Early access feedback (a bit long, sorry)

[west nebula]

Hello there,

I hesitated before writing a review, but I guess one more won’t kill the reviewers considering the already existing amount.

I’ll start with the general feeling after playing the early access (for now I’ve played for about 24h). Like 50% of this server, I’ve spent a lot of time playing Titan Quest and I was thrilled to hear about a second opus. Even though there are improvements to do, I haven’t felt let down. The game feels like a home-made chocolate-chip cookie after a rainy day: maybe Mum could’ve added more sugar or butter, but damn that’s so good.

To be a bit more precise, here are the good, the bad and the feeling.

The good parts (non-exhaustive):

• Graphics (when the hardware follows): The game is sumptuous. Even in low, everything is beautiful, and I can’t have enough yet.
• Music: I usually play without the games’ music to be able to listen to something else or to talk with friends, but I can’t.
• Pace: I was afraid it would be a bit too slow, but I think it’s quite balanced the way it is now. A nice game between dodge, barrier, movement skills or just plain tanking. That’s a bit more nervous than the first opus where the mages, in particular, were complete turrets. Though characters should have some shortcomings, I do appreciate for mages to have some kind of movement skill.
• World design: Not an open world but large areas where you can wander and lose yourself. Sounds perfect to me, I’ve nothing to say. And the possibility to watch some fields from above before getting there, I love it, feels like the first time reaching the Megara hills.
• Quests: Finally, the quests give meaningful experience. That’s something enraging about Titan Quest 1, the quest, main or side, would not give useful experience points. The quests are nice, though some subjugation quests could be nice. I know it’s an action RPG so gathering quests are a no-go, but please, let’s make some subjugation quests.
• Equipment: Some positive things to say about it is that there are more item types than in the first opus, which is nice. Grim Dawn brought some good things such as this. And thank developers for adding poison staves, that’s funny.
• Masteries: It’s nice to see the original masteries, at least in name.
• Stability: I must be honest; I expected worse results regarding performance. For the Early Access’s first launch, that could’ve been worse. Wolcen-like worse.

Now, what I hope to see improved/added/changed:

• Performance: I do hear that Unreal Engine 5 is full of limitations, but I do hope that optimisation is possible. And though I’ve read someone in a feedback say that we should let developers make games we want to play in 10 years, when everyone can afford a good enough hardware, I disagree. Let’s pave the way for the future, but let’s focus on the ones who can play right now. I’ve played Titan Quest on a toaster, 20 years ago and that’s one of the games that I’ve been the most loyal to. Thank goodness CDs didn’t record the amount of time we spent on them. There will be chances to make more grandiose graphics in the future, please help people that can’t afford to spend thousands in computers play beautiful and long-lasting games like that.
• Quests: As I mentioned above, some subjugation quests could be nice for either experience or material farming when crafting comes into the game. I think regular RPGs have some things to give to ARPG for it to improve, and I think it could be nice to have additional, slower-paced or more specific kind of quests. But that might be greedy from me.
• Equipment: Though I was happy to find similarities in the equipment pieces, I’m a bit disappointed about a few things. As many mentioned before me, epic stuff is mainly a stuff full of affixes. Even though it can be funny in the beginning, I really like the uniqueness of Titan Quest 1 epic and legendary stuff. I do agree it could make them difficult to integrate to some builds, but I guess, and I hope that with a bit of influence of crafting, it could be a nice thing. Also, I’m looking forward to the change of loot distribution, and how factions’ items will display later. I’m also looking forward to the relics, charms that I guess will be part of the crafting system.

• Masteries and skills: Though I’m happy to see old friends after so many years, I’m a bit confused. On one hand, I’m satisfied with having the old masteries, a bit remastered. On the other, I find it a bit lacking in novelty. That’s a bit paradoxical but that’s how I’m feeling. And I’m anxious to see the Nature mastery (if you remove the heal and the wolves, I’ll haunt you in your sleep). About divinity, like many others, I think it would be nice to have stats impact, otherwise the fact we’re gaining it through multiple channels seems a bit pointless. About the passives, it feels like mainly a boost in stats before 3rd tier, which isn’t bad per say, but they all feel quite the same, that’s a bit sad. And regarding core skills, though I do understand the wish to make the player choose to enhance some basic actions, there is too much load on these. It could be better to put some modifiers into passives.
• Attributes: I do understand it’s meant to balance the game, but putting lightning damage aside from fire and cold seems uncalled for. The elemental system was a very nice thing in Titan Quest, and I hope I can find my three elements side by side again.
• Bosses: That’s been said as well, but the last boss is quite underwhelming, both in difficulty/mechanics and in the looting atmosphere.

Finally, a more personal note. I was a kid when Titan Quest was published back then, eyes filled with wonder as I watched my father play on the family computer. I’ve spent countless hours playing, discovering, rediscovering. I’ve made friends thanks to this game. I’ve forced friends to play this game. I’ve been hopping up and down for each and every DLC (though I was a bit older since Immortal Throne). Titan Quest is one of my favourite games ever, and the joy to see the franchise continue as an adult is immeasurable. I haven’t connected with Grim Dawn, though the game is so thorough. Titan Quest, its atmosphere, its heart still feels like the best ARPG to me. Thank you for giving this second opus to us.

One last thing is about the performance again. I know it’s common now not to optimise much because that advanced hardware compensates. And I know that what sells more now is breath-taking, reality-like environment, graphics. But please, think about those who can’t afford to buy new hardware. Honestly, Titan Quest 2 is one of the few, if not the only game I’d buy supporting packs to help the developers to be able to optimise it as much as technically possible. My partner is currently looking to upgrade his 8-year-old computer, and we are lucky to be able to just do that without worrying about money too much, but many others can’t do the same, and that’s a shame considering what could be done with the will to optimise like developers were forced to do back then.

Sorry about the big post, it just felt right!