Schaefer described the inclusion of the Cursed Captain class, and this update in general, as Echtra Games’ ‘swan song’ when it comes to Torchlight 3, as the studio was acquired by Zynga and the series’ future will be in the hands of Perfect World Entertainment. While this may seem like bad news to fans of the Torchlight franchise, especially considering Schaefer worked on all three games, the developer assures that his studio is leaving the game in a good spot. This may be Echtra Games’ swan song on Torchlight 3, but it doesn’t mean the studio will never work on the series again if new games are made going forward.
Torchlight 3’s Cursed Captain, What Skills It Has, And The Future Of Torchlight
Torchlight 3’s Cursed Captain comes with a class-specific armor, which is capes, and the class reintroduces Torchlight’s iconic hand cannons, which allowed many Engineer players and others to have tons of fun with their associated skills in TL2. This is not the first class to summon minions in Torchlight, but it is the first one to do so with dedicated abilities and upgrades. Cursed Captains can summon Cannoneers, Riflemen, Crewmates, and the First Mate to be under the captain’s command, meaning that player agency is part of its gameplay.
Cursed Captains will be able to give orders to the phantom crew, like using specific skills when needed, change position to the one chosen by players, or focus their gunfire on target debuffs with a detrimental effect called Black Spot, reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean. Summoning phantom swashbucklers is not the only thing Captains can do, as they also have access to cursed magic, likely related to the sea, pirate legends, and stuff of the sort. This class also packs quite a few explosive skills which take advantage of the cannon to fire regular shots, or to fire phantom crew members with a skill called Plunderbuss.
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That’s not all, as the captain can also call in for help from his flagship to fire a barrage of cannonballs on the foes from afar, or even bring the whole ship into the fight. Furthermore, Torchlight 3 will see the addition of a new currency type that is exclusive to the Cursed Captain, aptly called Doubloons, which are used to pay the ghost pirate crew and found constantly while playing the game.
This class seems to be compelling, and Echtra Games is excited both to present it to its players and to start its new journey in the industry of video games. Schaefer thanks Torchlight 3 players for embarking on this adventure with him and his team, and he says to keep an eye on Echtra Games in the future for projects to come. Whether this will be a brand new ARPG to rival Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 only time will tell, but it’s likely players haven’t seen the last of Torchlight.
Torchlight 3 is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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