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Torchlight

EMAIL PRINT pc

9.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 36 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 124 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Runic Games

Developer: Runic Games

Genre(s): Action, Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: RP (Rating Pending)

Release Date: October 27, 2009

Summary

Ember is the essence of magic and the keystone of alchemy; it lures the restless with promises of power and riches. Miners burrowed deep beneath the dirt streets of Torchlight, discovering veins of the ore richer than any found in living memory- but they were not the first to covet these mines. The miners from Torchlight broke through into the buried past, a dangerous labyrinth of caverns and ruined civilizations, twisted creatures and the bones of those who came before. Evil bubbles up from the depths and threatens to overrun Torchlight as it has so many others. The heart of a villain has infused the Ember, and his darkness seeps through the veins. [Runic Games]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GameShark

You may not have heard of it, but you owe it to yourself to play this game.

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100

1UP

Even without multiplayer, Torchlight makes for a remarkably entertaining 10 to 15 hours, with plenty more custom content to come thanks to the powerful game editor TorchED, which you can download free of charge. Even if you aren't waiting impatiently for Diablo III, Torchlight's a great value at a mere $20.

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My Gamer

The game is simply worth it, and PC gamers should definitely check it out.

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GamingExcellence

Torchlight doesn't really do anything new, per se. It's taken the dungeon-crawling genre and refined it to its best elements.

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Gaming Nexus

A fantastic action RPG for a bargain price. This is exactly what indie titles should be.

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Gamers' Temple

Some gamers may be disappointed to hear that there's no multiplayer option in the game, but there's so much fun to be had in the dark reaches under Torchlight that you won't really mind.

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GamePro

With fast-paced combat, a distinct atmosphere, a variety of options to help you explore the dungeons, and a recession-friendly $20 price, Torchlight is a wonderful choice for gamers looking to tide them over until Diablo 3. Just don't be surprised if you find this appetizer to be just as satisfying as a full meal.

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DarkStation

Torchlight is a great downloadable title that should not be missed by anyone who enjoyed the Diablo titles, or anyone looking to get into the game type because they will have a lot of fun with this game.

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Armchair Empire

In the end, Torchlight is a very solid dungeon exploring action RPG.

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RPGamer

With phenomenal music and great art direction, combined with an addictive combat system, it's hard to step away from the keyboard and mouse after the first floor.

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PC Gamer UK

An addictive, attractive, thoughtfully made dungeon crawler. But it could have taken some risks. [Christmas 2009, p.114]

Cheat Code Central

Runic hasn't dumbed down the experience, they've removed the fluff and distilled it down to the truly fun parts. Add in a few innovations and what you've got is Torchlight; a game that raises the expectations for dungeon-crawling action RPGs by being not just fine-tuned but affordable as well.

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Game Informer

The core of the game is its combat and character progression, and both of those are outstanding. Torchlight might not be breaking any new ground, but the soul of Diablo hasn't been so ably captured in years. You won't find much that approaches Torchlight's worth at its $20 price point.

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HellBored

It’s extremely easy to sit down intending to play for a few minutes, only to look up and see that two hours has gone by. The few balance and graphical issues really don’t detract that much from what is as solid a first release as you could hope for from a new company. Torchlight is ambitious, well-executed and, most of all, some of the best fun PC gamers can get for the price.

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Gamers.at

Torchlight is a surprise hit. Despite boring surroundings and few heroes the game is a lot of fun.

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IGN

The graphics are great, the music engrossing, and the gameplay addictive. While the lack of multiplayer at first tastes bitter, the single-player campaign more than makes up for it, as you really have little to lose at the meager asking price of $20.

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Strategy Informer

Torchlight should hold a vast amount of appeal for many people. If you’ve been weaned on the likes of WoW and want something to take on the road: this is for you; and if you fell in love with Diablo or Titan Quest and want to sample the likely direction in which Diablo III will head: don’t hesitate, just buy. In fact, that holds true for all of you. Stop reading this, and go support one of the best PC games you’ll play this year.

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Gamervision

No matter what people call it, the game is a simple, masterfully crafted title that shouldn’t be ignored, and with the incredibly well optimized system specifications, a $20 price tag, and an imminent OSX port, it’s a game that should be purchased by anyone with a working mouse. God knows you’ll need it.

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Gamer Limit

With great combat, superb artwork, and an astounding soundtrack, Torchlight is a very solid experience. But the lack of multiplayer prevents it from being truly excellent.

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PC Games (Germany)

Fast, intuitive, colourful fun! The best singleplayer Diablo clone in years!

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GameTrailers

Torchlight applies a smooth and modern design to a time-tested concept. The result is successfully crafted and eminently playable dungeon crawler at the attractive price of 20 bucks. The one downer is the puzzling lack of online play.

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Gamer.nl

Torchlight is the ultimate rival for Diablo. The game doesn't introduce something new to the genre, but that's forgiven by the atmosphere it provides and the Blizzard-like level of polish. Thanks to its small price tag and the addictive nature of the game, it comes highly recommended for everyone.

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SpazioGames

Torchlight isn't the average Diablo clone. Developed by some of the guys behind the first to chapters of the original game, this is more likely a brilliant tribute to the king of the genre. Some flaws, like the lack of any kind of multiplayer and a mild difficulty level, won't spoil hours and hours of slashing fun, given away at a great price. Don't forget the editor, which is already giving its first results. If you're a genre fan don't miss this one.

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Game Over Online

Torchlight is proof positive that it’s often the simplest games that can be the most addictive.

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GameStar

Torchlight is not just a clone of Diablo, it's a very good clone of Diablo, offered at a very low price. The game feels like a modern remake of Diablo, which is no big surprise, because it has been developed by former Blizzard employees Max and Erich Schaefer. The gameplay is so smooth it makes other games feel like work.

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GameSpot

Torchlight is a great dungeon crawler with enjoyable combat and an excellent loot system.

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GameSpy

At twenty dollars, Torchlight is a remarkable value.

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Everyeye.it

Torchlight is good hack and slash game, a very nice Diablo, WoW and Fate mix with a solid gameplay. A must buy for all the dungeon crawler fans and all the peoples who are waiting the next Blizzard masterpiece, Diablo 3.

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3DJuegos

Torchlight is a big surprise with a great work in gameplay, graphics and value. Runic triumphs with its debut because of an addictive proposal and engaging dungeon bash gameplay.

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Giant Bomb

For the price, there's a huge value here. It's a great start for Runic.

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Eurogamer

Even though there is nothing new or truly unique about Torchlight, nothing at all, that it so confidently and prettily takes the fight to Blizzard is an enormous compliment about how well put-together this is.

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Eurogamer Italy

Someone could call it a “Diablo clone”, but truth is that it's the real Diablo's son we've been waiting for a long time. Respectful of its parents, Torchlight creates a lovely experience through sparkling landscapes, giving new life to the “mouse smashing gameplay”. Its simplicity is worth its weight in gold.

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Multiplayer.it

A dungeon crawl like we haven't seen for so long: tons of enemies, loot and hours of fun. It won't be liked by anyone and the lack of a multiplayer mode is a shame, but a lot of gamers will like this Diablo 2 and Fate clone.

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PC Zone UK

It ticks all the boxes that a loot lover could possibly want. [Jan 2010, p.80]

ImpulseGamer

I do recommend this game to those that simply love the traditional role-playing story. I also suggest it as a good starter game for those who have just been introduced to the genre and aren’t quite ready for the over elaborate UI systems that most RPGs tend to have.

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LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Maybe a too cautious imitation of Diablo which brings the same amount of enemy-infested, randomly generated levels as its paragon. A major flaw of Torchlight is the absence of a multiplayer mode. [Dec 2009]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 124 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Nathaniel J gave it a9:
This has to be the best dungeon crawler I've played in a while! The skill system and character sheet are perfectly customizable as for what kind fighting style you enjoy. When I first started my character I was thinking "Crap, there's only three classes to choose from. This will be way too linear." But I was wrong. Yes, you can choose from only three classes but the classes are just as general as whether you want to play a melee, range, or caster. The skill tree and character sheet give you full choice of how you want to melee, range, or cast. This game gives you all of the features you would expect from a hack and slash RPG, and it is definitely worth the money!

Saint A gave it a9:
Excellent Diablo-type action RPG. Innovative pet system is entertaining as well as useful - no more running to town to dump/sell stuff every 15 minutes. The graphics are cartoony but that's not a bad thing. The look is very polished but it still runs smoothly on lots of hardware. Excellent music and sound effects will be nostalgic for veterans of the genre. Negative - cannot tell when certain buffs end - the lack of visual clutter is a nice change of pace, but sometimes you need to know when your pet's transform buff is going to end. Loading screens provide no hint as to the load progress - at first I thought the game had frozen.

Josh F gave it an8:
I've just spent a good few hours playing the demo on Steam with all 3 classes and it's been a very enjoyable experience, it's a game that's easy to get in to and will appeal to newcomers to this style of game. It instantly comes to mind as being a great spiritual successor to Diablo with it's style of play, the graphics are just charming with plenty of blood mixed in. Although one complaint, this might just be my mouse, I found combat with ranged weapons awkward when an enemy suddenly moved and I clicked on where they were standing and moved there instead of attacking. All in all a great taste of what's to come.

Simon gave it an8:
The good: The combat is very fun and well-done. The art is cool. Sounds are great. There are some great characters, like the robot bard. The bad: It seems way too easy, at least on normal mode - nothing at all gives me a challenge, even big bosses (they die very quickly). A roomful of enemies dies in seconds (I have a level 23 alchemist). It's all one big dungeon: There's no sense of traveling through a world, like you get in D2. You just do the levels one after another. The story is quite weak. You go into this dungeon... for some reason... and then you learn that there's an evil power, and you really should do something about that ancient evil shouldn't you! The battles get very chaotic later on and it can be hard sometimes to differentiate friend from foe. It's hard to enjoy the nice artwork from the zoomed-out view and with the enemies dying so fast. Overall, very fun game, but it doesn't try to be anything more than a fun action RPG. I'm excited to try out the editor but haven't yet.

swamp t gave it a10:
Torchlight is an excellent action rpg! The combat is smooth, fulfilling, and addicting. When you're not in combat, you spend most of your time determining the best equipment for your player, which in turn, means to more fun in combat. Did I mention that it's fun killing thousands of creatures in this game? Fun, addicting, beautiful, and can't wait for the MMO.

John B gave it a9:
This game is just wonderful. Very simple to pick up and play, and very engrossing, even for experienced ARPG players. The art direction is fantastic, the monsters are unique and character progression is VERY satisfying. Loot is awesome as well, you never feel like you're getting shafted with garbage drop after garbage drop. After only 5 minutes of playing you won't be able to tear yourself away from the computer! Excellent value for $20, I would personally be willing to pay full PC price for this game at $50.

Xiru gave it a9:
This game, above all, is a Diablo clone. This of course doesn't mean it's bad. On the contrary, it takes the basic formula and greatly improves on it. Although the voice acting is flat in places and the skill trees are slightly repetitive, fans of the genre should be able to enjoy the best Diablo clone since Titan Quest.

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