Following several months of early access, Echtra Games’ light-hearted hack ‘n’ slash action-RPG Torchlight III is now live on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a Nintendo Switch release planned for October 22nd.
Priced at $39.99 or your regional equivalent, the game offers 4 playable classes, a story campaign you can play either solo or in co-op, some challenging endgame activities, and an assortment of unique features like pets and relics.
Here’s the official launch trailer:
And a press release with some additional information:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – October 13, 2020 – Today, Perfect World Entertainment, Inc., a leading publisher of online games, and developer Echtra Games, Inc. have announced that Torchlight III, the light-hearted and fast-paced dungeon crawler, has officially launched on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Steam for $39.99. Torchlight III will also release on the Nintendo Switch™ system on October 22. As the latest installment in the successor to the ARPG cult classic Torchlight franchise, Torchlight III brings back signature mechanics that defined the series, like hack’n’slash combat and the beloved pet system, while offering an exciting new story line and features that appeal to a new generation of console and PC players.
“Torchlight III has arrived, and we at Echtra are beyond ecstatic for gamers to finally join the adventure,” said Max Schaefer, CEO of Echtra Games and co-founder of the Torchlight franchise. “Development on this game has had its share of twists and turns, but we think the end result was well worth the wait. A huge thank you to the fans who have patiently stayed with us through this journey. Your support means everything. Now go jump in and have fun exploring the Frontier!”
“Echtra has created a fantastic Torchlight experience that truly represents the studio’s creativity and expertise in the action-RPG genre,” said Yoon Im, CEO of Perfect World Entertainment. “All of us at Perfect World are proud of what the studio has accomplished. We have believed and supported Max and Echtra’s vision for expanding the Torchlight universe from day one. It’s thrilling to see this new adventure come to life in a way that lights up everything fans of the franchise love about the series, while ushering in a new generation of players.”
The whimsical universe of Torchlight is back in Torchlight III! It’s been over a hundred years since the events of Torchlight II, where the great heroes of Torchlight defeated The Dark Alchemist and sealed the Netherlord’s heart inside the Clockwork Core. The heroes brought peace to the world of Novastraia, but now the Netherim have returned and the Ember Empire finds itself on the brink of collapse. To save Novastraia, players have to gather their wits and brave the frontier as they search for fame, glory and new adventures to become the legends the world needs them to be.
Before their epic quest begins, players must create their own hero by choosing between four distinct classes: Dusk Mage, Forged, Railmaster, and Sharpshooter, five powerful Relics and a pet to accompany them on their new adventure: a fluffy alpaca, a swift owl or a loyal canine retriever. With 20 class and Relic combinations — each offering a unique playstyle — and a wide range of choices of where to place skill points at, players have the power to be the hero they want to be.
Longtime Torchlight fans will be happy to discover that Torchlight III features the same signature gameplay mechanics that set the original series apart from other ARPGs, including satisfying hack’n’slash combat, a charming and vibrant world, both online 4-player cooperative multiplayer and offline single-player, plus the beloved pet system. Torchlight III also introduces new features, such as three epic acts, unique Relic subclasses, fully customizable forts and a challenging end-game experience in “Fazeer Shah’s Dun-Djinn.” In addition, the game includes a multi-tiered “Contracts” progression system that lets players earn Fame and unlock elite items, along with a myriad of quests and boss battles. All of these features contribute to the epic return of the iconic franchise and an even more accessible adventure for new Torchlight players.
Below is a detailed list of features for the full release of Torchlight III:
Travel the Frontier: Players can explore the wilderness, party with friends, gather materials to craft loot, use magical maps to enter unknown dungeons, or show off their spoils in town! There’s always something to do in the new frontier.
Build & Upgrade Your Fort: It’s time to rebuild! Players can enjoy their very own account-based fort, where they can upgrade gear, and make renovations to show it off to their friends and the world. The game allows them to build monuments of power, pet stables, and more!
Choose a Relic: Relics are objects of great power that grant players a suite of active skills and passive skills. Players must choose one of five of these at the beginning of their journey and use skill points to unlock or enhance their relic’s abilities. The relic is an important part of a character’s strategy – choose wisely!
Collect Epic Gear: Suit up in a robust variety of armor and weapons found across the frontier including charming hats, pet apparel, and unique locomotion options. Players can select from a wide array of weapons that suit their playstyle and class build. With over a hundred Legendary items, players can permanently acquire their special abilities in order to make themselves more unique and powerful.
Pets are Back: Players can fight their way to fame and glory with loyal companions! Each of the many species comes in a myriad of colors and styles so adventurers shouldn’t settle for the first one they find. They can make these trusty pets stronger by adding skills, equip them with gear to make them hardier, and together battle enemies as a team. Pets also have their own vast inventory for items, and players have the option to have their pets sell items directly in town.
Build Your Hero: With four classes to choose from, along with 20 class and Relic combinations — each combination offering a unique playstyle — and a wide range of choices of where to place skill points at, players can utilize class-specific mechanics to maximize damage and their odds of survival. Torchlight III lets them gather epic gear, select your Relic powers, and customize loadouts to create a unique combat style for their heroes.
Each version of Torchlight III comes with the following exclusive Fairy pet:
Steam: Violet Glittersprite
Xbox One: Verdant Glittersprite
PlayStation®4: Azure Glittersprite
Nintendo Switch: Ashen Glittersprite
Torchlight III features four diverse hero classes and five powerful relics with unique abilities and strengths:
Classes
The Dusk Mage is an enchanter who harnesses the power of light and dark energy to conjure devastating attacks.
The Forged is a powerful robot who relies on an arsenal of weaponry to build up heat and unleash explosive assaults.
The Railmaster is a locomotive-savvy powerhouse who steams into combat with a massive hammer and heavily armed battle train.
The Sharpshooter is a powerful and nimble ranged character who uses incredible skill with ranged weapons and magical trinkets to take on enemies from afar.
Relics
Bane – Summons a cluster of spiders and casts forth volleys of deadly poison.
Blood Drinker – Heals a player’s wounds while enemies bleed.
Coldheart – Controls crowds by freezing, slowing, or knocking back immoderate threats.
Electrode – Unleashes an unpredictable surge of electricity.
Flaming Destroyer – Consistently burns enemies and sets things ablaze.
Torchlight III is the latest successor to the ARPG cult classics, Torchlight I & II, originally developed by Runic Games. This fast-paced dungeon crawler brings fans back to the beloved Torchlight universe to hack and slash their way through a brand new world filled with hordes of goblins, undead and other dangerous Netherim creatures. Adventurers can party up with friends or venture into the vast wilderness alone, where they will find loot, explore dungeons, collect epic gear and build their very own fort to show off to the world. Torchlight III features four unique hero classes (Dusk Mage, Forged, Railmaster and Sharpshooter), plus a myriad of new and familiar combat pets to help players fight their way to fame and glory.
And here are some reviews for the game’s full release:
Echtra has put together a no-frills action/RPG with plenty of fun monster smashing, even if the approachable gameplay is not incredibly deep or complex.
Everything Torchlight III does, it does worse than one of its contemporaries. Primarily Diablo. While what is here looks good and plays fine, it’s repetitive and lacks the magic of games it shares a genre with. But all of that could’ve been forgiven if it had at least allowed me to suffer through it with a friend in local multiplayer, but it couldn’t even do that. If you get the urge to play Torchlight III, just play Diablo III instead.
Though the experience is hampered by bugs, glitches, and a few design issues, the snappy and moreish combat, the treasure trove of stats and skills, and the delightfully chaotic co-op play make Torchlight 3 a must-have for anyone looking for more ARPG goodness.
Torchlight 3 is a lighthearted, simple co-op ARPG that might provide some fun to casual ARPG players or serious fans of the series, but doesn’t do much else to justify its existence.
However, these little successes don’t fully make up for the game’s shallowness that probably will get you bored in a few hours. Torchlight 3 is not a bad game by any means, I just don’t see a point in playing it over the original or two.
Torchlight 3 will scratch any basic RPG itch for adventure, loot, and fantasy, but even with a heckin’ doggo sidekick at its side, it feels a bit too old-fashioned to stand out from the rest of the pack.
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Val Hull
Resident role-playing RPG game expert. Knows where trolls and paladins come from. You must fight for your right to gather your party before venturing forth.
