Torchlight Infinity seeks to translate the addictive dungeon crawling and loot farming of the famous console and PC ARPG franchise to iOS and Android devices. Currently in closed beta, Torchlight Infinite developer XD Inc. recently announced the free-to-play, mobile ARPG will release in open beta this fall. At the same time, XD also revealed the game’s sixth playable launch hero, Oracle Thea.
As Blizzard’s recently released Diablo Immortal has shown, translating previously PC-focused ARPGs to mobile can be a challenge. While it’s impossible to say whether Torchlight Infinite succeeds on that front just yet, it’s clear that XD’s role on the franchise is to attract both new players as well as established fans of the series. Set 200 years after Torchlight II, it will include abilities, classes, and environments familiar to fans of the franchise, but there are plenty of new characters and systems for fans to discover as well.
Although Torchlight Infinity is being made with mobile in mind, it will also release on PC. In an email interview with GameSpot, producer Liu Heng said that Torchlight would allow for infinite cross-progression. Players will be able to link their data under one account and jump between mobile and PC without losing progress. The PC version will also include some additional upgrades beyond the mobile version including more camera options, wider views and additional control options.
A major question for any free-to-play experience, especially a loot-based one, is how the game is monetized. On that front, Heng explained that shopping at Torchlight Infinite is divided into two categories. Features such as more bag space, talent reset and auto-looting functionality Heng will be described as a “pay for convenience”. The new heroes, as well as various cosmetics, will also be available for purchase and fall under what Heng said is “pay for the ingredients.”
Torchlight Infinite will not sell gear or crafting materials for real money, Heng said. Those items will be “hard to grind” to ensure a fair experience for all players. Heng clarified that Torchlight Infinity will have no stamina meter or system that limits player progress, and added that players will have “the freedom to start and end their grind at will.”
It is a tough line to walk. Diablo Immortal, which can be compared to Torchlight Infinity, was heavily criticized at launch for its pay-to-win mechanics, even as it reportedly made more than $50 million in its first month. Earn more Recently, players have complained about how Diablo Immortal’s MMO structure penalizes single players, with many unable to find the additional players needed to complete dungeons or perform the raids necessary to progress.
When asked what lessons XD Inc. has learned from the launch of Diablo Immortal, Heng did not mention the game’s controversial micro-transactions, but stated that many of the issues with Diablo Immortal were its failure to properly manage player expectations. have come from.
“From our point of view, the public was most unhappy with their expectation of how Diablo Immortal was presented as an ARPG game, but instead released as an ARPG MMO,” Heng said.
Heng said that Diablo Immortal’s progression system and build options are much narrower than those of Diablo III, and may mislead players looking for the traditional Diablo experience.
“If the game doesn’t use Diablo IP, its performance could be quite different in our opinion,” Heng said.
Heng said that the team, from the start of development, has made it clear that Torchlight Infinite is a strictly loot-based ARPG, with a large number of potential builds for the game’s different systems such as the protagonist’s traits, talents, skills and the like. There are. Gear sticks.
Mobile games come with regular content updates as expected, and Heng said Torchlight Infinite will introduce new seasonal expansions every three months. The seasons will introduce new gameplay mechanics, and Heng teased that XD has “a line of new heroes” waiting to be added to the game’s character roster as well.
Unlike previous Torchlight games, players will play as specific characters rather than as a general class. Torchlight Infinite, for example, includes a Berserker character, but it won’t be exactly the same as the Berserker from Torchlight II. That’s because this berserker is his own unique character, Rehan, who has his own backstory and unique traits compared to the Torchlight II version of the class.
A big part of Torchlight Infinity is the game’s skill system, which includes more than 230 shared skills from each of the game’s six heroes that can be modified with various support skills. This makes for a plethora of customization options, especially when combined with Torchlight Infinite’s brilliance system and the real bonus of equipped gear. Players will be able to trade and sell gear with each other in what Heng describes as “duty-free” and a “player-made economy”.
Torchlight Infinite enters open beta this October, with a specific date yet to be announced. Pre-registration for the beta on iOS devices is available now.
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