Test Torchlight Infinite: Can it live up to Diablo Immortal ?

Back in force with the tests! Today we're back with test for Torchlight Infinite, a colourful hack'n slash RPG available in beta on Android via TapTap and on iOS with Testflight. This is a major licence trying to make its mark on mobile with action-packed combat and a delightful world to explore. But what is it really like on the surface? I give you my opinion on Torchlight Infinite.

Background and scenario of the game

200 years after the canonical events of the Torchlight license, the people of the world have resigned themselves to the idea of using Ember as a source of energy to power their ever more powerful and fuel consuming machines. Rather than pollute the earth with a host of substances like 21st century humans on planet Earth, they have chosen to turn to chaotic energy, which in turn is destroying and corrupting everything outside the cities, making the situation increasingly unstable. Don't see any parallels between this test Torchlight Infinite and your current life, this is a fantasy world, come on.

In the midst of disaster, you are one of the heroes of the Torchlight Special Forces. A hero whose power is matched only by the ego you put into your punchlines when you take down an earthworm with a masterful "Ant, I present you with the boot" move. You'll be able to play your choice of the Berserker Warrior with a whirligig option, the Divineshot Shooter, the Frostfire of Fire and Ice, the Spacetime Witness Mage, and the Summoner Dwarf of minionsto traverse the world of Leptis.

A crucial lack of staging

Unfortunately, at this stage of the beta and in my opinion, Torchlight Infinite cruelly lacks Cinematicto introduce its universe to new players. Even in-game, during your adventures, the story will never impose itself on you to make you live strong moments. It will remain in the background, hidden behind cut scenes shot in the game engine, without voice-over, or behind NPC dialogues that you will surely never read.

But do you really play a hack'n slash for its story? Not necessarily. In any case, the story arc of this test Torchlight infinite wants to offer a new start for the licence, with Ember at the heart of everyone's daily life.

Torchlight Infinite and its thousands of monsters

If we can overlook a story that is a bit hollow or well hidden, we'll bet everything on the gameplay. For action rpg with a strong atmosphere, we need at least enemies galore. Fans of the Torchlight license, you will find in this opus many monsters and environments to explore. Grotesque and putrid creatures will fall by the thousands under your blade, your shots, your spells, or your vengeful minions.

In this respect, the beta test Torchlight Infinite will not disappoint you, but it may bore you. By dint of being the master of the world and killing everything that crosses your path with a maximum of three shots, you'll have the impression that you're just putting shots in the wind, without any real challenge.

Fortunately, bosses are there to raise the level (literally), either at the end of the map or as mini-bosses via a corruption gauge. If you're familiar with the licence, the corruption mechanic is similar to the totems or tombstones you could come across in TL 1 and 2 to make several waves of monsters appear and get extra loot.

The bosses offer different and interesting attack patterns, but they don't help the overall lack of flavour in your encounters. In my opinion, in Torchlight Infinite even death is not punishing enough to make you miss the taste of life. You don't lose any loot or important items. In fact, bosses don't take their lives again when you're no longer in the room. So even if you attack them with a twig, you'll end up beating them and getting all the drops. I also regret the lack of end of boss chests that gave a real sense of accomplishment. I really enjoyed opening their jewel boxes and feeling like I had earned it.

The loot system is a bit messy for this test Torchlight Infinite

On the loot side, the redesign of the progression system makes the drop a bit messy. The stats are numerous and not always clear, the auto-loot doesn't work, nor the auto-equipment and you'll end up destroying what you have in your pockets rather than taking the time to go and resell them, since the usual Torchlight pets are not there. Or rather, they've been replaced.

In their place come the pact spirits, critters that follow you around like a companion, but are too honourable to bring you coffee or accept to take your groceries back to the shop in town. Besides, they're not as cute as my butterfly dog from TL 2.

However, you can upgrade these pact spirits, choose which one will follow you, and upgrade your character with a multitude of builds.

Talent system and lack of equipment swap

While the game lacks challenge, fans of open progression systems will certainly appreciate the freedom of Torchlight Infinite's build. Specialisation branching is plentiful and inexpensive, and resetting your talents is completely free up to level 75, allowing you to explore a wide variety of power combinations without fear.

Having tested Torchlight Frontiers, now known as Torchlight 3, during its early alpha, I'm a bit disappointed that the devs didn't take inspiration from the equipment statue system, which allowed you to quickly switch between several equipment sets, in town or in a personal instance. With a higher challenge and this set switch, we could have had very situational builds that would be worth taking the time to theorycraft.

In addition to the versatility of skills and talents, you'll be able to tune and upgrade your weapons, although I find it hard to see the point given how easy it is to get through any level, even after hours of play.

A large-scale massacre... but lacking in flavour

In this beta test Torchlight Infinite, it doesn't matter if you have your eyes in front of the holes or in the back of your head, if you spam your attacks, you will cut through the ranks of enemies like you were cutting through butter. Those who like the taste of blood and hundreds of corpses on the ground amidst a bonfire of explosions will be delighted with the slaughter, but I think they will lose those thrills as the levels progress due to the gradual sense of weariness. Torchlight Infinite simply lacks a bit of flavour. At least it doesn't have an auto mode, that's something!

Forget also about co-op and PvP which are absent in this beta. Your interactions with other players will be limited to discussions in the various channels or exchanges via the marketplace, which is more than a pity when you know the competition that Diablo Immortal will soon bring to Torchlight Frontiers on these game elements.

Torchlight Infinite graphics and atmosphere

In terms of atmosphere, Torchlight Infinite's test was surprisingly quiet. While the environments are beautiful and the VFX well done, the soundtrack lacks relief compared to all the action on the ground. The hero's occasional punchlines lift the whole thing up a bit, but, playing as Frostfire, I have to admit that his lines are extremely standard.

In this test, Torchlight Infinite lacks a bit of soul in the finishing touches. However, it is a game that wants to do well. The title is ambitious and highly optimised, both for your battery with the different levels of realism and by the simplification of its many RPG systems. It offers a quick and efficient start with a general level better than the market. But the more levels you play, the less you feel that your interaction with the game, as a decision maker, matters.

Moreover, in my opinion, the level design of Torchlight Infinite will reinforce this impression, because of the maps that are too linear, sometimes even almost copied/pasted from one zone to another, certainly because of the need to fill in at this stage of test. Despite this, the Torchlight universe remains visually pleasing and exotic, so I think it's a shame that the rest of the content doesn't manage to sublimate it. Graphically, the developers made a simple choice: blocking outfit modification by equipment, to propose cosmetic purchases.

Review of the business model

As for the business model, the beta test Torchlight Infinite wants to do things right here too. The title is limited to purely cosmetic purchases, a battle pass and pets. This is a pure free-to-play model. The pets are available via a lootbox system while the equipment costumes can be purchased directly. At least this won't detract from the rest of the experience.

Even if it's frustrating, as an adventurer, not to be able to visually wear what you've looted, it's an understandable choice. Besides, as long as there's no co-op, you don't need to drool over your neighbour's stylish outfit, so it doesn't really interfere with the game experience. In any case, I don't think that was the case during the beta.

Conclusion of my review of Torchlight Infinite

In conclusion of this test Torchlight Infinite, it is obvious that the world of Leptis is not all rosy. There are some good gameplay ideas and visual achievements, but their implementation is only in its test phase, and the soul of the game seems absent, as if it has already been corrupted by its own Ember.

Anyway, the target is not the same as for a Diablo ImmortalThe target is not the same as for the darker and more technical Undecember, which chose to stay on classic systems to offer an adaptation faithful to its license. It will be interesting to be able to compare these two titles at their full launch, and maybe even to Undecember which wanted to launch in 2022.

Positive points

• Beautiful environments
• A wide variety of builds
• Mobile-friendly simplification
• Cosmetics purchases

Negative points

• Flat soundtrack
• Too easy, boring