What I find enjoyable is the way you can mix-and-match talents to create a hybrid class. Finally, the Alchemist is a caster capable of casting spells and summoning minions. There are a few casting abilities but this class is built for brute-force strength of arms. When you start Torchlight you are given the choice between three role-playing classes. And given the simple story the actors who supplied their voices did a good job delivering dialog. Even with the World of Warcraft style graphics the sounds he created for casting spells feel powerful, and epic-looking weapons make the kind of noises you’d expect. For example the theme for the town of Torchlight sounds like the theme for Diablo’s Tristram, which, for any Diablo fan, is a total nostalgic treat! Matt’s signature style also extends to dungeons with his use of eerie atmospheres to depict foreboding doom. The first time I played, without knowing who did the music, I could instantly recognize the Diablo-esque music. Composing the score and providing sound design is Blizzard alumni Matt Uelmen whose work on Diablo, Diablo 2, Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction, and the World of Warcraft expansion The Burning Crusade is instantly recognizable here. Like the graphics, the audio in Torchlight shares much in common with Diablo. There were no performance problems when settings where maximized on my review system. It is fantastic that Torchlight can run well on older computers and newer systems given its incredibly crisp look. Even the environments, a dead-ringer of the new 3D-isometrical environment in Diablo 3, has a distinct look. What Torchlight’s lacks in story it makes up in environments, gameplay, and fun! It is easy to dismiss the graphics as a World of Warcraft copy but there’s enough of a unique style to give Torchlight a signature look. The story is pretty basic and can be distilled down to an evil wizard, a mineral called Ember, random dungeons, tons of loot, bosses, and plenty of stuff to kill! That’s it in a nutshell. While the town is an inch wide, the randomized dungeons are a mile deep. Like Tristram in Diablo, Torchlight serves as a hub for buying and selling loot, getting quests, following story content, and storing valuables. The game’s story is set in the booming mining town of Torchlight. Talent, experience, and a studio closure, was all the catalyst they needed to make Torchlight the most kick-ass Diablo clone ever. Most of the team at Runic is comprised of Blizzard alumni. Even Diablo composer Matt Uelmen joined Runic. Its addictive nature isn’t surprising given that Runic’s key people are Diablo 1 and 2 veteran’s Max Schaefer, Erich Schaefer, and Peter Hu. The comparison is spot-on! The truth is there are many clones since the release of Diablo 2, especially in the Asian MMO scene, but Torchlight is the best clone, bar none. Many have compared Torchlight to Diablo, and I agree. In its purist form Torchlight is an action RPG dungeon crawler. The foundation was laid for their new game Torchlight.Ībout a year later Runic released Torchlight. About a month later the entire Flagship Seattle team joined. With an impending studio closure, employees Travis Baldree, Max Schaefer, Erich Schaefer and Peter Hu formed Runic Games. In the midst of this industry cataclysm the team at Flagship Seattle, a small branch of Flagship Studios, was busy working on a new MMO called Mythos work that would be placed on hold and later handed over to Korean-based HanbitSoft.įlagship Studios finally dissolved in July 2008 along with Flagship Seattle. Gamers vented their frustration over Hellgate: London’s $150 lifetime subscription after discovering the game was rife with gameplay problems only to later learn Flagship Studios was on the brink of disaster. Torchlight’s history is as interesting as the game is fun! When financial difficulties hit Flagship Studios – and I can imagine many of you cringe with you see those two words together – the proverbial excrement hit fans. For those of you who haven’t, or are inclined to ask "Torch what?", by all means stop reading this and go buy Torchlight today (It’s that good. If you have played Torchlight then you don’t need me to tell you how addictive it is.
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