Following the rather lukewarm Early Access release of Torchlight III on PC via Steam a few months ago, publisher Perfect World Entertainment and developer Echtra Games have announced a 1.0 release window for the game as well as their plans for console releases. First revealed on Nintendo’s Indie World game showcase, Torchlight III will be coming out of Early Access this Fall alongside the release of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions. Check out Torchlight III’s console announcement trailer below.
Torchlight III is the latest game in the hit Torchlight series, originally developed by Runic Games. The titles are best-known for their high-paced and action-packed take on dungeon crawling, taking advantage of its hack and slash system to bring its signature gameplay mechanics to another level. The first two Torchlight games are a landmark for dungeon crawlers, mostly due to their rather colorful and cartoony art styles, which was a departure from Diablo and others inspired by it. The Torchlight games are also a lot more casual-friendly, making them a great starting point for those who want to get into dungeon crawling.
Torchlight III was initially announced to much fanfare, mostly due to the fact that it has been eight years since Torchlight II. However, the game’s initial Early Access release left much to be desired; it’s currently sitting on a Mixed rating on Steam, with a lot of players complaining about the game’s supposed ‘mobile game’ leanings and the outdated and repetitive gameplay design. As someone who played – and refunded – the game, what I honestly found infuriating were the constant crashes and overall poor optimization, in addition to the overall bugginess, especially with such a multiplayer-focused experience.
That said, there’s still hope for Torchlight III if you were a pretty big fan of the first two games in the series. I would, however, recommend getting it after the game’s Early Access state. According to the developer notes on the Torchlight III Steam page, there will be a wipe after it launches out of Early Access, meaning all of your progress during Early Access will be deleted and you will have to start anew with the 1.0 release. If that doesn’t turn anyone off, I don’t know what will.
Torchlight III is currently available on Steam Early Access on PC.
