Perfect World Entertainment announced earlier today that the upcoming anticipated entry in the Torchlight franchise, Torchlight Frontiers, will be launched as the next numbered entry into the series, Torchlight III. A closed alpha will begin on January 29th, and Torchlight III is slated to launch this summer on Steam.
Announced via a press release earlier today, the upcoming title will shed its previously planned free-to-play experience, opting for a premium model like Torchlight I and II before it. The title will be released on Steam this summer and will refocus back on the linear world structure we've seen in previous titles.
“When we started developing Torchlight Frontiers, we were focused on creating a shared-world experience,” said Max Schaefer, CEO of Echtra Games and co-founder of the Torchlight franchise. “During development, you often discover what type of product a game was meant to be and we found Torchlight Frontiers was meant to be a true successor to Torchlight I & II. Based on this and extensive feedback from our Alpha testers, we decided it was time to take the game back to its roots and model it after the classic Torchlight games that ARPG fans have come to love. We’d like to thank our dedicated player base for supporting us and providing such insightful feedback during early development.”
Torchlight III brings players back to the style that set the series apart from other ARPGs on the market today, giving players unique pets to go on their adventure with them, from an alpaca to a loveable canine. Other features for the upcoming game include the following, per the official release:
- Travel the Frontier: Players can explore the wilderness, party with friends, gather materials to craft loot, use magical maps to enter unknown dungeons, or show off their spoils in town! There’s always something to do in the new frontier.
- Build & Upgrade Your Fort: It’s time to rebuild! Players will enjoy their very own account-based fort,where they can upgrade gear, and make renovations to show it off to their friends and the world. The game allows them to build monuments of power, pet stables, and more!
- Choose a Relic: Relics are objects of great power that grant players a suite of active skills and passive skills. Players can craft them, level them up and store them in their fort. The relic is an important part of a character's strategy - choose wisely!
- Collect Epic Gear - Whether it's armor, weapons, dyes, recipes, ember cores, or even new pets ... there's always more to find as adventurers battle through dungeons and take on dangerous foes. Every randomly-generated area can be replayed over and over again since each instance brings different items. Those who want even more epic gear can run maps from the Mapworks, or take on a contract to earn Fame and unlock elite items.
- Pets are Back: Players can fight their way to fame and glory with loyal companions! Each of the many species comes in a myriad of colors and styles so adventurers shouldn’t settle for the first one they find. They can also make these pets stronger by adding skills, equip them with gear to make them hardier, and together battle enemies as a team.
- Build Your Hero: With four classes to choose from, players can utilize class-specific mechanics to maximize damage and their odds of survival. Torchlight III lets them gather epic gear, select your Relic powers, and customize loadouts to create a unique combat style for their heroes.
Additionally, Torchlight III will include diverse hero classes, such as the Dusk Mage who harnesses light and dark magic; the Forged, a powerful robot who can unleash explosive attacks; and the Railmaster, a "locomotive savvy powerhouse who steams into combat with a massive hammer and heavily armored battle train" Seriously getting Rick and Morty vibes from this one.
You can check out the official trailer below. Additionally, you can check out Tordchlight III's official website for more details.
