➤ The hero with the big pockets 🎮

There is something subtly perverse about it Torchlight. The PC user had already understood this two years earlier, that console will understand it today at its own expense, in this case the many hours invested in this brilliant code. Some may be impervious to the work of Runic (a team in which many Diablo programmers play), but it will be enough to be at least passionate about the RPG genre to end up swallowed up in its meanders. We were saying, what is the magic of this little big action-RPG-slasher routine? First of all, the contrast of something that is, in fact, incredibly small, but destined to expand into something dangerously large. Once you start the game you are immediately struck by its rigorous essentiality, no bombastic presentation, no pompous screen, you are immediately delivered to the choice of the character, even here limited by an extreme minimalism. You pass between three decidedly stereotyped classes, the wiry warrior, a wizard with a rather bizarre design and the inevitable girl. No aesthetic or sexual customization, everything is ready, turnkey and ready to go, but don't forget to take your faithful puppy with you. Whether it's a wolf, a feline or a weird dinosaur, little changes, you'll soon discover that it is much more than a useful company. The next step takes us to the town of, needless to say, Torchlight, which represents a real free zone in the economy of the entire game.

Where is my flashlight?

The purpose of Torchlight it is the thinnest one can imagine; enter a myriad of dungeons randomly generated by the game, in a descent that seems to have no end, populated by numerous and fierce enemies, profuse fights, and many, many objects to collect. Yes, there is nothing else really, and if for Diablo lovers we talk about a formula that hits straight to the heart, for everyone else it can be a surprising solution.

But don't be fooled, Torchlight it has a lot to offer, it has an almost surreal magnetism, difficult to rationalize with words. Its greatest charm lies in compulsive collecting in its most intimate form, that is, aimed at the development of a single character. The dungeons are full of objects to be recovered, chests full of treasures, secret passages, amphorae, and so on and so forth. Obviously the carcasses of the enemies are not far behind, also releasing money and other items. When the inexorable fever of the collection is inevitably curbed by the exhaustion of the available slots, it is time to relate to the elaborate inventory menu, and really understand the acute function of our pet. We want to go into this section in particular, as it is almost a game within the game, and you will spend a large part of your time in it. Here we have a subdivision between the weapons, the parts of the armor, the spells and the support objects, which range between healing potions, packages with disparate effects, rings and special gems to be grafted on predisposed objects. The items used to enhance the character are subordinated to his four main values, namely strength, dexterity, magic and defense, these in turn linked to the level achieved, which provides the experience points necessary to increase their values.

It is very important, depending on the character chosen, to establish his combative nature by finding a balance between offense and defense. Consequently to this need, we must keep a careful eye on the resources required by each object, and dispense points accordingly for their use. The spasmodic quantity of recoverable objects does not facilitate the task, considering that the rarer ones require special recognition packages, of which the game is certainly not generous, even if through a special (and expensive) type of package it is possible to remove all the points experience invested, to apply them elsewhere.

The functionality of the pet assumes a crucial importance in its ability to transport objects, becoming a walking archive for the player. All unworn or superfluous items can be transferred to our trusty beast, to be then conveniently resold to Torchlight, where the character can safely teleport through special scrolls or portals. A practice that is fundamental in the economy of the entire game, the town is the main hub for trade, the acquisition of new quests and the enhancement of items, if not the possibility of creating new ones. It also represents an ideal area as a reference with respect to the numerous bonus dungeons, unrelated to the main campaign, and always reachable through special scrolls. But make sure you have reached an adequate level and equipment before you jump! Technically Torchlight it is a real treat for the eyes. Although the isometric shot focuses more on a functional rendering of the action, rather than the analysis of the details, this does not prevent you from appreciating the lively and vaguely cartoonish style that characterizes the whole. Nothing shocking of course, but zooming in on the frame is a pleasure to discover details on the armor or something that always manages to capture interest, revealing an commendable care.

Xbox 360 achievements

Torchlight proposes 12 objectives for a total of 200 player points, which is the standard for Live Arcades. Most of them are linked to the completion of the main campaign, which settles on 8 hours, after which you will have obtained almost all the coveted points. Good luck.

Elective affinities

Less pleasant is the yield of the framerate, subject to several drops in the most agitated phases and when the screen is filled with enemies, an event that is far from remote. The inability to rotate the shot at will is also annoying, a limitation that is felt precisely in the fights, which often makes them chaotic, especially when monsters of considerable size come into play (the carnet is nice large). Nothing that affects the gameplay fortunately, but in a product of this type it is important to understand exactly what is happening on the screen. The game interface has been adapted to the needs of the console user with a good result, but its pc oriented nature does not make this step totally painless. The subdivision into categories navigable with the back buttons leads to some moments of confusion and is not as intuitive as other products, see Oblivion. The complexity of special moves and spells available collides with the natural limitation of the pad, forcing them to be mapped on the keys through interchangeable sets with the D-pad, making it sometimes confusing to understand which one we are actually using. The fights are certainly not characterized by an immoderate strategic level, but on the other hand this is a prerogative closely linked to the type of game, and the Runic prove to be decidedly skilled in avoiding boredom by pushing on the main propulsive engine of Torchlight: the collection of objects. Absent any multiplayer mode, a shame considering the sharing potential of the product. The only possibility is to give some items to the friends on the list, and put an end to their social life! Torchlight has no Spanish localization, so a good knowledge of English is required to fully understand its mechanics. User warned ...

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Torchlight is a very welcome addition to the Xbox Live Arcade park, an action RPG capable of causing high addiction thanks to its simple, though never approximate, gameplay system. The desire to explore every corner to collect the myriad of available objects is very strong for all the hours necessary to complete it, which are not few considering the many secrets available, the side quests and hidden dungeons. The fights are always fun, even if certainly not technical, and the variety of scenarios and bestiary never diminishes the curiosity to go on. The transition from PC to console was not entirely painless, starting with a non-flawless interface and a technical realization that shows the side of some slowdown too. And the absence of multiplayer is a real shame. For all the rest, Torchlight it can be a real virtual drug and the worst enemy of your social life.