Torchlight Infinite Carry Run

July seems to be a busy month for updates across major ARPG titles; Path of Exile is gearing up for 3.29 league, while Torchlight Infinite launched SS13 season on July 16th.

While Path of Exile and Diablo 4 are the reigning giants of ARPG genre, and are frequently pitted against each other by enthusiasts, in terms of actual gameplay mechanics, Torchlight: Infinite bears a stronger resemblance to Path of Exile.

Consequently, whenever Path of Exile enters a content drought and players seek a similar pastime, or if you find PoE’s mechanics too exhausting and want a game that offers a similar experience but is more relaxed, Torchlight Infinite is often the go-to choice.

Over time, this has given rise to an interesting, albeit slightly awkward, narrative for Torchlight: Infinite: rather than being viewed as a fully independent ARPG, it is often seen merely as a substitute for Path of Exile.

Torchlight: Infinite has now steadily reached Season 13; while it may not be at the very top in terms of popularity, the launch of a new season consistently generates significant buzz.

So, is this success merely a halo effect from Path of Exile, or has Torchlight: Infinite quietly matured into an excellent, standalone title? Let’s dig deeper to find out.

Strikingly similar core mechanics

If you are a veteran Path of Exile player, you will experience a strong sense of déjà vu when you first start playing Torchlight: Infinite. Although the names differ, the majority of the mechanics, and even the underlying architecture, are remarkably similar.

Examples include the complex, sprawling skill and talent networks; the mapping gameplay found in Atlas (Netherrealm); and the inclusion of mechanics carried over from various past leagues (seasons).

The games even share very similar economic systems. Both feature a variety of currencies serving different purposes, yet revolve around a primary, high-value currency: Divine Orb in PoE and Flame Elementium in Torchlight Infinite.

It is precisely these wide-ranging similarities that have led more and more players to jokingly characterize Torchlight: Infinite’s position in the market; some even go so far as to claim it is a PoE clone, arguing that the starkly different art styles simply mask the imitation.

The pros of sensible simplification

Although the gameplay is similar, a deeper dive into Torchlight: Infinite reveals an advantage over PoE series: streamlined design.

While Path of Exile’s high complexity offers vast possibilities for character development, it also imposes a heavier administrative burden on the player.

For instance, regarding QoL, PoE often requires managing multiple open tabs and navigating a cumbersome trading process. In contrast, Torchlight: Infinite features one-click looting and expanded inventory capacity.

Crafting gear in PoE, involving prefixes, suffixes, and implicit modifiers, can feel as complex as advanced mathematics. While the crafting system in Torchlight: Infinite shares a similar foundation, its logic is far more intuitive and straightforward.

Resetting your talent tree in Path of Exile requires a significant investment of specific orbs. Torchlight: Infinite, however, allows for free resets at any time prior to reaching level 90, enabling you to experiment with new playstyles without the anxiety of running out of currency.

A rich and engaging gameplay

If you assume these simplifications compromise Torchlight Infinite’s replayability, you would be mistaken; these measures are designed to optimize the user experience rather than fundamentally reduce the amount of playable content.

To be more specific, once you create a character in Torchlight: Infinite, a substantial main storyline awaits, accompanied by a rewarding leveling and farming progression.

Upon entering the endgame, Netherrealm, you can unlock and tackle maps ranging from difficulty tiers TM1 through TM8. This phase allows you to farm high-level materials that facilitate a massive leap in your character’s power.

Furthermore, the gameplay experience varies significantly based on your choices regarding mapping mechanics, skill and gear setups, and the unique characteristics provided by your chosen hero and their specific Hero Traits.

You might argue that Path of Exile has been around longer and offers a richer experience than Torchlight: Infinite in every one of these areas.

However, for veteran players, once mastery is achieved, new PoE leagues can often be speed-run through existing content, with attention focused only on the new mechanics.

Conversely, if you are new to this genre of ARPG, Torchlight Infinite strikes an excellent balance between deep gameplay and accessibility.

Cons that cannot be ignored

As outlined above, Torchlight: Infinite boasts distinct advantages, yet it is far from perfect; the pet system, for instance, is quite frustrating.

The pets in Torchlight: Infinite, known as Pactspirits, provide various combat bonuses. While you can clear the vast majority of the game’s content without them, doing so is undoubtedly a much tougher grind.

The system relies on gacha mechanics, meaning rare pets can be unlocked via micro-transactions to easily secure a smoother gameplay experience, a model that is rather unfriendly to free-to-play players.

Another issue lies in the art style. While ARPG genre isn’t inherently incompatible with the vibrant, anime-inspired aesthetic, the mainstream style leans heavily toward dark fantasy.

Consequently, players transitioning from PoE to Torchlight: Infinite might find the visual shift somewhat jarring.

Conclusion

Returning to the initial question: Is Torchlight: Infinite merely a budget alternative to Path of Exile, or is it a game worth playing in its own right?

Our verdict is that while Torchlight Infinite may have initially attracted players by emulating PoE, it has since matured significantly, successfully blending the campaign plus endgame model with its own signature fast-paced gameplay.

In short, Torchlight: Infinite no longer needs to be a substitute for anything else; it stands on its own as a genuinely fun and engaging game.

If this analysis has piqued your interest in Torchlight: Infinite, why not buy Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium on IGGM right now?

Doing so allows you to skip the tedious farming of the current Afterlight season, accelerate your gear crafting and build optimization, and dive straight into the endgame to dominate the competition!

Players, have you ever experienced the thrill of clearing the screen before you even see the enemies in Torchlight Infinite SS13, without relying on god-tier equipment? Then this Wind Stalker Erika build is designed for that ultimate feel. It allows you to enjoy absolute control while moving at high speed through a fluid, rhythmic attack pattern.

Even with average gear, you can feel the dominance of Wind Stalker Erika in its late game.

Core Skills

The essence of this Wind Stalker Erika build lies in the strategic use of two skills at different stages.

In the early stages, we can use Thunder Spike because it not only provides 360-degree omnidirectional coverage but also ignores walls, allowing us to clear complex maps without aiming.

In the later stages, Thunder Slash has a higher damage ceiling, making it easier to reach that damage ceiling. However, its base area of ​​effect is relatively small. Players must wait for area-of-effect buffs like Ghost Slaughter and Eternity, as well as Fervor affix on rings, before switching to this skill; otherwise, it will significantly weaken Wind Stalker Erika experience.

Therefore, the correct rhythm for skill usage is to use Thunder Spike for rapid advancement in the early game, and then switch to Thunder Slash once the necessary components are available in the late game.

In Torchlight Infinite, judging when to switch is quite simple: once your Prism and Talent provide sufficient area-of-effect bonuses, you can experiment with skill replacements.

Equipment Configuration

When configuring equipment for this Wind Stalker Erika build, we need to follow three color rules:

• Green for the helmet and necklace.
• Purple for gloves and chest armor.
• Yellow for rings, boots, and belt.

Components of the same color can be freely combined to activate bonuses.

Therefore, our upgrades to Wind Stalker Erika's gear primarily rely on color efficiency rather than depending on any god-tier item.

In the early game, prioritize stacking dexterity, flat damage, attack speed, and base resistances on Wind Stalker Erika gear; there's no need to strive for perfection. In the mid-game, focus on defense for the chest armor, damage for the gloves, and use the helmet and necklace for balancing stats.

Later on, we can consider using different equipment to define the final variant of Wind Stalker Erika, such as Silent Avowal, Demon's Touch, Royal Cycle, and Thunder Manipulator, which can even allow you to switch the character to a physical damage build.

The biggest advantage of this color scheme system is that it ensures every piece of gear you own has a purpose. As long as the colors are compatible, you can gradually upgrade by adjusting affixes, without having to grind for a single rare drop in Torchlight Infinite SS13.

Support Skill Combination

In this Wind Stalker Erika build, we've moved away from the traditional dual Shadow Dash setup. Instead, we use one Shadow Dash for precise dodging and one Bull's Rage for continuous momentum, combining to maintain high-speed map movement.

After the campaign ends, Motionless allows for stationary, automatic damage output. During boss fights, players only need to focus on positioning; damage is continuous, making the controls significantly easier.

In particular, the speed boost from Bull's Rage drastically reduces the downtime during Wind Stalker Erika's map movement in Torchlight Infinite.

Talent Tree

Early on Wind Stalker Erika, the talent tree should prioritize attack speed, dexterity, and damage consistency. 

However, in the later stages, the critical strike multiplier becomes more important for Wind Stalker Erika, even taking priority over general attack or lightning damage increases, because it amplifies all your damage sources.

The defensive talent tree only needs to provide minor damage reduction and healing, which, combined with high-speed map clearing, is sufficient to handle critical hits.

Hero Traits

Hero Traits are straightforward: prioritize Dexterity, Life or Shield, and Attack Speed ​​for Wind Stalker Erika.

Secondary stats can include Lightning Critical Strike Damage and Attack Critical Strike Damage, with Lightning Critical Strike Damage generally being superior because of its higher cap.

It's worth noting that Dexterity affix in Hero Memories offers exceptionally high returns. Each point of Dexterity affects both damage and speed in your build, so it should be considered the highest priority stat at any stage of Wind Stalker Erika's development.

Prism System

Prisms are a massive damage amplifier in this Wind Stalker Erika build; a powerful set of Prisms often provides more benefit than multiple gear upgrades.

However, while the ideal combination of offensive Ethereal Prisms is very strong, you can decide whether to use it based on market prices. Even an imperfect set is enough to significantly boost Wind Stalker Erika's power, so there's no need to worry excessively about it.

Players can often achieve noticeable improvements to their builds by consuming only a small amount of Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium. Therefore, compared to the more randomized gear crafting, Prisms offer a more predictable and direct benefit to Wind Stalker Erika.

Kismet System

Kismet system is the core damage engine of Wind Stalker Erika. Therefore, we must prioritize stacking Dexterity Destiny (nine micro and four medium) early on, and then add defense as needed.

Typically, players can invest their limited Torchlight Infinite resources into Prisms and Hero Memories first. Once these two are established, they can use the remaining resources to optimize Kismet, making Wind Stalker Erika build path more rational.

Are you ready to dominate the offensive rhythm in Torchlight Infinite SS13 and unleash Wind Stalker Erika combo for high-speed screen clearing?