Torchlight II vs Torchlight III
Torchlight II is an action-RPG RPG game from Runic Games (2012) while Torchlight III is an action-RPG open-world game from Echtra Inc. (2020).
What each one is
Steam files Torchlight II under Action-RPG and RPG. In contrast, it files Torchlight III under Action-RPG and Open-World.
The adventure continues in Torchlight II! An Action RPG filled with epic battles, bountiful treasure, and a fully randomized world. Bring your friends along for the journey with online and LAN multiplayer.
In Torchlight III, Novastraia is again under threat of invasion and it’s up to you to defend against the Netherim and its allies. Gather your wits and brave the frontier to find fame, glory, and new adventures!
At a glance
| Torchlight II | Torchlight III | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 8.2/10 | 4.7/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (93%, 45,503) | Mixed (47%, 11,473) |
| Critic aggregate | 88/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | $19.99 | $39.99 |
| Install size | — | 10 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2012 | 2020 |
| Developer | Runic Games | Echtra Inc. |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Torchlight II vs Torchlight III, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Torchlight IIAction-RPG RPG gameTorchlight IIIAction-RPG open-world gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Torchlight IIRPG, Action RPG, Hack and SlashTorchlight IIIRPG, Adventure, Hack and SlashThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Torchlight II ✓Score 8.2 · 93% on Steam · 88 criticTorchlight IIIScore 4.7 · 47% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Torchlight II45,503 reviewsTorchlight III11,473 reviews · 10 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Torchlight II ✓$19.99Torchlight III$39.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Torchlight IIPlayableTorchlight IIIPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Torchlight II takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueTorchlight II and Torchlight III on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Torchlight II (GamingPickz Score 8.2)
- The cheaper right now: Torchlight II ($19.99)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Torchlight II (45,503 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
RPGAction RPGHack and SlashLootDungeon CrawlerCo-opFantasyOnline Co-Op
Where they differ
IndieModdableReplay ValueAtmosphericCartoon
ControllerOpen WorldEarly Access
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Torchlight II is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Torchlight III is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Torchlight II | Torchlight III | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | — |
| Minimum CPU | x86-compatible 1.4GHz | — |
| Minimum RAM | 1 GB | — |
| Install size | — | 10 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Torchlight II · Torchlight III.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Torchlight II and 1 for Torchlight III. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Torchlight II and Torchlight III in scope?
Torchlight II has drawn 45,503 Steam reviews. Torchlight III has drawn 11,473 Steam reviews and installs in 10 GB.
Is Torchlight II or Torchlight III better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Torchlight II rates higher (8.2 to 4.7). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Torchlight II or Torchlight III?
Torchlight II is cheaper right now at $19.99, against $39.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.