Torchlight 3 was unexpectedly released in Early Access on Saturday, June 13, on Steam. However, those who wanted to dive into the action RPG with enthusiasm were disappointed. There were many issues and crashes. This is also reflected in the reviews.
What are the problems? Torchlight 3 was released as a multiplayer game on Steam. To play the action RPG, you need to have a stable connection to the servers. This can be explained by the fact that the title was originally planned as the MMO Torchlight Frontiers and you still encounter other players in the towns.
However, this connection to the servers was not possible for long stretches over the weekend.
Although it was stated in an official post on June 15 that the servers were now stable (via Steam), some reviews were also published on that day stating that Torchlight 3 was currently unplayable.
But it’s not just the servers that are currently causing problems for the action RPG. It is said to be unfinished and reminiscent of a mobile game. Some users are already certain that Torchlight 3 will not recover.
Torchlight 3 is being torn apart on Steam
How negative are the reviews? As of June 15 at 4:20 PM, 66% of the 2,002 submitted reviews were negative, at times even devastating.
However, even many of the positive reviews carry significant criticism.
Unlike the negative reviews, they excuse the situation with Early Access or hope for a quick fix because the developer Echtra Games has previously delivered good Torchlight games.
What exactly are the reviews criticizing? Almost every area of the game is currently being criticized. The biggest criticisms are:
- The combat system, which many find too slow.
- The areas are said to be too simplistic and linear.
- The character development is described as uninspired and not deep enough.
- Higher difficulty levels are said to only affect the health points and damage dealt by enemies. Apparently, there are no new mechanics or more challenging behavior.
The user Degaron summarizes his experiences with Torchlight 3 as follows:
Even though the game is in Early Access, the core concepts of the game will not change. The combat animations are poor, and the characters feel bland.
The game never feels like I can make an impact. When I hit something, it doesn’t feel like I’m doing anything.
Get the predecessors, they did it much better. How can you even call the game Torchlight 3? The only thing that is really similar is the art style.
Even the announced forts, where players can set up their own home, are not well received. The user Al Budy writes on Steam:
- “The attempt to enable “basebuilding” by allowing players to equip their own fort fails. It comes down to meaningless placement of crafting stations and cosmetic decoration in a small area.”
He sees no chance for Torchlight 3 in its current version to compete against games like Path of Exile, Grim Dawn, or the upcoming Diablo 4.
Is Torchlight 3 actually just a free mobile game?
What speaks for a mobile game? In some reviews, it is noted that Torchlight 3 plays more like a free mobile game than a buy-to-play title for PC.
Players like RawcH point out various aspects:
- Large buttons and the adapted UI
- The limited field of view (FoV)
- Shorter levels that fit better into a mobile session
- The slow combat, which could possibly be explained by a planned touch control
Whether Torchlight 3 will actually come to smartphones is currently unknown.
Path of Exile, a direct competitor for Torchlight 3, has already announced a mobile version.
