Torchlight II Price and Last Class Revealed

Runic Games has finally announced the price point for the sequel to the much-loved hack’n’slash Torchlight and, unsurprisingly, we’re talking about a very affordable one, as the game will be sold for only $19.99.  That keeps it in line with the first title, although it’s worth noting that the price may very well be considered even more convenient, as Torchlight II offers a lot more content and online/LAN co-op. Speaking of content, Runic Games also took this chance to announce the fourth and last playable class, “the magic-wielding Embermage”, which joins the Engineer, the Berserker, and the Outlander in the title’s roster. Here’s the full press release:

August 26, 2011 Seattle, WA – Runic Games, Inc. (“Runic Games”), a specialized developer of PC-based interactive entertainment software in the United States, made two announcements this morning in conjunction with the Penny Arcade Expo 2011, beginning today in Seattle.

Runic Games unveiled the price point for Torchlight II today, and as promised, the studio continues to champion the model of affordable games with great value. Torchlight II will retail for $19.99 USD, the same price as the original Torchlight.

(It’s always been our goal to provide exceptional value for the price,) says Max Schaefer, CEO of Runic Games. (Everyone who wants to play Torchlight II will be able to comfortably afford to do so, and they’ll be able to play with their friend online or via a LAN, or play single player offline, all with no further purchases.))

Runic Games also announced the fourth playable class of Torchlight II, the magic-wielding Embermage. The mysterious Embermage joins the previously announced Engineer, Outlander, and Berserker classes. This marks the culmination of a month long buildup introducing each class to players.

Torchlight II will release for PC in 2011.

And then I’ll send you to our image gallery for some Embermage concept art before recapping the class description:

At the forefront of the Empire’s colonization of Vilderan are the Embermages highly-trained spellcasters renowned for their skill, dedication, and arcane power. No Imperial army is complete without these fierce warrior-wizards in the vanguard.

It is widely accepted in the Empire that Embermages are a special breed, held in awe and respect for the rigorous training they undergo, and the prowess they display. Selected in early adolescence by the Ember Council, Embermages undergo extensive arcane conditioning and mystical studies, accompanied by hours of physical drills and combat exercises each and every day. They learn to work in tandem with Vanquishers, and crush the Empire’s foes with both subtle grace and overwhelming might, as the situation demands. By the time Embermages are assigned to active duty, they are accomplished wizards, formidable soldiers, and insightful strategists.

As the name suggests, Embermages study the magical mineral known as Ember, through which process they gain a better understanding of thaumaturgic principles. But, unlike the Empire’s legion of Alchemists, Embermages do not actually draw energy from Ember itself; instead, they observe its properties, and, through meditation and experimentation, learn to recreate the effects of Ember in a wide range of magical applications. In addition to unleashing blasts of high-energy fire, ice, and electricity, an Embermage develops the means to magically interfere with the laws of time and space, moving themselves or their enemies across short distances in the blink of an eye.

This facility with applied magic defines the Embermage’s combat role: an offensive spellcaster capable of delivering focused, precise attacks at a considerable distance, or of shifting foes violently away with short-range teleportation usually with physically wrenching results for the targets! In battle, the Embermage wields each aspect of the Ember like a duelist wielding a blade switching from fire to ice to lightning and back again in the span of a few heartbeats all while disappearing from their foe’s sight and reappearing in another, more advantageous position!

The Embermages’ combination of physical and magical discipline makes them superb ranged combatants: powerful, mobile, and versatile … and, most importantly, ingenious!