Torchlight Infinite brings the classic action RPG game into the modern age, hoping to rival the likes of Blizzard’s Diablo Immortal by creating a accessible universe for both PC and mobile players. While the story is rooted in the lore of previous instalments, consulting producer David Brevik tells PCGamesN that the gameplay itself will remain relatively similar.
Brevik was recently appointed as consulting producer for the hit series, coming off of the back of Marvel Heroes and, laterally, Diablo and Diablo 2.
Given that he is effectively the father of the ARPG genre, I asked whether or not he and the dev team at XD are looking to innovate upon the game’s hack and slash-style combat in order to create something new, or if Torchlight Infinite seeks to just keep doing what made Torchlight 2 so popular.
“That’s a hard one to answer, because we’ve retained some of those classic RPG elements,” he tells us. “Getting the right balance
of MMORPG elements in an ARPG game; it’s not about creating something totally new, it’s more about perfecting subtle elements like sound and narrative design.”
On the point of narrative design, he tells us: “Torchlight: Infinite takes its cues from the incredible Torchlight 2, and we’re building on that classic gameplay, the mechanics, and lore to deliver our own take on Torchlight in a universe loved by millions of fans.”
Again there’s familiarity; Infinite will be the game fans know and love, but it’s still a brand new game, and as such it seeks to shake up the traditional format just enough to give it its own identity.
This is exactly what worked for Diablo. Sanctuary is a woeful world of wonder that you can’t help but want to explore; however, as the games progressed players have been able to wander off the beaten track and explore the real world around them by stepping into the boots of heroes and heroines they can customise – a feature only added in Diablo 3. If Torchlight evolves as Diablo has, it’ll be exciting to see what Infinite looks like in its final form.
If Torchlight: Infinite sounds like one of the best games like Diablo to you, it’s worth checking out the early access beta on Steam – after all, the Diablo 4 release date is still a way off. Until then, it’s worth checking out our Diablo interview with Brevik, where he tells us he wouldn’t have taken the same approach to the series as Blizzard has done.