History VideoGame / Torchlight

* TheDogWasTheMastermind: The ''player'' can pull this with the non-class spell scrolls, which can be taught to the pet. Considering the summons have a very respectable damage output, your dog or cat could raise their own little undead army and start clearing dungeons by themselves.

* BossInMookClothing: Some of the monsters are only ever encountered as Champions, and most of those are [[ThatOneBoss very.]] [[MarathonBoss Freaking.]] [[ThisIsSparta Tough.]] What immediately springs to mind are Liches, smaller versions of the Overseer who have his FlunkyBoss ability and powerful magic besides.

* BigBad: Ordack in the first game. [[spoiler:Possibly the Alchemist]] in the sequel.

* BigBad: Ordack in the first game. [[spoiler:Judging from how the Alchemist has become just like Albric, it looks like he'll be involved in the sequel as well.]]

* The Embermage: The resident SquishyWizard who has a more mage-like look compared to the Steampunk-styled Alchemist.

* SteamPunk: Shades of this, occasionally mixed with MagiTek. The Vanquisher can use guns, dwarf enemies often use robots and vehicles, the Alchemist's golems move and look like robots with smokestacks, and many of the Alchemist's higher-level gear options look like steampunk power-armor.

Torchlight was the launch title for {{Steam}} for the Mac, 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 MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame set in the same universe with similar game mechanics has been promised for sometime in the future, but in the meantime a [[http://kotaku.com/5604215/torchlight-ii-coming-spring-2011 direct sequel]] was announced in August 2010. Originally meant to be out in Spring of 2011, it faced some delays, but if everything goes well it will finally be out on Summer of 2012. It will add CoOpMultiplayer to the franchise (a lack of which was a near-universal criticism of the original, especially since ''Diablo2'' was doing it a decade ago) and serve as a stepping-stone towards the MMO architecture.

* DuelingGames: Gaming press often called the original game 'D3 before D3' and many Diablo fans were worried that its release would affect Blizzard's work. The sequel is a more direct competitor to D3 as it also supports multiplayer and despite [[WordOfGod Runic's insistence that any rivalry is unintentional]], some friction is sure to arise with some fans of each series switching over due to certain design decisions on their side.

''VideoGame/{{Torchlight}}'' is an ActionRPG developed and published by Runic Games ([[TheTropeFormerlyKnownAsX the artist formerly known as]] Flagship Studios, who created ''HellgateLondon'', themselves [[TheTropeFormerlyKnownAsX the artist formerly known as]] Blizzard North, who created ''{{Diablo}}''), with help from the guy who created ''{{FATE}}''. As such, gameplay is a mishmash of all those franchies: you move and select targets for HackAndSlash treatment with a mouse while the keyboard simply serves as shortcuts to various menus and abilities. You have a pet; there's a separate level tree for "Fame"; there's artifact equipment and sockets galore; you can retire your character and come back again as an offspring of said; and there's a bonus dungeon, with (theoretically) infinite randomly-generated levels, for you to mess around in if you'd rather keep playing after you handle the FinalBoss.

* DemonicSpiders: The [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragonkin]] at the end of the game. These guys sport a fire breath that can kill a player in seconds. Not to mention they tend to come in large numbers, and can take a LOT of damage.
** Each class has its own DemonicSpider in the last area. For melee specialists, the Dragonkin are major threats, as their fire-breath is short-ranged and constant. For ranged specialists, we have Dark Zealots, who throw down enough damage to one-shot anyone who is even slightly squishy. And they can do it in two different elemental flavors, just in case you're thinking of bulking up your resistance to their attacks.
*** The ''real'' problem with Dark Zealots is that they can summon a ZergRush of "Enslaved" skeletons who out-DPS you, even if you're tanking. And that's completely ignoring the Dark Zealot's ''actual'' attacks.
**** This troper preferred seeing the Enslaveds come out, giving time for my Vanquisher to snipe the Dark Zealot with an explosive bolt, rather than risk a OneHitKill if the Dark Zealot lands a crit. The situation might be different for other classes, of course.
**** TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: the Dark Zealot's nukes are the game's tool of choice for when it decides to OneHitKill you, just to prove it can. Unlike Dragonkin, their spells scale almost equal to your level; long after you're shrugging off that fire breath, you'll still be dying over and over to a Dark Zealot lightningbeam.

Torchlight was the launch title for {{Steam}} for the Mac, 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 MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame set in the same universe with similar game mechanics has been promised for sometime in the future, but in the meantime a [[http://kotaku.com/5604215/torchlight-ii-coming-spring-2011 direct sequel]] was announced in August 2010. Originally meant to be out in Spring of 2011, it faced some delays, and if everything goes well it will finally be out on Summer of 2012. It will add CoOpMultiplayer to the franchise (a lack of which was a near-universal criticism of the original, especially since ''Diablo2'' was doing it a decade ago) and serve as a stepping-stone towards the MMO architecture.

Torchlight was the launch title for {{Steam}} for the Mac, 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 MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame set in the same universe with similar game mechanics has been promised for 2011/2012, but in the meantime a [[http://kotaku.com/5604215/torchlight-ii-coming-spring-2011 direct sequel]] was announced in August 2010 for a 2011 release date. It will add CoOpMultiplayer to the franchise (a lack of which was a near-universal criticism of the original, especially since ''Diablo2'' was doing it a decade ago) and serve as a stepping-stone towards the MMO architecture.

* SteamPunk: A bit.

** You can catch a [[{{Zork}} Grue]]fish.

* KneelBeforeZod: [[spoiler: Attempted by Alric on the player.]]

* KneelBeforeZod: Attempted by Alric on the player.

* ChestMonster: Aside from the standard mimic you fight, you can turn your own pet into a one!

* ChestMonster

''{{Torchlight}}'' is an ActionRPG developed and published by Runic Games ([[TheTropeFormerlyKnownAsX the artist formerly known as]] Flagship Studios, who created ''HellgateLondon'', themselves [[TheTropeFormerlyKnownAsX the artist formerly known as]] Blizzard North, who created ''{{Diablo}}''), with help from the guy who created ''{{FATE}}''. As such, gameplay is a mishmash of all those franchies: you move and select targets for HackAndSlash treatment with a mouse while the keyboard simply serves as shortcuts to various menus and abilities. You have a pet; there's a separate level tree for "Fame"; there's artifact equipment and sockets galore; you can retire your character and come back again as an offspring of said; and there's a bonus dungeon, with (theoretically) infinite randomly-generated levels, for you to mess around in if you'd rather keep playing after you handle the FinalBoss.