Highlights
- The distinctive features of Titan Quest, such as its unique loot system and absence of level-scaling, set it apart from other ARPGs like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile.
- While the original creators of Titan Quest won't be involved in the sequel, the development team is using the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5.
- Exciting features like hybrid classes are also expected.
In case you've missed it, Titan Quest 2 is real, and is officially coming from Spellforce 3 developer Grimlore Games. I'm genuinely excited about this reveal. Unlike many players out there who might've kicked off their ARPG journey with Diablo 2, it was the original Titan Quest that sparked my passion for this genre, and what a game it was! As a big fan of Greek mythology, I was instantly drawn in by its setting—only to be welcomed by a sprawling game with an enormous world, near-perfect character class system, rewarding loot, and those epic boss fights against mythical monsters.
Titan Quest stands out from other games in its league, such as Diablo, due to a variety of distinctive features. Its loot system is one notable example. The game is stacked with an array of unique items tied to specific regions, but what really takes the cake is that it's not just a matter of luck with random drops from enemies, as you'd find in games like Diablo 4 or Path of Exile. In Titan Quest, each enemy you face is kitted out with gear–armor, weapons, jewelry–and once you defeat them, you can snag these goodies for yourself. One day, you might be squaring off against a fierce Satyr warrior who's brandishing a luminous legendary spear, and that spear was yours if you could defeat it.
Legendaries were a true rarity, and many of them were drawn straight from the pages of mythological texts–like the Bow of Herakles or Hector's Shimmering Shield from the Trojan War. The joy of stumbling upon these treasures was an event in itself, and the rewards were immense, granting incredibly powerful bonuses or even unique skills that could transform you into an unstoppable force for hours on end. Moreover, the absence of level-scaling, which often can diminish the satisfaction of progression, meant that the feeling of becoming overwhelmingly powerful always stayed within your reach.
Back in the day, Titan Quest stood as one of the most visually-pleasing games out there, featuring stunning environments that spanned three different cultures (Greece, Egypt, and the East), complete with a dynamic day-and-night cycle and spectacular combat effects. Equally captivating was the game's grand sense of adventure, accompanied by the authentic compositions of Scott Morton and Michael Verrette. Even long after I had beaten the game multiple times, their music continued to resonate with me.
With that in mind, my biggest wish for Titan Quest 2 is to stay true to its own essence, rather than succumbing to the prevailing trends of today's most popular ARPGs like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile. I admit, the grim and gory dark fantasy aesthetics of these games are appealing to me as well, but Titan Quest 2 is a chance to take a break from the grimdark palette and head to brighter climes.
Titan Quest's vibrant visuals and combat, entirely devoid of gore (no blood spills when dispatching foes, just playful ragdoll physics), combined with its fairy-tale narrative style, remain distinctly charming. This sets it apart from the bulk of modern RPGs that often take themselves overly serious. Titan Quest immerses you in an enchanting world that's both warm and cheerful, yet knows how to ratchet up tension and evoke fear when the story demands it.
In the world of Titan Quest, it's not uncommon to come across friendly folks drawn from legendary tales, who generously share poetic verses that further enrich your understanding of the mythos, like hearing a lyrical ode about Achilles. Hopefully, Titan Quest 2 will uphold the lighthearted mood from those golden gaming days.
My other hope is that the full-fledged sequel is a more ambitious undertaking for THQ Nordic compared to the rather lackluster expansions of the original game's Anniversary Edition, like Ragnarök and Atlantis. Not only did these additions feel severely outdated upon arrival, but they also left an underwhelming impression, almost resembling fan-created mods. It's hard to even begin comparing them with Immortal Throne—the one and only true expansion created by Iron Lore that sent players into the depths of Hades.
While it's a bit disappointing that the original creators of Titan Quest, who reassembled as Crate Entertainment and delivered the astonishing ARPG Grim Dawn, won't be at the helm of this forthcoming sequel, there's at least a silver lining. Titan Quest 2 is being developed by a new sizable team using the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5, so I'm pretty optimistic about the game's potential execution.
Everything else we've learned about the sequel so far sounds pretty reassuring too. The creators emphasize the return of two-masteries hybrid classes for a flexible playstyle, and promise an odyssey worthy of legend that takes you to realms uncharted by mere mortals. As you'd expect, classic creatures from Greek mythology like Centaurs, Satyrs, Sirens, Harpies, Ichthians, and Gryphons are all coming back, and I cannot wait to click the hell out of them with my spear, all while being serenaded by the soothing melodies of a harp in the background.