Runic reveals Torchlight sequel

By Robert Purchese Published 4 August, 2010

Has co-op, due spring 2011.

Runic Games has revealed Torchlight II, a sequel to last year's acclaimed Diablo-like action RPG.

This will be available as a digital download only in spring 2011.

Co-op is the biggest new feature. This uses a peer-to-peer system to hook friends up in endless randomised outdoor and indoor areas. There's no mention of the co-op player limit.

You'll create and customise a character this time, picking whether to be male or female, what you look like, and then which of the four classes you'd like to pursue (there were only three in the first game). You'll pick an animal companion, too, and they'll level up alongside you.

The interesting retirement ability is back, and allows high level characters to be permanently shelved in order to bestow benefits and perks on new characters.

The user interface has apparently been overhauled and, thank god, fishing has returned. Modding will also feature once more.

Check out Eurogamer's Torchlight review for an idea of what to expect.

A better name for a sequel is obviously Floodlight.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #1 2 years ago

    That trailer's for Torchlight 1, by the way.

  • Kain201 #2 2 years ago

    Here is the announcement, since it is not linked above.

  • linksdad #3 2 years ago

    It needs to be out before that ginger headed pubic hair-on-his-head cunt releases the next Diablo. They should be safe as long as there are no delays.

  • matrim83 #4 2 years ago

    ^^ GLOL @ the ginger headed.... :D

  • Vyggo #5 2 years ago

    I thought their next release would be a Torchlight MMo... This might be a better choice though.

  • ignatiusjreilly #6 2 years ago

    Yep, instabuy here. Co-op was all I needed to hear.

  • paketep #7 2 years ago

    Fantastic!

    Bye bye, Diablo 3. Hello, Torchlight 2 that includes LAN support.

  • Golgo #8 2 years ago

    I really enjoyed Torchlight, although the amount of item and weapon drops from enemies was a bit ridiculous. One 10 second battle could yield enough (largely useless) stuff to completely fill your and your pet's inventory, which would then require a few minutes to sort out. Hope they scale this back for the sequel a bit.

  • ignatiusjreilly #9 2 years ago

    Yeah, and maybe get rid of the reveal scrolls. They just made that issue even worse.

  • lordofthedunce #10 2 years ago

    ^^ Agree with both those comments.

    I also got to the point where I only needed to use one move to smash the crap out of any foe. Probably due to my own lack of imagination when killing but it's good to be encouraged to kill and maim in different ways.

  • sneetch #11 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly
    Yeah, and maybe get rid of the reveal scrolls. They just made that issue even worse.

    Sorry, do you mean identify scrolls? My poor doggy was run ragged trailing between town and the mines.

    Anyway, instabuy for me too, the first one was great fun and great value and co-op was the only feature I really missed in it.

    Although I would have preferred a (maybe optional) system like Rogue/Angband style where you have fully randomised dungeons each time you go up or down a level.

  • geeza2020 #12 2 years ago

    Is this going to be PC only? I bet this would sell like hot cakes on XBL/PSN.

  • jonbwfc #13 2 years ago

    You guys know you could buy an 'identify' spell, right?

    I'd go for a sequel, given a bit more variety. Despite the different skins there wasn't a whole lot of invention in the actual gameplay. Although I did like the graphic style and the story was well done.

  • Artemus #14 2 years ago

    Co-op + more Torchlight = win.

  • StarchildHypocrethes #15 2 years ago

    Super smashing great!

  • ignatiusjreilly #16 2 years ago

    You guys know you could buy an 'identify' spell, right?

    Only if you found it. I found it on my first playthrough, but two subsequent playthroughs (I know, I love this game) I never came across it again. In the end I just modded it in. But even with the spell it was just an entirely pointless extra 10 clicks when sorting through your inventory.

  • Kain201 #17 2 years ago

    runicgamesfansite.com released a Torchlight II FAQ

    Webbstre tweets that he will update the FAQ when new info arrives in the next few days.

    PCGamer.com has an interview with Max Schaefer and Travis Baldree about Torchlight II.
    Edited by Kain201 at 04/08/10 @ 17:46

  • Demiath #18 2 years ago

    This is good news, indeed. Or, as an unusually astute philosopher and fellow observer of human nature once put it; Hell fuckin' yeah, this shit's gonna rock!!

  • KDR_11k #19 2 years ago

    Identifying still takes a lot of time, whether by using scrolls or a spell. First you have to click on everything to identify it, then decide what's worth keeping and then dump the stuff you don't want. Just a massive waste of time and higher rarity items dropped way too often, in Diablo 2 it was an event when you found a rare item, Torchlight spits rares and uniques out like nobody's business.

  • Kami #20 2 years ago

    Still mess about on Torchlight. It's a pure game, and I love it deeply.

    Co-op? Mmm. Not 100% convinced but who knows, all I needed to know was that the sequel was on its way. Sold!

  • 5h1nj1 #21 2 years ago

    Torchlight was pretty neat but yes, item overflow was kinda a problem. Also, there was too much going on on the screen all the time. The effects were too big, I was often lost at what's what. Can't even begin to imagine what it would look like with more players on the screen at the same time.

  • UncleLou #22 2 years ago

    Also, there was too much going on on the screen all the time. The effects were too big, I was often lost at what's what.

    Yeah.

    It's a nice game and I still play it occasionally, but it also lacked balance, and all my warrior type ever does and needs to do (on "hard";) is use the same skill all the time. Would be nice if it required you use different skills/tactics from time to time.

  • Kami #23 2 years ago

    Well, when I found it too easy I ended up modding it, and I keep getting more and more out of it.

    I never once played Torchlight and thought "This could be improved with co-op" though. I don't think Torchlight is supposed to be a hard game, it's supposed to be pure enjoyment and that's what I get from it every single time. Challenge isn't necessary when you have dungeons that go on as long as they do, you just need to do the approach that it does - throw everything at you!

  • hypersp #24 2 years ago

    They should of really of waited and released torchlight 1 with multiplayer support, I guess they didn’t realise how well it would do. But this is a huge plus for me; I just hope it doesn’t come out with diablo 3.