History VideoGame / Torchlight

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Torchlight.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The playable classes from left to right: Vanquisher, Destroyer, and Alchemist.]]

* {{Bizarchitecture}}: A major complaint towards ''VideoGame/{{FATE}}'' was that its randomly-assembled maps consisted mostly of tunnels that went nowhere. ''Torchlight'' averts this by randomly assembling pre-existing setpieces. The downside ''there'' is that you'll inevitably start seeing the same chunk-of-rooms again, but at least you'll know where all the hidden treasures are.

* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: [[spoiler: The Ember Colossus, the Tu'Tara Ruins boss]], who jumps down from a stalagmite after its introduction.

* ''Torchlight III'' was released on October 13, 2020, and takes place 100 years after the events of ''Torchlight II''. Originally named ''Torchlight Frontiers'' and intended to be an {{MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMORPG}}, it was retooled into a traditional ActionRPG and renamed after a period of closed testing.

Torchlight was the launch title for the Mac OS version of UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, which may be part of why it's managed to sell over a million copies—a ''lot'' more than Runic expected. (It's also been pirated more than 5 million times in China, with Runic shrugging their shoulders and figuring there's NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity.) A direct sequel, ''VideoGame/TorchlightII'', was released, and a MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame was planned, but abandoned after Runic realized how complicated it would be to create. Their next project was more of a ''Zelda''-style action puzzler, ''VideoGame/{{Hob}}'', which was was their last before their owners, Perfect World, closed the studio.

In a surprise announcement on August 9th, 2018, it was revealed that in 2016 Runic Games founder Max Schaefer had founded a new studio, Echtra Games, during the development of ''Hob''. It was also announced that this studio was opened with the intention of reviving the ''Torchlight'' [=MMO=] idea with ''Torchlight Frontiers'', a new [=MMO=] entry in the series with much of the original staff on board set to release in 2019. Later however, the [=MMO=] aspect of Torchlight Frontiers was retooled into the traditional Torchlight experience [[https://www.torchlight3.com/en/news-article/11350673 now under the name]] ''VideoGame/TorchlightIII''. It officially released in 2020, with some development to continue by Perfect World-affiliated studios after Echtra Games was purchased by Creator/{{Zynga}}.

A mobile port called ''Torchlight Infinite'', similar to ''Diablo Immortal'', was released in later 2022. It was also produced in conjunction with a Chinese studio, this one called XD Inc.

* BareYourMidriff: Syl wears light clothing and exposes her belly.

* DifficultySpike: The Black Palace, the final area of the main quest: not only is it filled with DemonicSpiders, but enemies spawn in much greater densities. (Sometimes you'll run into rooms with like five Dragonkin and five Dark Zealots. Just one of those ten is totally enough to kill you, if you're not careful.) The whole point of the area seems to be adding as many deaths to your record as possible before you beat the game.

In a surprise announcement on August 9th, 2018, it was revealed that in 2016 Runic Games founder Max Schaefer had founded a new studio, Echtra Games, during the development of ''Hob''. It was also announced that this studio was opened with the intention of reviving the ''Torchlight'' [=MMO=] idea with ''Torchlight Frontiers'', a new [=MMO=] entry in the series with much of the original staff on board set to release in 2019. Later however, the [=MMO=] aspect of Torchlight Frontiers was retooled into the traditional Torchlight experience [[https://www.torchlight3.com/en/news-article/11350673 now under the name]] ''VideoGame/TorchlightIII''.

** UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} achievement [[ShoutOut Shout Outs]] include [[Franchise/StarWars Only A Master Of Evil]], [[FisherKing Fisher]] [[Myth/KingArthur King]], and [[Music/SirMixALot Sir-Mixes-A-Lot]].

* {{Angrish}}: You will never forget your first, or indeed thirty-seventh, disenchant wipe.

** A pet that can take all your VendorTrash back to town to sell for you, instead of having to make the trip back yourself. (There's a ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' [[http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/11/04 comic]] on the subject.)

** Though the idea of a Torchlight MMO has been taken up again with the announcement of Torchlight Frontiers.

** UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} achievement [[ShoutOut Shout Outs]] include [[Franchise/StarWars Only A Master Of Evil]], [[FisherKing Fisher]] [[KingArthur King]], and [[Music/SirMixALot Sir-Mixes-A-Lot]].