One of the ways ARPGs make character choice matter is with restrictions on weapons and armor, and by gating the player with stats that focus on their strengths. Not unlike its predecessors, the game features a central hub and youвЂ™ll push through 30 or so main areas, and innumerable little side jaunts punctuated by boss fights and frequent trips to town to sell off the cartloads of loot youвЂ™ll collect on the way. To say that Torchlight III is light on story would be an understatement. After two hours I turned to her and said вЂњOkвЂ¦so whatвЂ™s the story of this game? Why are we doing any of this?вЂќ We agreed that monsters are bad, and gathering resources and gold to fill out our base and buy fresh loot seemed to be the real drivers. My wife and I set out on our adventure, me as a Railmaster, and her as a Sharpshooter. These buddies are far from the only choices youвЂ™ll have as you play, so donвЂ™t agonize over it too much. With your characterвЂ™s looks, skills, and difficulty selected, youвЂ™ll also choose your first pet - a golden retriever, an owl, or an alpaca. These affect your chances of getting better gear, how fast monsters move, and how effective your potions are. A system that was meant to differentiate the classes instead pulls the needle so far towards вЂњflexibleвЂќ that it becomes somewhat arbitrary.ДЄt the outset, you can select from five difficulty levels from Practice to Ridiculous. It also means if you team up with three other people, odds are good youвЂ™ll be seeing these same powers frequently. These five relics provide much of the major powers youвЂ™ll unleash on your foes, meaning youвЂ™ll be seeing these powers regardless of which class youвЂ™ve picked. Supposedly these are all associated with a specific weapon type, but I never saw any effect that would prove that out.

Coldheart, Electrode, and Flaming Destroyer align with cold, electrical, and fire damage, respectively. Bane focuses on poison, Blood Drinker is all about leeching health. With your character class selected you will then choose from five relics that will provide your secondary powers. The Railmaster can also wield massive two-handed weapons, making them dangerous in their own right. Each car can be equipped with different modules like shield generators and mortars. How does that play into Torchlight III? Well, Railmasters can call forth a literal train that will lay tracks and follow them around. Railmaster is easily the most unique of the four classes. They are a fantastic all-arounder, though they have to manage their heat levels lest their powers go inactive for a period of time. They feature a chest cannon capable of holding off enemies from afar, can wield every weapon, and pick up damaging AoE effects pretty early. Ultimately, if youвЂ™ve played a wizard or archer in just about any game, you have an idea of whatвЂ™s going on here.ДЇorged are steam-powered modular robots capable of swapping out just about every part of their body. They have an ammo counter that slowly reloads over time in place of a mana pool. Sharpshooters are exactly what the name suggests, focusing on ranged weapons and picking off foes at a distance. Dark energies push in the opposite direction, with enemy debuffs and increased damage, but at greater mana cost. Light energies boost mana regeneration and generally unleash attacks that help you buff your friends or deal holy damage.

The developers have given us four new classes to play, so why donвЂ™t we get a closer look at these new protagonists?Дusk Mages are spellcasters, as the name would suggest, balancing light and dark energies. Selecting from four characters, you set out on an adventure with up to three friends, or flying entirely solo, as you collect loot and defend the world from a brand new threat. Torchlight III, like its predecessors, is an action RPG. Excitement restored! LetвЂ™s head back to the world of Novastraia and see whatвЂ™s new. Fast forward to a few months ago when I heard that Echtra Games had changed the gameвЂ™s name from Torchlight Frontiers to Torchlight III, and that they were rebuilding it into a fully-featured release with all the trimmings. He then immediately dropped my excitement down a mineshaft when he then told me how it was free-to-play and riddled with microtransactions. I wasnвЂ™t aware that the game was even on the horizon and, given the number of hours IвЂ™ve sunk into its predecessors, I was all sorts of excited. I remember riding in a car headed to a gaming event talking to some fellow press members when one of them casually mentioned that he was playing Torchlight: Frontiers.

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