Mixed
mythology on an intercontinental scale? Of course, but hey, this is the video
game industry and the guiding rule is there are no rules. Just make it fun.
Titan Quest,
from THQ and Iron Lore Entertainment, is simply that – fun. Sure, the quest
system seems a bit linear, and yes, this is (more or less) Diablo 2 done with
better graphics and interesting plot points.
THQ sent
along a limited preview version of the game, featuring the first two levels, to
enable a more thorough look at the intricacies of the game.
While not
all elements of the game were accessible, the game does allow players to create
custom quests and there are three difficulty levels (normal, epic and
legendary). There is also the ability to play the single-player progressive
campaign, or to join or host a multiplayer game. After picking from a male or
female character, with few customization options, you are whisked away to the
Village of Helos to begin the journey. After clearing out a few troublemakers
(which look surprisingly like satyrs gone bad), you head down the road to Sparta
with a plea to a general to send troops to help the beleaguered village you were
just in.
Of course,
you can’t just waltz down the road and you will battle monsters, take side
quests, pick up loot to upgrade and begin the customized look of your character.
You will also enter into the skills system. There are several skill trees you
can select from and as you level, you will determine just what kind of character
you have in how you pick the trees you will begin to learn to master. For
example, if you tend toward the ranger type of character, with strong ranged
bow-based attacks, you may choose the hunting tree. There are three entry skills
to the tree – ensnare, take down (brutal spear thrust) and wood lore (which adds
defensive skills and attack speed). Now as you level, you are given a choice of
where to invest points in the skills or save them to unlock better skills up the
tree. The tree itself has 32 points and skills unlock at certain levels. If you
save your points and unlock to level four, three more skills become available.
The skill tree increments are 1, 4, 10, 16, 24 and 32.
You also get
attribute points. Some armor and weapons will require a certain proficiency in
certain areas.
In addition
to armor and weapon (and potion and coin) drops, some monsters will drop relics
and charms, which can then be applied to equipped items for a bonus to stats.
Players can
hotslot potions in the hotbar, and there are two slots for weapons, which can be
interchanged with the touch of the W key.
Those who
did play Diablo 2 may recognize some of the hotkeys – like holding down Alt to
see what all the drops are. While there are some strong similarities, Titan
Quest succeeds on its own as an involving and evolving experience.
Graphically,
the world is lush and richly textured. This is a wonderfully visual game, only
dampened by a camera that is locked into a fixed viewpoint. The problem this
creates is when you are being ranged attacked from off the screen. You have to
move to be able to click on the target to attack back. User interface elements
can also get in the way. But dynamic shadows and lighting, and a day-night
cycle, help breathe life into this world.
The camera
does, though, allow players to zoom in tight on the action or pull back to an
isometric perspective. The sound is also quite solid, with decent voice-overs
and theme music.
Titan Quest
does seem a lot like an update version of Diablo 2, but that is not a bad thing.
The latter was a thoroughly enjoyable hack ‘n slash, and Titan Quest provides
that aspect in large does, but with the skill-leveling system, it also tempers
all that with intelligent leveling considerations.
Slated for
release later this month, Titan Quest is definitely a game worth watching for.
