If you’re a fan of the “loot-splosion” genre, you’ve probably spent your fair share of time clicking on demons in Diablo or getting lost in the massive talent trees of Path of Exile. Torchlight: Infinite lands somewhere right in the middle, offering a flashy, fast-paced ARPG experience that feels surprisingly at home on both PC and mobile.
The Vibe: Flashy and Fluid
First things first: this isn’t the gritty, gothic horror of its competitors. Infinite leans into a vibrant, stylized aesthetic that feels like a high-octane Saturday morning cartoon. But don’t let the bright colors fool you—the combat is incredibly smooth. Skills feel impactful, and the screen-clearing ability of most builds is genuinely satisfying. Whether you’re playing as a shotgun-toting dwarf or a space-time-bending mage, the core loop of “run, kill, loot, repeat” is dialed in perfectly.
Build Freedom (The Meat of the Game)
Where Torchlight: Infinite really shines is its customization. It ditches the rigid skill trees of the past for a more modular system. You have:
- Active Skills: Your main attacks.
- Support Skills: Modifiers that change how those attacks work (e.g., adding multiple projectiles or life-leech).
- Talent Trees: Massive webs of passive buffs.
- Hero Traits: Specific mechanics unique to your chosen character.
It’s deep enough to satisfy the spreadsheet-loving “theorycrafters,” but intuitive enough that you won’t feel like you need a PhD to reach the endgame. You can genuinely experiment without feeling punished, which is a breath of fresh air.
The Mobile Elephant in the Room
Since it’s a cross-platform title, the UI is designed with touchscreens in mind. On PC, this can occasionally feel a bit “chunky,” but the trade-off is that you can grind a few maps on your lunch break using your phone and then hop back on your desktop at home with full cross-progression.
Regarding monetization—yes, there is a battle pass and a gacha system for “Pactspirits” (little pets that give minor stat boosts). While you can definitely feel the “pay-for-convenience” elements, the vast majority of the game—including the entire story and high-tier endgame mapping—is accessible for free. You don’t need to open your wallet to have a blast blowing up thousands of monsters.
The Verdict
Torchlight: Infinite is a fantastic “secondary” ARPG. It’s perfect for when you want the complexity of a deep character builder but don’t want to deal with the overwhelming grimness or clunky mechanics of older titles. It’s fast, it’s colorful, and it respects your time more than most mobile-adjacent games.
Pros:
- Incredible build variety and experimentation.
- Combat feels snappy and responsive.
- Great performance on both mobile and PC.
Cons:
- Art style might be too “mobile-looking” for some.
- The story is mostly forgettable fluff.
If you’re looking for a game to scratch that itch for legendary loot drops and screen-filling explosions, this is well worth the download.
