Torchlight II Previews
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Co-Optimus starts us off:
Full mod tools are once again being supported. These are the same tools Runic is using to create the game and they will be released with the title so players can change just about anything they want. Because of the multiplayer aspect of the game, Runic will separate online play into "the wild west" and "standard" so players can enjoy the game however they see fit.
Before I knew it 20 minutes had passed, we had conquered a boss who loved a teddy bear, killed hundreds of skeletons and other enemies and collected countless amounts of gold. The demo had ended and I was yearning for more. There were so many little touches that brought the game to life - enemies climb up the sides, come off walls or through the ground. Small detailed objects litter the world giving it character. Pets make a return though the final count isn't set, our demo was played with a ferret by our side.
VGRevolution chimes in, too:
Even while using a completely new character class Torchlight II feels familiar with fighting and controls working like they did in Torchlight. I'm glad to see that Runic did not change things that worked well but instead are focusing their efforts into making new content and making tweaks to improve the main mechanics of the game.
While all of the spells and abilities have not been completely set yet Runic did confirm that they will function like they did in Torchlight. You can still assign a couple spells to your pet and set your abilities and spells up as you prefer for your character. The exact structure of the skill tree has not be finalized yet either but we will be seeing roughly the same number of abilities and options as we have in Torchlight. Runic recognizes that most gamers find a couple main abilities they prefer for their character and use them the most. Because of this they are making some tweaks to make the other abilities more useful and enjoyable. Like the abilities the pets have not yet been announced for Torchlight II. During my play time my pet was a mongoose/honey badger, but Runic did confirm that pet may not make the final cut for the game's release.
And then Ars Technica brings us to a close:
LAN play has been confirmed, so you'll be able to get together with a group of friends and play the game without an Internet connection. It may seem like a small thing, but LAN play is enough to make sure the game gets on the rotation of fans who get together physically to play the game. There will also be no arguments over loot during play: when a monster is destroyed, each player only sees the loot that they can pick up items that work with their character. No more rushing for high-level items or players annoyed that they didn't get anything good during a play session.
Of course, all these details can be changed once the mods start coming out, but the amount of spit and polish is already impressive. Co-op, LAN play, new classes and enemies, and a price tag that will be between $20 and $30? Count me in.
