While I didn’t get my hands on it due to time constraints, my demo of Titan Quest 2 courtesy of developer Grimlore Games was a real highlight of the show. I’m a huge fan of ARPGs, and with Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred imminent, the Path of Exile 2 beta just around the corner, and contenders like Last Epoch and Torchlight Infinite continuing to grow and improve, we’re in a real heyday for the genre right now. In a new developer blog, Grimlore reveals how different content types will work in its upcoming PC game, and it’s all about rewarding exploration.
The original Titan Quest remains one of the best contenders to Diablo’s throne, with an inventive class system that allows you to combine two different masteries, opening the door to plenty of unique playstyles. It’s something the team at Grimlore is looking to build on in the sequel – if you’re curious to learn more about that, you can read my Titan Quest 2 Gamescom preview for the full breakdown. But like all the best RPGs, of course, creating the perfect build is only fun if you’ve got plenty of quests to take it out on, and Titan Quest 2 is no different.
At the core of this is the main questline, which you’ll see labeled in-game as Fated Quests. “They are destined to be completed,” Grimlore explains, “and they tell the story of the player character’s battle with Nemesis. These quests tend to feature the bigger narrative moments of the game, but also some of our most exciting gameplay – big boss fights, dramatic escapes, tricky encounters, and one-of-a-kind events serve to make these quests memorable and fun to play.”
While you can simply mainline your way through this central path if you want, there’s a lot more in store for those who are prepared to step off the beaten path. “One of our big goals for Titan Quest 2 is to encourage and reward exploration,” the team notes. “The Fates do not dictate everything. The world of Titan Quest 2 is full of opportunities for heroism, glory, or personal enrichment.”
Next on the list, then, are World Quests. These can take all manner of different forms – during the Gamescom demo, we saw one such example that had us freeing citizens of Pyrgos from their imprisonment at the hands of the Ichthians. World Quests “can focus on a mechanic, a mini-boss, a character, a twist, a piece of mythology, or the central conflict of the chapter,” Grimlore says.
“You might find yourself tangling with a treacherous naiad, fighting the ghost of an ancient war hero, or saving someone’s life from a Gorgon snakebite.” Crucially, it adds that these quests “are designed to be exploration-friendly.” That means, for the example given earlier, that if you find the Ichthian prisoners before you come across the official quest giver who sends you to look for them, you can still free them right there and then without being told to do so first.
Beyond that comes a variety of other, smaller rewards, narrative moments, and easter eggs, which Grimlore dubs Exploration Events. “These are small encounters,” it describes – “a talking jar, a statue of Herakles surrounded by mysterious offering bowls, an encounter with a battle hardened Ichthian commander.” These won’t show up in your quest log, but instead are designed for you to come across as you’re exploring, so you’ll want to pay close attention to your surroundings, as each one you find will offer both some unique narrative flavor and a reward for completing it.
Titan Quest 2 is set to launch via Steam Early Access this coming winter. Grimlore Games says it’s aiming for either late 2024 or early 2025. Until we have an official release date, you can wishlist it on Steam to be kept up to date with further details.
In the meantime, the Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred release date is almost upon us, but if you simply can’t wait until then – or fancy a different flavor of loot-filled grinding instead – here are the best games like Diablo to play in 2024.
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