User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2097 Ratings

User score distribution:

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  1. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Tons of content, fun rewarding loot system, fun character and skill design and a wealth of secrets and explorable content all for $20 great work runic!
  2. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Phenomenal. Gamers have been waiting for a game exactly like this for faaaar too long. Where Diablo 3 poured water on all of our inner Action-RPG flame, Torchlight II sparked a fire that will spread like a forest fire and burn like the sun in the hearts of passionate Ex-Diablo gamers for many suns, and many moons. All hail Torchlight II and the heaven-sent guys (and gals) at Runic whoPhenomenal. Gamers have been waiting for a game exactly like this for faaaar too long. Where Diablo 3 poured water on all of our inner Action-RPG flame, Torchlight II sparked a fire that will spread like a forest fire and burn like the sun in the hearts of passionate Ex-Diablo gamers for many suns, and many moons. All hail Torchlight II and the heaven-sent guys (and gals) at Runic who created it. Fanboy-ism aside, truely this team knows how to create a magic even Blizzard is blind to these days. Diablo II may have finally, AT LAST ~ met it's maker... Expand
  3. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    The best game in 2012, it's amazing that this game is only 20$ and give me more happiness than Diablo 3. Sorry, I can't even compare with Diablo 3, its unfair, this game is more great in 1 hour than Diablo 3 in 60 hours. OMG, i cant wait to play this game today.
    The characters is great, the power and magic is great, the itens area great(sword, shotgun, pistol, etc)

    I LOVE THIS GAME
  4. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Made by the folks who know how to make ARPGs (D1 & D2) Torchlight 2 is the living successor to these games (unlike one which shares the same name). It keeps to the tradition of action role playing games and absolutely delivers. If you are looking for an ARPG that has a loot and game play system derived on fun rather than a real money auction house, this is the game for you.
  5. Dec 28, 2012
    10
    I can't really properly put down what this game makes me feel I'm just going to have to do my best but frankly, it's hard for me to really get into it at length because I start missing the game and wanting to go back to it, so this will be an emotional reaction review more than a technical one. I only have one major gripe with the game and that involves the story. It needs a bit moreI can't really properly put down what this game makes me feel I'm just going to have to do my best but frankly, it's hard for me to really get into it at length because I start missing the game and wanting to go back to it, so this will be an emotional reaction review more than a technical one. I only have one major gripe with the game and that involves the story. It needs a bit more warmth, there's some definite lore overload going on and while it's great to learn about this fantastic new world they've created, most of the characters lack personality and it feels like i'm talking to walking,talking encyclopedias/politicians at times.

    That's it, though. Everything else...it's amazing.The best way I can compare my feelings about this game is by comparing it to how I felt playing Diablo III. This game in many ways is the total opposite of that game. Despite DIablo III having a flawed story, many of the characters had a surprising amount of personality. Diablo III has a lot of really amazing art yet in the areas where it really needed to look amazing, it doesn't, it falls flat. Torchlight II has that Don Bluth/Disney animation style-the game looks like Titan AE/Treasure Planet by way of Heavy Metal with some Rock & Rule tossed in for good measure-yet there are some areas where you can tell they stepped up their game and pulled out all the stops in order to blow you away with pure mood. Despite stuff being low poly everything fits and there are some set pieces that make me marvel at how they've managed to pull off so much randomization while managing to keep everything cohesive.

    The skills and stats are accessible and fun. I'm in love with my berserker. I honestly haven't had this much fun playing a character in a very long time. I loved Diablo II, loved my necromancer but my femzerker blows him away. She's spunky, has a ton of attitude and it's crazy that you can throw together so many different combinations of skills (I've chosen skills based on the background story I came up with for her) and still have them work in elite.

    So, back to the whole D3 thing, yeah, when D3 came out I discovered that I had been waiting for a sequel for years. Diablo II was a very special game to me. I discovered it the same year I first fell in love. As much as I tried to keep my expectations low, despite not getting the game because i know it wasnt going to be anything like what I had hoped it was going to be, it was stick shocking and jarring to play through the game after being given it as a gift.

    I was depressed. I knew going in that it might let me down but it was just...sad, and it was sad because I could tell that it would have taken so very little for it to have been better than it was. As crushed as I was, as let down, as sad as I was...that's how happy i've been playing this game. I walked into Torchlight II with very lowered expectations. Despite having played beta and despite having a lot of faith in Runic, I was scared. I hope Runic can understand. I was scared to let myself really believe.

    So when that first surprise challenge threw me into a section of map I couldn't get out of without poisoning a bunch of spider spawners that kept throwing hordes of baby spiders at me, causing me to have to run around while freaking out omg omg omg spiders! gotta kill em gotta kill em damn damn damn whats this? Oh! grab the potion, poison the spider pits, run back grab another one poison another pit damn damn so many fuuuuuuuuuuu ok ok got it got it finsh em off GOOD DOG! GO BOY! wooooo spectral hound, backin his buddy up YES YES F**K YOU, SPIDERS! whoa...ok, um, spider mom and dad just ate all the babies and disappeared...oooo k HOLY F**K MY SCREEN IS COVERED IN LOOT OMG.

    Yeah. My jaw dropped and I actually started crying tears of joy. I realized then and there that it was ok, I could fall in love with this game and I have-and i'm only in act II. So much of the stuff people told them about in beta has been polished up. This game...this game might just be everything many of us are expecting it to be. While i'm sure it's not perfect (I did mention my thoughts about the writing-sorry JD), it gets it right so often, you won't care and when it does it right-again, which it does a lot-it does it so damn right.

    This game is good. Really, really good. This game...is amazing. Thank you, Runic. Good job. Note-I wrote this just after the game was released. It's now three months later and while a lot of my initial excitement has gone down, the game is still fun and hasn't really gotten boring, I just have lots of new games that have captured my attention but I still play, and will continue to for a long time to come. -Zid
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  6. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    BEST GAME EVER 10/10, just because this game makes one thing that D... III didn't make after sometime: FUN!

    Seriously, this is a pretty awesome game, and for 20 bucks it's worth it!
  7. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Amazing game, i cant stop play it. Absolutly better then Diablo 3. I hope Torchlight 2 will be a "second diablo 2". And i create account on metacritic special for write this. Just love that game :)
  8. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Wow, game has surpassed my expectations, proper rpg, don't waste your money on D3 like I did,
    this game was made for gamers.
    -RANDOM WORLD
    -LOOT, LOOT ,LOOT.
    -NO DRM
    -OFFLINE so hardcore here I come.
  9. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    This is the best dungeon crawler game ever. As much as I like the first Torchlight, this one is a great sequel. I've been waiting for this game since it was first revealed. It's much better than Diablo 3. Stop hating this game just because your save game was deleted for the beta. It was a beta release not the final release. Stop whining and buy the game.
  10. Oct 12, 2012
    10
    What diablo 3 should have been. Local lan support, no stupid blizzard drm, reasonably prized, no cash auction house. 10 out of 10 and a huge jump in quality and polish from the prev one
  11. Nov 9, 2012
    7
    This is a fun distraction and graphics are decent. It is essentially Diablo without all the nonesense that plagued D3 but lacks any real story and there are few to no rewarding cut scenes. Despite being a click fest and item management game it is addictive and fun. The soundtrack is almost identical to D2 and so it definitely brings out a pang of nostalgia. Its easy to lose time in theThis is a fun distraction and graphics are decent. It is essentially Diablo without all the nonesense that plagued D3 but lacks any real story and there are few to no rewarding cut scenes. Despite being a click fest and item management game it is addictive and fun. The soundtrack is almost identical to D2 and so it definitely brings out a pang of nostalgia. Its easy to lose time in the game though and as a diversion from more serious games that require attention and skill it is a perfect relaxation game. Expand
  12. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Fast paced, builds, gear, hell my first item drop was an upgrade. Fast leveling, amazing run speed and skills. About a billion times more fun and entertaining than any other arpg. Start on veteran! Far more challenging
  13. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Nothing to say but this: This game is what Diablo III should have shown into public instead of RMAH centric slot machine loot system. It brought back the actual 'Fun' factor with fast pace combat, not so easy difficulty, load of loots, interesting skill system and combat mechanics. Graphics wise, it cannot be matched to multi-hundred-million budget games but keeping up par with cartoon-ishNothing to say but this: This game is what Diablo III should have shown into public instead of RMAH centric slot machine loot system. It brought back the actual 'Fun' factor with fast pace combat, not so easy difficulty, load of loots, interesting skill system and combat mechanics. Graphics wise, it cannot be matched to multi-hundred-million budget games but keeping up par with cartoon-ish art. In short, Runic Games was able to match the hype. Of course, you can get everything with $20!!! One more thing: you can actually customize your character, which is actually 'first' in ARPG genre. Expand
  14. Sep 21, 2012
    9
    Torchlight 2 is a fantastic game. Since becoming disgusted with how the Diablo franchise had been IMO butchered by Blizzard, I started looking for a new ARPG along the lines of the original Diablo and Diablo 2. I heard from a lot of people that Torchlight was the game that I was looking for. I started playing the first game about 3 months ago and loved it. It felt like I was back in theTorchlight 2 is a fantastic game. Since becoming disgusted with how the Diablo franchise had been IMO butchered by Blizzard, I started looking for a new ARPG along the lines of the original Diablo and Diablo 2. I heard from a lot of people that Torchlight was the game that I was looking for. I started playing the first game about 3 months ago and loved it. It felt like I was back in the same genre at Diablo 2. The itemization, the fluidity of combat...the music. Everything felt right. I marathoned it, beat the game in about a week, and immediately pre-ordered Torchlight 2. Torchlight 2 has not disappointed at all. Besides having a little trouble in the beginning with my GPU
    (heads up to anyone with an Nvidia Optimus GPU, your computer will most likely auto-select the integrated card for this game, and I had to manually switch it to the Nvidia to improve performance), I haven't had any problems with running the game, or performance issues. So, to begin with, the items in TL2 are great. I've found several uniques and sets already, including a totally amazing shotgun that casts a full health spell and glacial fissure spell about 5% of the time on hit, among other things. I also found an interesting bow that had an attribute called augmentation. The description said that the bow upgraded, after you killed 10 elites with it. Really interesting mechanic.

    The story is nothing special really so far, but in an ARPG that's pretty normal. I like to focus on the action and looting mostly anyway. The sidequests are pretty entertaining, though.Also you're not forced to repeat the same quest events over and over again, as you can pick your difficulty initially, so that's nice, too. I find the artistic style of the game to be similar to Diablo 3, strangely. It didn't really bother me to much, as I wasn't expecting anything dark and gritty (I have Path of Exile for that) ;) If you are looking for a Diablo 2 graphical styling this may not be to your liking, but the game is open to modding, and definitely don't write the game off just because of the graphics. Matt Uelmen's music for the game is exceptional, as usual. He sets a great tone for the action. The sound effects are excellent, too. I was impressed to hear realistic sound of the snow crunching under my characters feet, in the second area of Act I. The Runic devs also made updates to the Pet system. I like how they have items like collars and tags, specifically for your pets to equip, and I LOVE that pets can now go back to town and by potions for you. This is extremely convenient, and just lets you get in the groove of the hack n' slash, without worrying about portals and unloading, too much. The skill system has received some improvements from the first Torchlight, too. I was a bit concerned to hear that they were adding a respec system (I prefer the old-school type of ARPG with no respecs), but this addition only pertains to the last three skills added, and you have to pay for the respecs. I didn't find this system to be that big of a deal, because of the deterrents in place. The skills also have different tiers every five levels that improve and add effects to the skills, as you put more points in them. I think this was a great idea, as it makes most all of the skills viable, for some type of build. Anyway, I think this is a really solid game, and I would recommend it to anyone who like RPG's or ARPG's. You can't beat a current game selling for 20 bucks :)
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  15. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Best ARPG in years, no doubt about it ! The game is fast, smooth an very fun to play. It has all the classic elements that Diablo set in stone and a lot more. Plenty of character customisation. Great loot diversity. Fast paced action. Big and engaging world. True randomised levels and so on and all of this just for
    20 bucks. There's really no reason not to try it. You won't regret it !
  16. Sep 26, 2012
    10
    What more needs to be said? The launch was flawless, other than the fact that their website was hit with so much traffic due to people registering for accounts, and as a result, many people weren't able to register and play online. Those that were able to register before the mayhem started were able to play online. But this was only a minor inconvenience in reality. Why? Torchlight II hadWhat more needs to be said? The launch was flawless, other than the fact that their website was hit with so much traffic due to people registering for accounts, and as a result, many people weren't able to register and play online. Those that were able to register before the mayhem started were able to play online. But this was only a minor inconvenience in reality. Why? Torchlight II had single player available at launch, as their previous title had. Not only that, but the characters on single player are linked to those you use on the internet, so even if you weren't able to play online the day of release, no time was lost!

    If you like ARPG's, a number of the people at Runic Games came from a more known company: Blizzard North, who was behind Diablo 1 and Diablo 2. Needless to say, Torchlight II fits the bill of a superb ARPG, as to be expected from former Blizzard North employees.

    The people at Runic know how to make an ARPG. They don't try to force a story-line on you. They don't repeatedly nerf/buff in the name of balance, because an ARPG is not all about balance. They don't release "new" items with the same exact bland affixes and call them new.

    Other companies, mainly Blizzard (I like to call them Blizzard South still), are trying to morph the ARPG genre into a more MMORPG style where content is released in tiers, players and monsters are constantly balanced around one another, and items are based off of primary stats and weapon DPS. This is not the case whatsoever with Torchlight II, they have shown time and again that they are sticking to their roots with ARPG's, and I don't foresee that changing any time in the near future.
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  17. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    It's just easy to say: That should have been in Diablo 3. All we loved in Diablo 2 is here in this game. Sure, graphics are more or less the same like in Torchlight 1, but who cares? Everybody, and i mean: Really everybody should be able to run this masterpiece. You don't need an hyper-pc to play, no. Runic made it playable for us all.

    Just a quick summary: Runic aka ex Blizzard North:
    It's just easy to say: That should have been in Diablo 3. All we loved in Diablo 2 is here in this game. Sure, graphics are more or less the same like in Torchlight 1, but who cares? Everybody, and i mean: Really everybody should be able to run this masterpiece. You don't need an hyper-pc to play, no. Runic made it playable for us all.

    Just a quick summary: Runic aka ex Blizzard North: You did all right! Sorry, can't write more - have to do some quests & hunting for better loot.
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  18. Sep 22, 2012
    10
    20 dollars for a game that will provide hundreds of hours of fun. Sounds like a good deal to me. They took everything that was great in D2 and Torchlight and added to it. If only D3 would have done this. Great job Runic! ignore other reviews saying "this game is too easy." I've been playing on ELITE with a berserker and it is very hard.
  19. Sep 24, 2012
    10
    This is an amazing game. It is astounding how talented the Runic Games team is. Even without Blizzards money they managed to create such a great game. I can not fault it in any way. I am not saying it is the perfect game, it's just so quite and solid as far as gameplay goes that you forget to look for flaws. I will be giving this game a 10 out of 10. It deserves it.
  20. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    This game is fabolous. Perfect hack&slash arpg. Not really really open world like skyrim but it is very good compared to TL and definetely ten times better than diablo 3. I think it is a killer!

    @Rainfall: Beta was a beta, nothing is lost and the game does not crash for me. No crash after already 10 hours gameplay.
  21. Nov 2, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing, is what all fans of diablo (yes i'm quoting diablo here cuz diablo3 was such a let down) been expecting. Is amazingly fun, and it actually has loot!! really polished and i really dig all about the game. There is so much to do and so much options to build your character that you'll never be bored.
    And for 20 bucks is a steal, and i'm sure there will be some steam sale
    This game is amazing, is what all fans of diablo (yes i'm quoting diablo here cuz diablo3 was such a let down) been expecting. Is amazingly fun, and it actually has loot!! really polished and i really dig all about the game. There is so much to do and so much options to build your character that you'll never be bored.
    And for 20 bucks is a steal, and i'm sure there will be some steam sale around the corner soon. So no excuse to not buying it, if you are into rpg and you liked diablo 1 and 2 you definitely should get torchlight 2.
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  22. Oct 13, 2012
    10
    Torchlight II, the $20 game that outshines your $60/per game collection by a long shot. Runic games once again proves they are a major player when it comes to creating an amazing game that the gamers WANT. Every tiny detail in Torchlight II is masterfully created and fine tuned. The scenery is gorgeous, the graphics are stylish and flush, and the gameplay speaks to you in a way that get'sTorchlight II, the $20 game that outshines your $60/per game collection by a long shot. Runic games once again proves they are a major player when it comes to creating an amazing game that the gamers WANT. Every tiny detail in Torchlight II is masterfully created and fine tuned. The scenery is gorgeous, the graphics are stylish and flush, and the gameplay speaks to you in a way that get's your mojo flowing.. if you know what I mean. This game is not for people with slow reaction times or people with weak arms. You'll be gloriously hyper-clicking your heart away as you evade and damage your enemies with lightning fast maneuverability abilities. Each class to choose from comes packed with amazing spells and such, and there's no limit to what you can create. Each character class is fully attributable in customization and each class has 3 unique talent trees to fill out over the course of level 1-100. Beating the game means nothing, Mapworks provides you with a map vendor who sells you dungeon scrolls to keep slaying baddies and stocking up that loot. Game getting to easy? No problem, hop into 6 player online co-op and start getting your face rolled on Elite Difficulty (Hardcore YOLO mode optional) or start the New Game+ mode where you re-roll the game map to randomize it a little and start the single player story over again, this time the monsters are stronger and you get to keep your stats and gear to bring them down again for even more powerful items. It's a joyous experience this entire game, the almost near perfect score I give this game suffers from only 1 thing, and that is the lackluster storytelling. While many Torchlight 1 fans will follow through the storytelling without too much confusion, there's much left open to anyone who's never traversed the lands of Torchlight. This game is huge.. and by huge I mean REALLY REALLY BIG. Every nook and cranny should be explored, there's hundreds of secret rooms, easter eggs, and unique items just waiting to be found. Keep a keen eye on everything, you won't be disappointed when you realize you can in fact put that lotion in the bucket and receive a Buffalo Bill parody mask. Seriously, why are you still reading this mini review? Go buy the game already! Okay, so more information.. this game is filled to the brim with loot, and that's not a bad thing. Items are already identified if they are worse than the gear you already have equipped. This is so you know that when you pick something special up and have to identify it you know it's got some worth. You get a pet, you can choose between hawks, dogs, cats, panthers, ferrets, whatever. Your pet is your go to guy, he/she can hold your excess loot, haul it back to town for you and sell it, and even bring you some potions/scrolls if you want to make a shopping list for him. Hell, the only time you ever really need to go back to town is when your inventory is filled with super rares and gems. I'm a little bit of a Torchlight fanboy, I'll admit that.. but I have every reason to be after the disaster D3 was. The original creators of Diablo 1 and 2 are the same people who made Torchlight. We all love D2 right? Exactly, now go let Runic take your money. If this game disappoints you, you have no soul... this is the spiritual successor of the Diablo franchise. Support game companies like Runic, they are the future of keeping games made for gamers. Expand
  23. Sep 20, 2012
    10
    This game is just amazing. All I was hoping for D3 to be. The only thing that bothers me a little bit is the very colorful and cartoonish graphics style. But at the end it's a wonderful world with much at least as much sense to details as D3. So only a matter of taste and not of quality.

    So at least for me at the moment pretty much the most perfect arpg on the market. And if some
    This game is just amazing. All I was hoping for D3 to be. The only thing that bothers me a little bit is the very colorful and cartoonish graphics style. But at the end it's a wonderful world with much at least as much sense to details as D3. So only a matter of taste and not of quality.

    So at least for me at the moment pretty much the most perfect arpg on the market. And if some shortcomings should rise in the the future, I'm sure the modding community will handle it :)

    If you like PLAYING arpgs then consider to buy it. More than enough value for 20 bucks ....
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  24. Sep 20, 2012
    10
    Great game, the classes are unique, the music is very good, sounding like the original Diablo music. The combat has some cool things about it too, for instance there are hand cannons and shot guns that actually do ranged AoE damage, and if you're dual wielding you have a chance to strike with both weapons at once. It's a must buy for any fan of Diablo, and it's a bargain at only $20. ItGreat game, the classes are unique, the music is very good, sounding like the original Diablo music. The combat has some cool things about it too, for instance there are hand cannons and shot guns that actually do ranged AoE damage, and if you're dual wielding you have a chance to strike with both weapons at once. It's a must buy for any fan of Diablo, and it's a bargain at only $20. It has multiplayer, lan or internet, more modding capabilities, a lot of pets to choose from. Expand
  25. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Just awesome. I do not know how to express my satisfaction. It was first time in a LONG time that when i play a game my eyebrows go SO HIGH! I was surprised in a good way and every part so far is just fantastic.
  26. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    One of the games you can't really comment on ... Why? Everything about Torchlight II is great, so no need to name things. With modding and coop added, it will be fun for years to come. And I mean real fun, not the mindless utterly boring paradoxical linear grind like in D3.
  27. Sep 21, 2012
    9
    Having played this game for a while now, I'm impressed with the game's improvements over its predecessor. Really rich environments, content and quests. The classes seem very well thought as well, I'm not sure about balance yet. The cutscenes are awful, but this does not affect my game experience.
  28. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    This is the ARPG of 2012. Torchlight 2 has vastly improved over everything that was in Torchlight 1, With the mod tools, online and offline play, and an evolving world, the game is begging to be replayed over and over again. For $20, you cannot find a better ARPG.
  29. Sep 27, 2012
    9
    It's a sequel, but it is a proper sequel. More characters, more animals, more of an open world, more stats, more abilities... more more more. There is nothing really new or inventive about the game, it is just a great sequel for Torchlight. If you liked Torchlight you will like this.
  30. Sep 22, 2012
    9
    After the huge let down Diablo 3 was, especially when it was obvious your are herded towards using Real Money to finish the game, either that or 100's of borring, tedius hours farming the same area. Not to mention no stats; no skill points; and not even letting your character's name show (only your "bar code" shows, talk about a corporate thing to do). Torchlight II is everything D3After the huge let down Diablo 3 was, especially when it was obvious your are herded towards using Real Money to finish the game, either that or 100's of borring, tedius hours farming the same area. Not to mention no stats; no skill points; and not even letting your character's name show (only your "bar code" shows, talk about a corporate thing to do). Torchlight II is everything D3 should have been. 1/3rd the price and 30 times more fun. :)

    You can tell is was made by gamers, for gamers, not by CEOs like D3 was.
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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 67 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 67
  2. Negative: 0 out of 67
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    82
    Torchlight 2 offers everything an action RPG fan wants: a huge campaign, variety of enemies, a rich system of quality loot, well-balanced and fresh classes with different build options, care-free and fun multiplayer modes. [November 2012]
  2. Dec 13, 2012
    90
    Sure, it might not reinvent the wheel as built by Diablo II over a decade ago, but Runic deserves props for perfectly recreating the formula. Many others have tried to bring their own take on Diablo to the market-and failed. Runic didn't, which makes Torchlight II an essential purchase for anyone who loves to crawl through dungeons while scoring phat loot.
  3. Games Master UK
    Nov 25, 2012
    88
    A slick action RPG with wit and charm, this is a genuine alternative to Diablo III. [Christmas 2012, p.93]