Titan Quest 2 wants to ‘lean into what the original built and double down on it’

The mythological hack ‘n slash aims for a unique place in the genre

Grimlore Games / THQ Nordic

Fans of hack ‘n slash ARPGs are certainly not starving for content: Diablo 4, Path of Exile, Last Epoch, and many other titles provide slightly different variations of the gameplay formula for their players. Is there space for yet another contender? THQ Nordic and Grimlore Games think so – and Titan Quest 2, which was announced last year, does have the makings of something that could fill its own niche in this competitive category, especially for people looking for a title that is not going down the live-service route.

At Gamescom 2024, the developers stated that they want to “lean into what the original built and double down on it.” One of the standout aspects of the classic ARPG from 2006 is the freedom it gives players when it comes to creating their builds: In Titan Quest, players could essentially get abilities from two classes at the same time, freely mixing things up.

Titan Quest 2 is keeping this iconic Mastery system in place, giving players active and passive Masteries to learn. The goal is to have as few restrictions as possible when it comes to which skills players can unlock. Passives have greater importance compared to the original, making them as powerful a choice as active abilities. Global mechanics from items and so forth come into play to create additional synergy between fairly different Mastery trees. The higher you level your skills, the more slots for modifiers they offer, allowing you more flexibility as time goes on.

Reskilling will be accessible on the fly when it comes to abilities, while attributes can be reset in town – Grimlore is inviting players to experiment and get creative, naming a combination of the War Mastery and Magic Mastery as a possible build fusing polar opposite concepts.

Even within weapon classes like, say, two-handed axes, you’ll find different weight classes that come with their own characteristics to support various playstyles.

“You don’t just delete everything with a different flavor,” the developers commented.

Speaking of flavor: Where most ARPGs lean into being dark and edgy, Titan Quest 2’s world is vibrant and colorful – it looks like an advertisement for a vacation on the Aegean with its azure waters, picturesque cliffs, and sandy beaches. A day-night-cycle with a length of 24 minutes is further bolstering immersion without having any effect on gameplay.

Titan Quest 2 offers an appealing world in which you'd love to take a vacation, were it not for the monsters. / Grimlore Games / THQ Nordic

Things only get darker in areas like caves and dungeons, where such an atmosphere is more appropriate. And even there, the game’s lighting engine is creating some neat visuals with the simulated sun and moon shining rays of light through cracks in the roof.

A bit more of the typical ARPG edginess seems to be imbued in the story, which features an amnesiac protagonist hunted by Nemesis, the Goddess of Vengeance. Titan Quest 2’s story will be a linear experience with deliberately short dialog, according to the developers, but the areas visited by players will be a bit more open to allow for exploration. Grimlore is not going the Diablo 4 route with its world, which is inhabited by enemies like wildlife, mythological creatures, and some of Grimlore’s own beasts.

Players should be able to identify the kind of loot dropped by enemies at a glance because the developers are going for a “what you see is what you get” approach: An item on the ground will look identical (or at least close to identical) to how it will look on your characters.

Titan Quest 2’s enemies all have their own behaviors and tactics. The developers showed off how some enemies switched between ranged and melee attacks based on how the player is tackling them. In general, Grimlore is hoping to provide slower, more drawn-out combat than many other genre representatives, especially in boss fights, which they describe as “complex” like a Dark Souls battle – though they emphasized that players shouldn’t expect Dark Souls difficulty.

Titan Quest 2 wants its combat to be slower and more tactical than that of other ARPGs. / Grimlore Games / THQ Nordic

Titan Quest 2 is expected to enter Early Access towards the end of 2024 with a total playtime of about twelve hours. More Masteries, systems like crafting, bosses, and story elements will come to the game throughout Early Access. It’s planned to be launched on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.