Runic Games has created a wonderful gem, fun, colorful, and never taking itself too seriously; Torchlight is a simple sometimes comical take on dungeon crawlers. In a genre that has been beaten to death, Torchlight is a refreshing diversion. Set in the mining town of Torchlight, there is something plaguing the mines and it’s up to someone to clear them out. With colorful scenery well illustrated throughout, and enemies that sometime border on the comical (not to mention they explode on a critical strike) Torchlight is a simple, purely entertaining game.
When you first start you have an opportunity to choose from three class types. Pretty standard fair for these types of games, a warrior type, the Destroyer, dual wielding and melee based. A range/rogue type, the Vanquisher, is most effective at range but is right at home being stealthy and setting traps. And last the magic caster, the Alchemist. You start by heading to the mine, at the entrance you come across Brink and Syl, after helping them defeat a few monsters, you are then commissioned to go into the mine and begin your quest.
There are a few things implemented in this game that differ from the average dungeon crawler. You have a pet that follows you around, either a dog or a cat; they are equipped with a pack and can carry gear and equipment for you. You can also send you pet to town to sell items for you thus eliminating the annoying town portal back and forth. Torchlight succeeds in the most basic of dungeon crawler aspects; it keeps you coming back for more. With a liberal item drop rate and seemingly never ending dungeons that are different with every play through, hours, even days will go by before you even know what happened. This is some of the most fun you can have for under $20’s, period.
Worth: Buying, steam occasionally puts it on sale for under $10, that’s a no brainer.
Did well: Colorful, entertaining, simple, the perfect time waster.
Did poorly: After 60 floors the dungeons feel slightly repetitive.
Would my wife sit and watch: Never, the one time I showed Torchlight to her she shook her head, mumbled something about “growing up” and walked away.