Torchlight, the surprise Diablo-esque hit of last fall, is getting a sequel according to developer Runic Games.
Torchlight II has you questing beyond the town of Torchlight to the Estherian Steppes and the continent of Vilderan to battle a new and powerful enemy that threatens the entire world. And this time you'll be able to play the role-playing game cooperatively with a friend.
Key Features in Torchlight 2:
Matchmaking - Free peer-to-peer matchmaking service that drops you and a friend into randomized outdoor areas, caverns and dungeons.
Customizable Characters – Players create and customize a character from one of four classes available and choose an animal companion. Through cosmetic, class, and gender choices, skill path decisions, and the treasures they acquire, each character can be custom-tailored to each player's needs.
New User Interface – Torchlight II boasts an entirely new, improved user interface, designed to be easier than ever for new players to pick up and play. Thanks to this intuitive interface, players have immediate access to a rich and varied world, with little experience necessary.
Random Dungeons – Delve into randomly generated dungeons within the game at any time for extra experience and rare loot. Dungeons in Torchlight II have even more branching paths to explore with friends filled with random events, rewards and dangers.
Overworld Areas – Torchlight II has large randomized overworld areas to explore with weather, time of day cycles, and random events that provide players with even more content to experience.
Retirement System – Once characters are sufficiently leveled up, they can "retire" and bestow specific benefits and perks onto new characters.
Fishing – Fishing returns in the sequel! Players can take a break from the high-energy pace of adventuring to relax by one of the many fishing holes and see what they can catch. Fish have unique benefits for the player and pet, while a number of other rewards can also be discovered.
Pets – Players choose a pet to accompany them. Pets level up along with the player, and help in battle, learn spells, carry items, and perform a variety of support services.
Moddability – Torchlight II will release with an updated version of TorchEd, the Torchlight editor. Players have the option to create their own mods, adding even more content to the world. You and your friends can download the same mod and play together!
It sounds like there is plenty packed into the planned sequel to bring fans back to the game. In case you missed out the first one, make sure you pick it up if you are a Diablo fan.
Torchlight 2 Release Date: Spring of 2011.