The Sunday Hardcore #1 - Torchlight 2

I really need some coffee next time.

And so it begins.

"What is this series?" you ask with that cute twinkle in your squeaky eyes.

I answer:

This is a weekly series in which I take a game and attempt a hardcore run of it.

"What is a hardcore run?" you ask, twiddling your fingers nervously.

A no death run... more accurately put as 'one life' run. Once you die, it's over, you're done, you're game is over. You get as far as you can without dying, playing the game in a very different way due to this factor (though some games are kind enough to provide it as a feature, which is always a nice option).

"Why are you doing this?" you ask, biting your lip affectionately.

To see things differently. The way a game works and how you approach the entire thing changes DRAMATICALLY when death means 'that's all folks!' and it is interesting to observe it from this angle. It's also fun and challenging.

Also, Sundays are usually dull days with little to do, so this spices things up.

"What are your rules?" you ask, sweetly swinging a washing machine overhead.

Play till death or for four hours, whichever of the two comes later. Because, it's very anti-climatic if I die 30 to 120 minutes in. If I do, I restart (with the freedom to change things up when there are options) and try to get as far as I can. If I keep dying the 'upper limit' is four hours, because if I'm dying loads then things are redundant. Oh, and deaths by QTEs don't count. 

Utility spells can help create an effective buffer. 

Torchlight 2, as what is essentially a Diablo clone (albeit, by the original Diablo team), gives the 'Hardcore' option as a mode when creating a new character, so I could let the game punish me instead of having to inflict it upon myself.

You'll learn the importance of defensive stats.

And of the ability to quickly clear crowds.

Why the Embermage?

I decided to go with something more 'traditional' build-wise and play things straight and to focus on being successful in combat by killing enemies before they get close enough to start biting my face. Went for a harder difficulty because the imminent threat of sudden and painful death is woefully absent at the lower difficulties because enemies try to tickle you to death with little brooms made of emu feathers.

Crowd control plays a very important role in staying alive. 

AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

How did the run go?

Surprisingly well, since I expected to die much earlier than I did. I actually managed to get much further than I expected, and even managed to build a really powerful character that was capable of turning most boss encounters into lethal jokes, but jokes nonetheless.

I honestly didn't think I'd make it to Act 2.

I did have quite a few close shaves though, be it due to a momentary lapse of attention or by biting off more than I could actively chew at that moment. "I almost died there," is a line I would have said on several occasions if I had someone to talk to. Honestly, I'd say that the run started to get too easy in spots, when I could easily wipe the floor with most enemies without breaking a sweat, and I got far and started to get a tad burned out. That's when I decided to change things up for myself and perhaps paid a price.

Clusterfucks are 500% more dangerous in hardcore.

Many abilities are one point wonder when it comes to staying alive. Just as this frosty teleport.

What is different in a hardcore run?

Due to their rogue-like elements and wealth of randomised content, Diablo-esque games are actually well suited to hardcore runs (and all of them even have it as an option). So, I already knew what to expect in a hardcore run, but the differences were still fun to see. Defences gained a whole freighter worth of importance, since getting burst down by a small group of enemies is an easy way to reach your journey's end, so being sturdy enough to take some punishment is a plus but not critical. I did build my character 'traditionally, and opted to focus on magic and defence, and spent most of the run with sceptre and shield equipped... and trust me when I say that shield is probably responsible for me managing to get so damn far.

Analysing and picking my fights became far more important, alongside paying more attention to my positioning and enemies' current attacks. Ironically, basic enemies were a far greater threat than bosses and elites, since their potential to swarm and burst you down is immense, making me realise just how dangerous the little buggers are. Additionally, I have also come to loathe enemies who slow you down, because that just opens the window for others to zerg you to death, like four shadows.

Fun Fact: I died a little after I swapped out my shield for a better weapon.

Pushover. 

Final Moments.

Questing. 

Swarming.

Dying.

All in all, a very anti-climatic end. Ironically, this is not how I expected to go out before I started the run, I expected to get done in by one of the bosses, but once I was two hours into the run, I just knew I was going to get killed by a swarm on critters. Though, I'm pretty sure I can pinpoint the core reasons for my death, and they are: I stopped using a shield and starting taking truck loads of damage, and I wasn't as alert so much time in and got killed by carelessness. 

And so it ends. 

I suppose you're never powerful enough to not get swarmed to death.