It’s the 2000s, I’m in my late teens and 20s, and Diablo clones are all the rage. Diablo 2 was a genre-defining masterpiece when it launched at the end of 1999, and few action-RPGs could match its excellence in gameplay, world-building, music, and art design.
In 2006, Titan Quest came darn close.
I fell head-over-sandals for this “Diablo by way of Classic Era Mythology,” its cool two-Mastery system opening up fun character builds, and its brightly colored, globe-trotting world as a nice contrast to the horrors of Sanctuary.
Nearly two decades later, Titan Quest 2 has arrived from Grimlore Games and THQ Nordic.
Mostly.
Halfway.
Arriving via Steam Early Access, Titan Quest 2 includes the first act and four masteries (skill trees). It’s far from feature-complete, but plays well, and certainly feels like a proper Titan Quest sequel.
The vistas often show off the impressive draw distance and lush art palette
Leap, Whirl, Repeat
Titan Quest 2 will eventually feature a full character editor. For now, I can select from a few facial presets before dropping onto my newbie island as a mysterious chosen one who can gain the power of gods (i.e. skill points). I can choose one of four masteries to start: Earth, Rogue, Storm, and Warfare.
I can’t help but select Warfare, with an eventual second mastery of Storm, to create my own version of Thor. Startlingly original, I know.
Warfare isn’t the flashiest of masteries, featuring the usual mix of whirlwinds, leaps, and ground stomps — skills that have been around since Diablo 2. Comforting, in a way.
Action-RPG fans are a crunchy bunch, dedicated to optimization, and the constant desire to improve skills and gear. Titan Quest 2 rewards this with modifiable skills. By putting more points into my favorite skills, I unlock additional node slots. Each node represents a new modifier I can choose for that skill (or an improvement to a modifier).
The mastery system offers plenty of options, without being overwhelming
For example, the leap skill can be modified to stun enemies, create a larger crash-landing area, or generate rage (which can be consumed using other skills for bonus effects). I can add several different modifiers, and/or empower them, if I dedicate enough points to that single skill.
It’s an interesting solution that promotes players using only a select few skills, and tweaking them in different ways to suit their build.
On the other hand, it could mean that I’m performing the same signature skills from the very beginning of the game, instead of excitedly unlocking new skills as I progress.
Once I unlock my second mastery (which is thankfully pretty early), I can put points into Call Lightning, summoning a bolt of lighting to strike down at multiple enemies in a small radius. I modify the skill to use the Overwhelm that my basic attack generates for bonus damage, setting up for a regular combo.
Getting up close with bad guys forces me to invest points into the barrier and dodge skills — basic skills that every character possesses, and can be modified just like any other skill. Should I make my dodge move farther? Or change it to a teleport? Or pop-in and deal frost damage to enemies? Lots of fun options to play with.
Dodge is a critical skill that any class can use
I was impressed with how lethal the game quickly becomes. More powerful enemies and bosses unleash wind-up attacks that should be dodged, and large amounts of enemies can quickly overwhelm, if I don’t take them out fast. I had to back off from one area after dying multiple times, realizing that they were several levels higher.
Health potions work on a cooldown rather than a finite resource, a welcome improvement that most modern action-RPGs employ. Death seems easily mitigated, however, as I’m granted a one-time insta-teleport back to my body to exact revenge (or run away whimpering to regroup!).
Crab Mythology
The world of Act 1 is all pristine beaches, towering cliffs, fertile swamps, and dark caves. It feels very Grecian, and appropriate for swords-and-sandals adventuring. The art style is rich in color and detail, particularly the gorgeous water effects. Titan Quest’s art is a lovely contrast to the usual dark and Gothic-themes of every other action-RPG. Rich voice acting is also a nice surprise for the various NPCs we meet along the way.
Can’t say I’m a big fan of the actual monsters, however. Enemy variety is one of my biggest disappointments in Titan Quest 2. For a fantasy game steeped in classic monsters, much of the early hours are spent fighting birds, snakes, and crabs of unusual sizes.
Seriously, with the amount of crabs in this game!
Do you know what happens to a crab when it’s struck by lightning?
The enemies are so boring that the first time I fought skeletons, one of the most basic of fantasy monsters, I was happy to see anything that wasn’t a semi-giant animal, or a generic bandit.
Enemy variety gets slightly more interesting later in the Act (and the large bosses are certainly awesome), but the first few hours are what everyone is going to see, and fighting a bunch of beasts with basic skills is frankly a tough sell for a new game in a crowded genre.
My other major gripe is that combat speed and movement feel too sluggish. Maybe I’m growing more impatient with my precious limited gaming time, or maybe I struggle to optimize my Warfare/Storm build, but every battle took longer than I would have liked, and every animation feels a little too clunky and cumbersome.
Titan Quest 2 Early Access Roadmap
The action-RPG is in a renaissance of late. Hack and slash fans are eating very well between Diablo 4, Path of Exile 2, and Last Epoch. (Grim Dawn, released around a decade ago, is also still worthy of a mention as a spiritual successor to Titan Quest). So many great options is wonderful for fans, and challenging for Titan Quest 2.
The developers are solidly behind this sequel, with a clear roadmap that includes regular updates. New features coming over the next several months include new chapters, masteries, and crafting.
Waiting until an eventual 1.0 release is always a solid move (especially if you’re interested in multiplayer, or consoles), but I’m also impressed with how everything (mostly) works this early into Early Access.
I’m a bit older than I was when I first played the original Titan Quest all those years ago. I have a spouse, kids, a mortgage — and much less time for gaming. Hack and slash RPGs will always hold a special place in my heart, and Titan Quest 2 is almost capable of holding its own against its contemporaries.
Especially if you fancy slaughtering hordes of ravenous crustaceans.
Titan Quest 2 is available now via Steam Early Access.
