Torchlight II is one of those wildly popular Steam games which hardly requires any introduction for fans of isometric-style action RPG's. Developed by Runic Games in 2012 as a more polished and refined version of its previous incarnation (Torchlight), it is widely hailed and beloved by scores of fanatical gamers (well over 3 million+) for its many favorable similarities to the equally popular Diablo series.

The true hallmark of this title however, is that the sprawling world it offers to you on a very reasonably priced silver platter is a gorgeously inviting one awaiting to be explored to its fullest....tempting you with countless secrets to uncover & treasures to collect. In fact there is more loot to be found hidden within its myriad of locations than you could possibly wrap your mind around. It's easily one of those gems with which you can sink hundreds of hours into, since it offers level randomization for enhanced replayability inside of its open world system...one which includes weather as well as day/night cycles incidentally.


Featuring a very tight local + online co-op mode (in addition to solo offline play), you'll soon notice that you will be introduced to a diverse bounty of seemingly never-ending quests & side-quests given to you by those who require your assistance in one way or another. And fortunately, you'll have a ferocious pet by your side to help out in battle as needed, one who even possesses its own inventory!

In addition to the exploration and loot collecting, your primary objective will be to battle against a wide assortment of variously menacing monsters as you gradually level up your character with more skills, gold, and gear during this compelling campaign. Action is very fluid, brisk, and energetic...with a satisfying number of both weapon upgrades and weapon types (including melee & guns) to keep you more than entertained.

Both your mana (ie. energy) and health bars will be depleted during combat, and must be replenished as necessary with collected vials which can be used up at any time.

Character customization is present, although somewhat limited and basic in scope I felt. It's probably the most glaring aspect of the game which could have been improved further still. Nonetheless, it is still present at least, and you'll have your choice of either male/female characters spread across 4 distinct classes: Embermage, Outlander, Berserker, Engineer.

Level design was quite impressive & varied in an overall sense, with some specific areas like the dungeons being especially atmospheric. It was quite a joy for me to explore every single nook & cranny of each individual section traversed as I hunted around for items to collect between waves of enemies....who themselves were sufficiently unique enough throughout the campaign so as to not feel repetitious in any way.

There is just so very much to do in the game, and even after investing a few quality hours into it, there was an undeniable feeling that I've still only barely scratched the surface as to what awaits me further into its story.


What I especially appreciated about the presentation, is that this world is surprisingly vibrant in color as opposed to being dreary & muted looking in appearance as some other such similar games are. Which is then reinforced furthermore by the distinctly cartoon-style graphics found here. This in turn is all neatly tied together by a very well-done lighting system which somehow breathes a sense of intriguing realism into this magical place. All in all, it is quite pleasant on the eyes and sports a unique charm to it. And best of all, there are an ample number of graphics options available for fine-tuning your display preferences.


Voice acting was definitely above par, and sounded quite slick for the many varied characters present. (Although at times I felt that your character's obsession with his depleted mana levels was a bit overly-repetitive!). Whereas music itself was mellow & symphonic in nature...wonderfully balancing out the mood of each particular scene in an appropriate manner. And finally, sound effects were more than adequate in accomplishing their task of enhancing immersion...especially so with delightful effects such as thunder reverberating through the rainy night, for example.


It fully is, and includes both trading cards and a whopping 119 achievements to be unlocked.


None available.


The vast collection of available mods via the Steam Workshop is where this game truly shines like no other. There are literally hundreds of them to choose from in every possible category imaginable, and quite honestly you could find pretty much anything your little heart desires here.


Torchlight II has to be one of the best values out there in ARPG's...because while it only costs a fraction of what its pricier triple-A competitors do, it nonetheless very much competes as one, and more importantly, feels like one with its overhauled & redesigned user-interface which was a breeze to use. Accessibility is fantastic here as well, showcasing a streamlined and mostly straight-forward character leveling system which I greatly appreciated. Because being hopelessly confused inside of skill trees is not my personal idea of a fun time, and here, they most certainly get it right in steering the focus onto actual gameplay instead.

And along with its multiple difficulty settings, just about anyone can enjoy what it has to offer...from the very casual side of the spectrum for those who simply wish to explore its scenery, all the way up to the no-nonsense hardcore setting for those veterans out there who wish to master its more subtle nuances.

All in all, Torchlight II has underwent quite a lot of refinement to date, and runs at fantastic framerates even on less than cutting-edge hardware.

But most of all, this is an exciting world to step inside of and one which you can very much have a great time with since there is always something interesting to do along with an accompanying sense of accomplishment felt as each goal is successfully completed...and that is why...

I'll gladly rate this one a 9/10


- Many hours of fun with lots to do and much to explore
- Impressively designed & vast isometric world with vibrantly colorful aesthetics
- Wonderfully implemented dynamic zoom camera
- Nice selection of weapons + gear
- Can play as both male or female
- Great value for the purchase price
- Rebindable keys
- Impressive amount of adjustable graphics options
- Local/online co-op + offline single-player
- Steam achievements + trading cards
- Countless mods available via the Steam Workshop


- Character customization system could be more robust
- Some of the character speech is repeated a bit too often

For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com

[h1]What Is Torchlight II?[/h1] Torchlight II is one of those wildly popular Steam games which hardly requires any introduction for fans of isometric-style action RPG's. Developed by Runic Games in 2012 as a more polished and refined version of its previous incarnation (Torchlight), it is widely hailed and beloved by scores of fanatical gamers (well over 3 million+) for its many favorable similarities to the equally popular Diablo series. The true hallmark of this title however, is that the sprawling world it offers to you on a very reasonably priced silver platter is a gorgeously inviting one awaiting to be explored to its fullest....tempting you with countless secrets to uncover & treasures to collect. In fact there is more loot to be found hidden within its myriad of locations than you could possibly wrap your mind around. It's easily one of those gems with which you can sink hundreds of hours into, since it offers level randomization for enhanced replayability inside of its open world system...one which includes weather as well as day/night cycles incidentally. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Featuring a very tight local + online co-op mode (in addition to solo offline play), you'll soon notice that you will be introduced to a diverse bounty of seemingly never-ending quests & side-quests given to you by those who require your assistance in one way or another. And fortunately, you'll have a ferocious pet by your side to help out in battle as needed, one who even possesses its own inventory! In addition to the exploration and loot collecting, your primary objective will be to battle against a wide assortment of variously menacing monsters as you gradually level up your character with more skills, gold, and gear during this compelling campaign. Action is very fluid, brisk, and energetic...with a satisfying number of both weapon upgrades and weapon types (including melee & guns) to keep you more than entertained. Both your mana (ie. energy) and health bars will be depleted during combat, and must be replenished as necessary with collected vials which can be used up at any time. Character customization is present, although somewhat limited and basic in scope I felt. It's probably the most glaring aspect of the game which could have been improved further still. Nonetheless, it is still present at least, and you'll have your choice of either male/female characters spread across 4 distinct classes: Embermage, Outlander, Berserker, Engineer. Level design was quite impressive & varied in an overall sense, with some specific areas like the dungeons being especially atmospheric. It was quite a joy for me to explore every single nook & cranny of each individual section traversed as I hunted around for items to collect between waves of enemies....who themselves were sufficiently unique enough throughout the campaign so as to not feel repetitious in any way. There is just so very much to do in the game, and even after investing a few quality hours into it, there was an undeniable feeling that I've still only barely scratched the surface as to what awaits me further into its story. [h1]Graphics[/h1] What I especially appreciated about the presentation, is that this world is surprisingly vibrant in color as opposed to being dreary & muted looking in appearance as some other such similar games are. Which is then reinforced furthermore by the distinctly cartoon-style graphics found here. This in turn is all neatly tied together by a very well-done lighting system which somehow breathes a sense of intriguing realism into this magical place. All in all, it is quite pleasant on the eyes and sports a unique charm to it. And best of all, there are an ample number of graphics options available for fine-tuning your display preferences. [h1]Audio[/h1] Voice acting was definitely above par, and sounded quite slick for the many varied characters present. (Although at times I felt that your character's obsession with his depleted mana levels was a bit overly-repetitive!). Whereas music itself was mellow & symphonic in nature...wonderfully balancing out the mood of each particular scene in an appropriate manner. And finally, sound effects were more than adequate in accomplishing their task of enhancing immersion...especially so with delightful effects such as thunder reverberating through the rainy night, for example. [h1]Steamified?[/h1] It fully is, and includes both trading cards and a whopping 119 achievements to be unlocked. [h1]DLC[/h1] None available. [h1]Mods[/h1] The vast collection of available mods via the Steam Workshop is where this game truly shines like no other. There are literally hundreds of them to choose from in every possible category imaginable, and quite honestly you could find pretty much anything your little heart desires here. [h1]Verdict - 9/10[/h1] Torchlight II has to be one of the best values out there in ARPG's...because while it only costs a fraction of what its pricier triple-A competitors do, it nonetheless very much competes as one, and more importantly, feels like one with its overhauled & redesigned user-interface which was a breeze to use. Accessibility is fantastic here as well, showcasing a streamlined and mostly straight-forward character leveling system which I greatly appreciated. Because being hopelessly confused inside of skill trees is not my personal idea of a fun time, and here, they most certainly get it right in steering the focus onto actual gameplay instead. And along with its multiple difficulty settings, just about anyone can enjoy what it has to offer...from the very casual side of the spectrum for those who simply wish to explore its scenery, all the way up to the no-nonsense hardcore setting for those veterans out there who wish to master its more subtle nuances. All in all, Torchlight II has underwent quite a lot of refinement to date, and runs at fantastic framerates even on less than cutting-edge hardware. But most of all, this is an exciting world to step inside of and one which you can very much have a great time with since there is always something interesting to do along with an accompanying sense of accomplishment felt as each goal is successfully completed...and that is why... I'll gladly rate this one a 9/10 [h1]Pros:[/h1] - Many hours of fun with lots to do and much to explore - Impressively designed & vast isometric world with vibrantly colorful aesthetics - Wonderfully implemented dynamic zoom camera - Nice selection of weapons + gear - Can play as both male or female - Great value for the purchase price - Rebindable keys - Impressive amount of adjustable graphics options - Local/online co-op + offline single-player - Steam achievements + trading cards - Countless mods available via the Steam Workshop [h1]Cons:[/h1] - Character customization system could be more robust - Some of the character speech is repeated a bit too often For similar reviews and great giveaways please visit http://www.steamified.com