Published , by Sam Chandler
Published , by Sam Chandler
Torchlight 3 gives players four classes to choose from at the start of the game. Picking the right character for you can be a daunting process, especially if you’re not certain which one is more your speed. Let’s take a look at the four heroes on offer and see which class best speaks to your playstyle.
First off, Torchlight 3 gives players several character slots. This allows players to experiment with different classes, Relics, and builds to find one that matches their playstyle – or play a bit of everything.
Each of the four classes has a little internal “trick” or a sort of synergy within its build. Working out this synergy, and exploiting it, will allow you to unlock a class’ full potential. This will get easier as you become more familiar with your class.
Before you begin, it’s important to note that a character you create in Singleplayer cannot be played in Multiplayer, and vice versa. For this reason, it can be worth creating a class in Multiplayer, even if you don’t currently have someone to play with.
The Sharpshooter is your iconic archer class. This character excels at long-range combat with builds further supplemented by the ability to call forth creatures for help.
One skill tree focuses on several different arrow abilities, such as cone shots, raining down arrows, or single, powerful arrow shots. The other skill tree is all about summoning a creature to aid you in battle while also providing a damage buff. Whether it’s a ball of rats, a group of goblins, a giant hawk or fox, the Sharpshooter will always have backup.
The Sharpshooter is best for those players that like to keep their distance from the combat, but still want to feel extremely powerful. The Sharpshooter doesn’t really have any skills that assist allies, so it’s not great as a support option.
The Dusk Mage is a mage-type class in Torchlight 3. By juggling light and dark magic, the Dusk Mage is able to empower itself, dealing more damage and boosting mana regen.
The light magic focuses on holy light, whether it’s a piercing bolt, an energy beam or a healing and damage-boosting pool of light. The dark magic is all about debuffing enemies and slowing them down.
Because the Dusk Mage has a few area-of-effect abilities, it could be argued that this is a great class for the player that doesn’t mind playing support. However, the Dusk Mage is still extremely powerful, and those that enjoy playing a warlock or witch would do well to choose this class.
Forged is a very melee focused class. This robot has a heat function that allows the player to keep on throwing out abilities. Some abilities build heat while others vent heat. By building and venting heat, Forged can keep the damage going.
One skill tree offers a shotgun blast from Forged’s chest cannon, a poison dart, and an area-of-effect that weakens enemies. The other skill tree offers more melee-focused abilities, like a devastating spinning attack, a flurry of fists, and an uppercut.
The Forged class is perfect for the player that loves diving head first into a group of enemies and seeing what happens. With a lot of short-range abilities, Forged is always going to be up close and personal. The quick cooldowns and the heat synergy allow Forged to stay in close range for quite a long time.
Railmaster is all about hitting things with a heavy hammer and being aided in combat by a train that follows them everywhere. By dealing damage, a Railmaster can boost the effectiveness of their next ability.
One of the Railmaster’s skill trees focuses on improving the rail car that follows behind them. This skill tree gives the carts an electrifying field, a protective shield for players, and even a flamethrower. The other tree is all about empowering the Railmaster’s massive hammer. Abilities include shattering the ground around you, throwing out pickaxes, and spinning around to clear some room.
The Railmaster is great for the player that likes to dip in and out of combat. The close-range hammer skills let the Railmaster get in, do some damage, and then quickly get out. This playstyle is supplemented well by the train car, which provides continual support. This is the ideal class for the player that wants to get in and deal damage but also have the option to sit back and help.
Picking the right class in Torchlight 3 is going to come down to personal preference. Once you do manage to choose a character, the next tough decision will be deciding on a Relic. Make sure you check out the Shacknews Torchlight 3 page for more helpful tips!