Torchlight III announces a new class

Sometimes it happens that things don´t really go as planned and you have to adapt to the new situation on the fly. That is pretty much what has happened with Torchlight Frontiers, now Torchlight III. The game was originally intended to be an MMORPG that would change the way players would experience the popular franchise. Torchlight and Torchlight II were both created by Runic Games, but when the studio closed Echtra Games took over the license and decided to develop a new installment.

The original games were Diablo-like action games that added some very nice features that improved the gameplay, like pets and the possibility of sending them to town to sell the items you didn't need without having to go back yourself. Well, it turns out that Echtra Games' idea of a Torchlight MMO encountered some problems and now they are working on Torchlight III instead, an action game that will follow the steps of its predecessors. They have just published a video that lets us take a peek at one of the new classes that will be present in Torchlight III: the Sharpshooter.

We saw gun wielding heroes in previous torchlight games, but the new Sharpshooter adds an interesting mix of lethal ranged weapons and summoning magic to the franchise. Not only they can destroy their enemies from afar with a variety of guns, but they can also summon ancient spirits to do their bidding. Those spirits can manifest in many different ways, from swarms of poisonous souls to an explosive eagle or a trusty wolf able to taunt enemies. Combining those will allow players to create their own gameplay style for the Sharpshooter.

Sharpshooters are among the most reliable adventurers, able to use their skills to procure artifacts hidden deep within trap-laden tombs. [...] Many of the artifacts house ancient spirits who once dwelled within the ruins that Sharpshooters prowl. Some form close personal bonds with these spirits, who aid them on their journey. With deadly accuracy and an assortment of ancient spirits at their command, the Sharpshooter is ready for adventure.

Torchlight III seems to be bringing more of what made the franchise so popular and although a Torchlight-based MMORPG could have been good, we will be quite happy of getting a new installment that continues the legacy of the original games. After all, if something works very well, why changing it?