Torchlight III Reviews
A simple and no-frills action/RPG that ticks all the boxes, so you can keep clicking the monsters.
If you are new to the Torchlight franchise then Torchlight III is an excellent jumping on point. At $30 it's a great binge game to play with friends while we all wait on the next-gen onslaught that's just around the corner. But, if you're a hardcore ARPG fan looking for something deeper then you may be better served elsewhere, namely by Torchlight II.
Torchlight III is a totally adequate action RPG and absolutely feels like a new Torchlight game. Anyone worried about weird, holdover free to play elements or significant jank from the project changing directions needn’t be worried.
Torchlight 3 will scratch any basic RPG itch for adventure, loot, and fantasy, but even with a heckin' doggo sidekick at its side, it feels a bit too old-fashioned to stand out from the rest of the pack.
The gameplay design of Torchlight III is fun and motivating, but it has some deeper flaws that need to be addressed. Players must have a balance of difficulty and challenge. Giving players too much advantage at the beginning and overpowering them will not benefit the longevity of the game. If you need proof, go look at Bungie's Destiny 2, which is struggling to maintain challenging content, while believing that making players 'grind' for shoddy rewards is the right solution for the issue. Finding that balance of building up a character properly and delivering difficulty and challenging enemies along the way is what other action RPGs, like Diablo, classics. Echtra Games did a great job with the initial groundwork of Torchlight III's gameplay design, but it needs a bit more balance in some backend areas.
Torchlight III is a great entry in the series as it doesn’t explicitly try to be exactly like its predecessors. Instead, it attempts to do new things using classes and relics to personalize the adventure along with a few accessible leveling systems and skill trees. It all works for the most part, but it’s a design that doesn’t allow for the deepest amount of customization. Sure, building a fort and collecting loot with my friends is fun, but there has to be some balance and short term goals that make each level up and new area discovered worth it.
While I understand those less than impressed, I still really enjoy Torchlight III. I feel if the game had stuck with its original title, reception would have been totally different. As it stands, it feels like this weird hybrid game, with elements of both Frontiers and a proper Torchlight III haphazardly mashed together.
Torchlight III is an enjoyable game but is also a bit more simplified than the previous entry in the series. While the Relic system brings some new ways to customize your character, the lack of a regular flowing of skill trees and spending stat points makes it seem like you can't quite customize your character as much as you'd like with stats being tied into your gear. The new fort system is nice but I really only found myself using it to stash gear I wanted to keep and to swap out pets. Overall while I did enjoy my time with Torchlight III, it felt like a downgrade from Torchlight II and fans of the series might want to wait a bit before picking this one up.
Torchlight III builds on the previous game's good gameplay, but the overall experience feels uninspired. A bit too many technical problems aren't helping, too.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Torchlight 3 suffers from the decisions made in its development. It is a good ARPG but does not stand out at all.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Though the experience is hampered by bugs, glitches, and a few design issues, the snappy and moreish combat, the treasure trove of stats and skills, and the delightfully chaotic co-op play make Torchlight 3 a must-have for anyone looking for more ARPG goodness.
Still even with these shortcomings Torchlight III is a solid ARPG that will please anyone who decides to take the plunge. I enjoyed the hours I got from it, and loved playing with friends online. I had a hard time coming back to it regularly like other titles such as Diablo III and Path of Exile, which is not good considering how old those games are.
Though it has fun gameplay and unique character classes, Torchlight III doesn't do much to progress the franchise to attract a new audience.
Torchlight III is the sort of game that we can only describe as genre filler. It does absolutely everything that you would expect of an ARPG, and it often does these things extremely well, but it also doesn't do anything particularly interesting or revelatory. Those of you that love a good ARPG will find plenty to love here, then, just don't come into it expecting to be blown away by anything on offer. And while we'd sooner recommend that interested newcomers jump on Diablo III for their first experience, it's pretty tough to go wrong with Torchlight III. Despite some of its shortcomings, Torchlight III is a rewarding experience that we'd say is certainly worth your time.
Enjoyment hinges on what you're looking for in an RPG. If you want a great story that has tons of metrics to pay attention to, this really isn't that. Torchlight III is essentially a basic RPG that has a lot of extras if that is your thing, behind engaging gameplay. What makes more to you will differ but if you really just want to run around killing stuff, it's a good choice.
Torchlight III doesn't bring anything new to the looter dungeon crawler and that's okay.
Developer Echtra Games and publisher Perfect World Entertainment have released Torchlight III. The game has a lot going for it, from its stylized graphics to the overall feel of combat. But it is currently missing a spark that the previous two entries in the series captured.
Torchlight 3 is the best game in the series, but the new additions may not be worth the hefty asking price.
Torchlight III is not the best game in the franchise and appears in a very simplified way, mainly in its gameplay. The changes were notable during the development of the title and it is an experience that falls short of its predecessor. However, it is still fun enough to guarantee a few hours of entertainment.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall, I have to say Torchlight III is in an ok-ish place right now. Torchlight III has the potential to be a great ARPG like Diablo III or Path of Exile, but right now it does need a bit more polish.