Title: Titan Quest

Date: 07.19.2006

Genre: Action RPG

Platform: PC

Developer: Ironlore

Publisher: THQ

Well it seems that the hack and slash genre is still alive, and the proof is within this game. Published by THQ and developed by Ironlore Titan Quest is the newest game to hit stores with the tried and true method of running around beating stuff up and picking through their remains, and to be honest, there is nothing really that. Now for most who are experienced in this type of play style the measuring stick is always going to be the Diablo series, which took this formula and made it a science. Therefore, of course, this game is to be compared to Diablo, and it measures it up well, but there are notable problems and other bugs that keep this game from overtaking Diablo.

The story of Titan Quest is simple. You are a fledgling warrior from Greece that embarks on a Quest to defeat the evil Telkines that have been unleashed upon the world. As you travel you will stumble upon their evil plain and only you can save the world and the Gods from certain destruction. Along your journey you will explore the world of ancient Greece, Egypt, Asia, and even the home of the Gods, Mount Olympus.

The game play of Titan Quest is also simple. You click a monster and either hit or use magic to kill the monsters of the world. As you explore the different areas of the world, you will see different and stronger monsters that complement the part of the world you are currently cleansing and of course, all the monsters are based around Greek Mythology. After you first level up and get your handle on the game you will be allowed to choose a primary from a list of 8 different classes each specializing in different types of fighting depending on your play style. If you’re one to run up and beat stuff with blunt objects then warfare is a good choice for you.

On the other hand, if you are a type that likes to hang back and blow monsters up with powerful spells then earth may be up your ally. Some that makes the class system somewhat different then other games of the genre is that once you hit level 8 you are permitted to choose a secondary class that creates up to 64 different class combos, and upon your choice you'll be given a class title to make you feel special. Now, a hack and slash just would not be a true hack and slash without items and this game delivers. Throughout the 3 difficulty settings you will come across a whole slew of items that will benefit your ability to dispatch monsters and send them to the underworld of Hades. Overall the game play of Titan Quest is nothing different from any other game in this genre, but on the same hand, it doesn't do anything bad either.

Graphics in TQ are good for a game of this type. The game uses dynamic lighting and other methods to really immerse the player into feeling that their character is actually exploring the ancient world of Greece and so on. Each monster looks vivid and detailed. The rag doll physics also adds a nice touch especially when you are lucky enough to knock a monster off a cliff and watch as his limp body rolls down and plummets to the ground. That being said this game requires a hefty rig to run it, which is perplexing because even though the game looks better then average for game of this magnitude and style the requirements should not really require such step specs to run at decent frame rates. However, the rampant memory leaks and slowdown, and the all around poor stability really hinder some of the more intense sequences in the game.

The sound in this game is adequate at best. Sure, there are some nice sound tracks for each portion of the world you are walking around but it really does not leave a lasting impression. The sounds are all standard; you have a sound for a weapon hitting a monster and what not. It does not do anything bad by any means, but it just does enough to get by. Also the current problems with the sound cutting on and off and randomly going low adds a little bit of annoyance to the game play.

The internet of Titan Quest much like the rest of the game is just good enough to get by. Of course the game is more enjoyable when played with others it does not really offer the scope that Diablo gave with Battle Net. There is your standard LAN and Internet powered by Game spy to keep the co-op going strong, but the lack of PvP is disheartening to say the least. PvP adds an extra amount of replay value to a game like this and taking it out could be a problem down the road. Now there is a way to have “un-supported” PvP by messing with the shortcut icons, but if the developers themselves are not going to support it and tweak it to make it as remember as Diablo 2's PvP there really is no point in diving too deep into it. Another foreseeable problem with TQ is that it uses Game spy instead of a server system similar to Battle Net. No friend lists, or lobbies give TQ that sort of bland feel. However, the biggest problem with TQ's online aspect is that your characters are stored player side instead of server side, which will most likely lead to rampant hacks and other such nuisances in the near future.

While TQ is a solid hack and slash there are some major problems currently running amok. The most severe is character corruptions and stability problems. The game randomly crashes even on the most beefy rigs, and characters can be lost at the drop of a hat. Another big problem with TQ is online quest disruption. Apparently if you join a game with a player further along then you there is a chance of your main quest line being screwed up and making it impossible for you to continue on in your Quest. I hope that future patches will make Titan Quest more stable and address some of the problems present within the game. Lastly, the future of Titan Quest is uncertain. A big reason Diablo 2 became such a popular game was that the developers and community were very active and new content was always added. Titan Quest comes packaged with a map creator, but the question of if it will be enough is uncertain. The future of this game is going to depend heavily on community support and new content released by Ironlore.

The problem with Titan Quest is that it lacks that certain intangible "edge" that would have tied the game into one epic masterpiece. There's just something about the overall design the game that makes it feel a little bland, a little uninspired. By the time you kill the last boss, you'll probably just go "oh, ok, that's it? hrm", and then continue on to Epic difficulty in your endless quest for more loot. This game obviously looks better than Diablo 2, but Diablo was much more of a "masterpiece" in its own time than Titan Quest will ever be.

Overall Titan Quest is an above average Hack and Slasher RPG. The class system has a high amount of depth and fun to play around with. The game looks good and plays good when it is stable. Once the problems in the game are fixed Titan Quest has a good chance of being a remember game. Will it rival Diablo? Who knows it is too early to tell, but Titan Quest is going to need some big help from the players and community to have a chance.

Game Score

8.4

Reviewed By: Contributed