the mountains
Runic's CEO Max Schaefer seems both simultaneously relieved and nervous as he sits in the Torchlight 2 booth at PAX Prime 2012. Relieved, because his company finally announced a release date for its long-awaited game, and slightly nervous, because he knows the community's judgment is finally coming. But even launch won't bring a real break for Runic: Schaefer says the company has a clear plan laid out for post-release work.A Mac port and language translations are first on the list, says Schaefer – both of those are real priorities for the team. Runic's also working on patching the game (if necessary), and getting the content editor up and running so both users and devs can make some mods and add-ons for the game. After that, says Schaefer, he's not sure. "We'll go up into the mountains or something and figure out what to do next."Schaefer says that both a console port of Torchlight 2 and "an MMO" aren't out of the question, but there are problems with both of those ideas. "We will not be making a traditional MMO under any circumstances," he says, so a possible Torchlight MMO could look very different from what players might imagine – a pretty different stance from what we've heard in the past from Runic Games.And while the studio had plenty of success with an Xbox Live port of its first Torchlight game (and Microsoft showed interest in a port of the second game), Schaefer says "it's a lot harder this time," given the way the game is built, to put together an Xbox port. All of that is a long way off, however – Schaefer's more concerned about getting this game released first.
PAX Prime 2012: Up close and personal with Torchlight II
Torchlight II is marching toward its September 20th launch date. Actually, it's probably skipping joyously with a little ferret or adorable puppy trailing along behind it. Is your clicking-finger ready? We took some time at PAX to dabble our toes in the game and splash around a bit. Now we have damp toes and a hands-on experience with Torchlight II.
Torchlight II launches on September 20th
The hoped-for dukeroo between Diablo III and Torchlight II never quite materialized, mainly because Runic didn't manage to ship its dungeon-crawler in time to compete with the Blizzard behemoth's launch. Torchlight II is still coming, though, and according to a new post on the game's official site, it's coming on September 20th. Runic CEO Max Schaefer provides us with the requisite PR soundbyte. "We worked incredibly hard to make sure we could release Torchlight II before summer's official end. Development will continue right up until we ship, and we couldn't be happier to be putting the finishing touches on a great game. We want to get it to the fans as quickly as possible. Honestly, we can't wait."
Torchlight 2 finally gets its release date of September 20
Torchlight II is coming to PCs on September 20, developer Runic Games announced. Runic president and Torchlight II designer Travis Baldree revealed the date on the game's official forum.Torchlight II was originally intended to beat rival Diablo III to the punch by releasing last year, but after multiple delays it's now set to arrive in three weeks time. The action-RPG, which features the additions of online and local co-op, and four new character classes, is currently priced on Steam at $20. There remains no word beyond hope of a console release.
Torchlight exec on MMO: 'It may be radically different'
Runic Games' Max Schaefer is preparing for the release of Torchlight II, but that didn't stop him from looking to the future for the franchise. In an interview, Schaefer teased that the eventual MMO may be "radically different" from what some are expecting. Schaefer did admit that the MMO isn't a solid lock as of yet. When asked about the next step after Torchlight II, he said, "We don't know what we're doing in the MMO next or ever or what. That's kind of the big plan is to keep expanding the Torchlight world." He did confirm that a Torchlight MMO would be an action RPG and not a standard MMO setup. "We would not want to do a traditional at all," Schaefer said. "We'd adapt it in many ways to Torchlight. It'd be an MMO in so far as everyone's playing in the world of Torchlight, but it may radically different. I think it would keep our creativity alive, not just to do traditional MMO."
One Shots: A big white blur
Conventional wisdom holds that snow zones in games and movies make for a featureless, monochrome eyesore that bores onlookers, and yet both Star Wars Galaxies and Star Wars: The Old Republic couldn't resist the allure of Hoth. Today's One Shots from reader Brooks reveals his character resting above an imposing crevasse on the notorious ice planet as depicted in SWTOR: Surrounded by the harsh beauty of ice and stone, Jedi Knight Omiko Kell takes a meditative moment to reflect on the weight of her responsibility to the native people and Republic forces struggling for freedom and survival on the desolate and unforgiving planet of Hoth. Does she sway from her primary mission set forth by her Order and help others, or will she let them stand alone in their fight against the Empire, pirates, and mercenaries while she focuses on her Masters' directive? Whichever one gives you the most legacy points, of course. Brooks' full screenshot and a few others are beyond the cut!
Chinese MMO developer accused of plagiarizing Torchlight backs down
Faced with ongoing allegations that it stole assets from Torchlight, Chinese developer EGLS has now agreed to modify "some parts" of its mobile MMO, Armed Heroes Online. Our sister site Joystiq reports that while the mobile company continues to deny any wrongdoing, it will alter the game "rather than go on arguing." In a formal statement, EGLS said: "We did great efforts to do each modeling, mapping, bone construction and action by our own on our self-developed 3D engine . . . We want to make clear, if necessary, that we would like to submit the documents, files, and other materials related to the game developing to Apple to prove the originalities of the game and the efforts we devoted into the game developing." Torchlight developer Runic Games appears mollified by the outcome though not convinced of EGLS's innocence. "We're really just trying to get the thing pulled down from the App Store and to have them use their own assets," studio president Travis Baldree told Joystiq. (Apple has apparently removed the game already.) In happier news, Runic announced that oft-delayed Torchlight II is still slated for a summer launch, though Baldree joked, "The end of summer is September 25th or something like that, right?"
Torchlight 2 devs still planning summer launch
Runic Games' Torchlight 2 is still planned for launch at some point this summer, Runic president Travis Baldree tells us. "The end of summer is September 25th or something like that, right?" he asked. "We're still trying to get it done for summer. It's a big game and we've still got some polish to go."A recent blog post from Baldree on his company's site was meant to allay the concerns of fans who pre-ordered the game many months ago – fans who have yet to get a solid release date from Runic. "People asked us to make pre-orders available. So, people were just interested in what was going on. There was some concern in the forums that we had gone off and were just twiddling our thumbs," he said. "We have a point in development where we'll say, 'Okay, we're ready to announce a date,' but we're just not there yet."As of today, that gives Runic approximately two months to announce a release date and, uh, actually release its game. Fingers crossed!
Torchlight assets allegedly stolen by Chinese MMO [Updated]
There are times when things in one game seem eerily similar to another game, and then there are times when the items are actually the same. While watching the announcement video for the Chinese MMO Armed Heroes Online, Runic Games President Travis Baldree noticed that many of the assets used in that game seemed to come directly from Torchlight. Baldree brought the asset theft to light in an allegation posted in a forum discussion. He stated, "All of the monster assets and every dungeon tileset, as well as voices, and most sound effects, are direct rips from Torchlight... I didn't see ANY monsters that weren't ours." A side-by-side comparison of many models made by another forum member demonstrates the likenesses. Baldree also provided more evidence including the fact that many of Torchlight's sound file names are identical to Armed Heroes', including typos. Instead of seeking monetary damages or royalties, Baldree is simply asking that Armed Heroes Online be removed from Apple's app store in Canada and not appear in the US stores. [Update: An alleged employee of EGLS, the maker of AHO, has denied the theft and suggested the similarities are a result of similar source material.]
Diablo III vs. Torchlight II: Battle of the dungeon-crawlers
We know you're all still enthralled by Blizzard's latest blockbuster, Diablo III, but it's important to remember that it's not the only major dungeon-crawler hitting the market this year. Runic Games' Torchlight II is also slated for release, and it's sure to offer plenty of dungeon-delving, loot-gathering goodness as well. But the real question is, how do the two games stack up against one another? The Ancient Gaming Noob has decided to pit the two titles against each other in a no-holds-barred Thunderdome deathmatch to see which game emerges victorious! On one hand, you have Diablo III's simplified method of character progression utilizing runes and a number of skill combinations, and on the other hand, there's Torchlight II's more traditional talent trees and attribute points. Atmosphere (bright and colorful vs. dark and dreary is a battle for the ages), story, and gameplay are all matters of contention between the two, and each category receives ample coverage, providing a detailed look at the similarities and contrasts between the titles. If you're unsure which dungeon-crawler you want to swear allegiance to, head on over and give the full piece a read for a bit of help in the decision-making process.
Get into the Neverwinter beta by pre-ordering Torchlight II
Synergy and cross-promotion are what make the corporate world go 'round, so try not to boggle too much as you read the following sentences. Perfect World and Runic Games have teamed up to give you a unique way to access the Neverwinter beta. All you need to do is to pre-order Torchlight II. The closed beta access comes with a couple provisions. You'll have to specifically pre-order through Perfect World to get beta access, as a Steam pre-order won't reap the same results. Also, it's important to note that Runic Games says that the "exact date of [beta] access will vary." Runic Games is a subsidiary of Perfect Worlds, which also owns Cryptic Studios. We found ourselves incredibly impressed with Neverwinter after getting our hands on it at PAX East, so it's great to have a guaranteed path into the beta. Make sure to read up on our impressions of this upcoming title from Cryptic. [Thanks to Jay for the tip!]
Pre-orders for Torchlight 2 go live, still no release date
We may not know exactly when Torchlight 2 will be released, but at least we know how much it's going to cost. Developer Runic Games has begun taking pre-orders for the dungeon crawler via both Steam and Perfect World Entertainment. Just like the original Torchlight, the sequel will set you back $20, with Steam also offering a 4-pack for $60, essentially netting you a copy for free.Whenever it comes out, that is.
Torchlight 2 available for pre-purchase on Steam
With all the buzz around a certain well-known third installment of a franchise, you could be forgiven for momentarily forgetting about Torchlight 2. However, the game is now available for pre-purchase on Steam, which should serve as something of a reminder. The game doesn't yet have a firm release date other than this summer, but you can still drop your $20 and have the game ready to play on launch day. The original Torchlight was hailed by many as the spiritual sequel to Diablo II (and some assumed it would also be the closest we'd ever get to an actual sequel). Torchlight 2 boasts more character customization, more pet customization, improved fishing and pet management, a new set of classes, and of course all of the same hack-and-slash gameplay that the first game featured. If you're a fan of the genre, that third installment likely has your eye for the moment, but you might want to see how the other half lives as well.
Runic not ready for Torchlight MMO anytime soon
So when's that Torchlight MMO coming out? When it's ready, and when Runic can muster the money and resources needed to properly handle the long-term commitment that an MMO represents, according to CEO Max Schaefer. "An MMO is a hell of a commitment," Schaefer tells Rock, Paper Shotgun. "It means we're gonna be doing that for a few years at least prior to release and then committing years of support for it afterward. So it's a decision we take very, very seriously." RPS says that a Torchlight MMO has always been Runic's end goal, but given the fact that the 30-man company is still fiddling with Torchlight II, we suspect the massively multiplayer version remains a ways off.
