Video Game Review - Torchlight: Infinite
Rob reviews Torchlight Infinite on PC…
Torchlight and I have quite the checkered history. While I absolutely loved the original - and it’s sequel - for me Torchlight 3 was when the rust started to show. The clear switch to a mobile oriented system that wasn’t quite realised at the time clearly hurt the game, with the end result being a “freemium” mobile title disguised as a full-fledged console title. As such Torchlight 3 ended up being just another failed Diablo clone.
Jump to 2022, and Chinese developers XD have their hands on the Torchlight universe. Now dubbed Torchlight: Infinite, XD have taken the classic formula and given it an MMORPG make over with a live service feel. Not only this, but the game is also available on iOS, Android, and Windows devices as a free2play title. And the icing on the cake? Well, Diablo founder David Brevik has been involved in the title’s development.
So, does Torchlight: Infinite reignite the dungeon crawler fire? Or does it hammer the final nail in the franchises coffin?
Much like other live service titles, Torchlight: Infinite bases it’s narrative around seasonal content, however it’s base component remains the same. Taking place across an top-down world, you’ll guide your chosen hero as they pummel and smash their way through various monsters and other nasties. Meanwhile the overarching narrative - and ultimate goal of saving the world - is supported and fleshed out with seasonal content, and extra features. While this does mean that the narrative will evolve over time, the main premise revolves around restoring the First Flame.
Taking place within the same universe as the previous games we take on the role of a hunter who’s tasked with restoring the world. Without the First Flame, a malevolent force known as Aember has started to corrupt the lands. Having found yourself infected with the Aember curse, your hero retains their humanity thanks to a creature known as Crow. Now with the means to control the Aember, you head out into the wilds to become the hero that the Torchlight world needs.
Naturally with the whole premise adopting seasonal content, this leaves a lot of room for XD to play around with the narrative. Much like other titles such as Destiny 2 this could see new villains arrive, and the demise of old friends. If done correctly you’ll gain a player base that’ll return season after season. However due to the action-rpg nature of Torchlight: Infinite it’s story soon takes a back seat. It’s quite a shame as when you take the time to sit back and read the dialogue between characters, there’s quite a big chunk of world building and it’s clear that XD do have some grasp on how their story will progress. Yet the downside is most players will simply skip the story in favour of quickly jumping into the next fight.
When it comes to selecting your hero, Torchlight: Infinite offers six base classes and a couple of premium heroes. Taking inspiration from plenty of other RPG classes, theres literally a hero to suit anyone’s play style. Once you’ve chosen a hero, you’ll then be able to customise them further with quite a suite of skills, however each hero is locked to their default appearance. While this won’t bother most people, it does remove that emotional attachment when everyone looks the same.
Back to skills and each class has access to five active abilities, and three passives. These abilities aren’t necessarily class specific, however they will proc better when coupled with a certain hero. This does then mean they there’s quite a scope in experimenting with builds which is further enhanced with added traits and the Energy system too. Away from this and we also have a talent system that ties into the games lore. Each talent is represented by a chosen God and is themed towards a certain attribute or play style. Thankfully your not locked to your chosen talent tree, however certain stipulations are in place to stop you becoming a God yourself.
But wait…yet another talent tree is also implemented once you receive your first pet. Pete have been a staple of the Torchlight universe ever since the opening title, and here it’s no different. The “pact” system is a three tier rung of skills that offered boosts and buffs based on your current standing with your current animal spirit. And if that isn’t enough, well there’s also yet more customisation once you hit the endgame content too!
When it comes to presentation, Torchlight: Infinite is a pretty game. It’s various fantasy themed locales offer a wide range of vibrant colour pallets that work to contrast the light and dark aspects of the story. Map design is also pretty robust, with plenty of life thrown in to keep the journey feeling too linear. This is really what let’s the title down as each map does keep you on a focused path moving forward. If anything having the semi freedom of that seen within Diablo 3 (I’m yet to play 4) would of opened the world up to more story telling and more dumps. Character design is also of a high quality with each retaining the cartoonish feel from the previous titles.
Much like any other free to play title, Torchlight: Infinite does feature a plethora of micro transactions. While you don’t strictly have to pay into this structure to enjoy the title, a lot of what it has to offer is locked behind the pay wall. Within Torchlight: Infinite the name of the game is “Hero Emblems” these act as the premium currency which is only earned by dropping your hard earned cash. While XD have implemented a way to earn some Hero Emblems by completing the games battle pass, it’s still not a viable way of unlocking a premium hero, or premium trait. Likewise, to unlock spirit familiars you’ll literally have to play a game pure chance to then unlock tokens that could be for the familiar that you want. For those who also want to customise the look of their hero, there is a cosmetic store too. However this only offers different outfits, so you’ll still be stuck with the default appearance of the class.
Considering all the micro transactions it’s clear that Torchlight: Infinite isn’t a traditional multiplayer title. While it does feature some multiplayer elements such as a trading system, and global chat, at time of writing theres no PvE/PvP functions and is solely a single player experience. This does mean that the experience is quite a lonely one, and considering that the games ethos wants you to keep playing it gets boring pretty quickly. Hopefully we get some form of social interaction as the game ages, but for now it’s a somber experience.
Overall, Torchlight: Infinite is a valiant attempt to reignite the ailing franchise. The switch to a free to play/freemium system is a double-edged sword, as it does enough to get people to try out the game, yet (for now) doesn’t offer a lot to keep you invested. Away from this, if you’re after an action rpg with a extremely deep level of skill customisation, along with some solid - if not slightly worn - combat then you can do a lot worse then spend time with this title. However with the likes of Diablo IV now on the market, are most people playing Torchlight: Infinite?
Rating: 6.5/10
A range of in-game bonuses was provided by the publisher to aid in this review.
Torchlight: Infinite is available now and can be downloaded via Steam, or the relevant mobile App Store.
Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow us on Twitter/Facebook @GeekCultureRev, and TikTok/YouTube @Geekculturereviews.
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