Titan Quest Preview

E3 2006 Hands On Preview

If you were a fan of the hack ‘n slash fantasy game that was Diablo II, boy, has THQ got a treat in store for you.

The game is Titan Quest, a story-driven tale of mythical monsters, that spans three civilizations – the ancient worlds of Greece, Babylon and China. The titans have escaped from their eternal prison and after such a long captivity, they are out for some fun at the world’s expense … as in, they are wreaking havoc and it is up to the heroes of mankind to stop them. You get to play as one such hero, using the flexible class system that allows players to choose from eight masteries (think skill sets).

But this game (from Brian Sullivan, the co-creator of Age of Empires) has taken a very smart approach to some of the game mechanics, allowing new armor to auto-equip in empty slots, using the hotbar for skills only, but with three layers of gameplay (in terms of complexity), more than 1,000 unique items and three levels of difficulty.

The masteries are akin to magic that can be rather devastating. Players will be tasked to determine how to spend skill points acquired as they level – either advancing their proficiency within a mastery to unlock bigger spells or by investing in what would be weaker spells but still deadly for the level.

As you slaughter the mobs assembled before you, they will drop items – potions, weapons and armor. You can dual slot weapons (say ranged and melee) and switch them on the fly. The armor you find may have attributes which can add to your character’s effectiveness.

And yes, the game will feature multiplayer co-op gaming.

Iron Lore is the developer of this THQ title (shown during a pre-E3 event in Los Angeles) and the game is expected to carry a Teen rating and release in June 2006.

Playing the game was quite entertaining. It brought back memories of countless hours spent playing D2 but with some major differences. The graphics of Titan Quest are quite impressive. You may happen upon a field of wheat, gently swaying. What you may not see is a boar, eager to spill the blood of a would-be hero. However, if you are paying attention, you will see the wheat moving in a direction contrary to the soft breeze playing in the field. That is your clue to attack. Dynamic shadows and lighting added to the overall effect and made the game more immersive. The environments were very well done and the mood is reflected well in the game’s sound.

The controls were easy to learn and somewhat intuitive.

Titan Quest is a blast to play, and for those who enjoy a hack ‘n slash action RPG, this is certainly the type of game you will want to watch for when it releases.

For All E3 2006 Previews