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Do you commit to a lightning build that utilizes the full spell set, or do you handicap some of your options in favour of adding a few crowd-controlling ice spells to your repertoire? Questions like these will be frequently asked early on, especially given how a sense of permanence is rapidly introduced because you’re only allowed to refund the last three skill points you invested. You’ll never have enough skill points to fill all the trees, so you have to make some hard choices. You’re given a skill point to invest in one of three separate paths every time you level up, and how you choose to mix and match the skills as you progress will lead to some rapidly divergent gameplay opportunities.įor example, the Embermage class can choose between fire, ice, and lightning magic, each of which contain myriad spells with plenty of utility. It may seem like four classes is a little light on gameplay variety, but the enhanced depth offered via the skill trees is where the real diversity in multiple runs comes out. There are four different classes to pick from at the outset of a playthrough, each with their own distinct playstyles and skill trees, and you can pick a pet companion to assist in battle and perform ‘grocery runs’ for you (more on that in a bit). Plus, at the occasional important story beat, cutscenes animated by none other than Klei Entertainment (the studio behind Don’t Starve and Mark of the Ninja) will make an appearance, providing a nice break in the action as you're provided with a short, well-directed sequence. A heightened focus on narrative would only serve as a distraction to pull you out of the gameplay loop, and Runic Games has done an excellent job of finding that perfect balance in which you’re given just enough information for the next mission to feel purposeful, before the plot steps out of the way and lets you get back to the monster mashing.
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As a new hero, it’s your responsibility to get to the bottom of what caused the Alchemist to turn and to ultimately put a stop to the villain’s nefarious ways, while also doing what you can to help the people that have been affected.Īs far as RPG stories go, the plot of Torchlight II is about as basic as it gets, mostly just there to provide context for the adventures you’ll soon find yourself participating in, but this isn’t necessarily a negative.
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The story picks up a few years after the first Torchlight, opening up with a scene in which the Alchemist – one of the playable classes in the first game – has become corrupted by an evil energy from the Heart of Ordrak, destroyed the town of Torchlight, and embarked on a path of destruction across the world.
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