Titan Quest 2 Early Access Thoughts

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I’ve invested around 200 hours in Iron Lore Entertainment’s initial version of Titan Quest, way before it was listed on Steam. To this day, I still hold onto the original game disks and manuals, complete with activation codes. When they announced in 2023 that we were finally getting a proper sequel, after such a long wait, I was overjoyed to revisit this action role-playing game series. Now, Titan Quest 2‘s early access phase has started. Having played through the presently accessible storyline, here are my initial impressions on the new installment, which seems to draw inspiration from ancient Greece once more.

In Titan Quest 2, you assume the role of a character pursued by Nemesis, a goddess who devastated Sparta two decades prior and now believes you to be the one who can thwart her demise. Although it’s still in early access, the game offers around five hours of story content that entices with various plotlines and leaves players eager for more. During this short playtime, you manage to flee the destruction of your home, engage in battles against deities, delve into the enigmatic realms of gods, and slay countless crabs – yes, a multitude of crabs!

One aspect of the original Titan Quest game that I’ve always found captivating is its unique approach to character classes and skills, allowing players to choose two skill “branches” and combine skills from both. This versatile system has always been more appealing to me compared to selecting a predefined class like Barbarian, Wizard, or Thief during character creation. I was delighted to see this feature make a comeback in the sequel, and as of now, only four skill branches are accessible: Warfare, Rogue, Storm, and Earth. However, future updates are planned to include more branches, with the developers assuring at least six will be available for the version 1.0 release.

For my gaming session, I chose a combination of Warfare and Storm abilities, resulting in the creation of the Tempest class. This character is a large, durable melee fighter who gets up close and delivers repeated attacks until enemies are defeated. During level-ups, you receive three kinds of skill points to use: Divinity points that boost your selected school to unlock more advanced skills, Active skills which include special attacks or spells, and Passive skills that provide various enhancements. You can modify your character at any time by spending some money and reallocating your points among the schools you have chosen, but as of now, this doesn’t allow for changing the specific schools selected.

Looking back at nearly two decades since the initial game launch (that’s 2006!), this fresh release boasts numerous upgrades and enhancements to bring it up-to-date with contemporary games, not just visually, but also under the hood. On the same note of progression, Titan Quest 2 significantly expands on the flexible gameplay style I spoke about earlier, incorporating skill modifiers and additional skills that are commonly found in games such as Diablo and Path of Exile. As you continue to level up specific active or passive skills, not only will they become stronger and more versatile, but you’ll also gain slots for adding extra attributes to the skill itself.

As a devoted gamer, I’ve grown particularly fond of my Heavy Strike skill in Tempest. A dream improvement could be if this ability had a secondary follow-up swing each time I used it. Or perhaps my Storm Armor could freeze enemies and summon lightning bolts at regular intervals. These additional traits could even be upgraded further for greater advantages too. I’m thrilled to delve into the Earth and Rouge skill trees and discover what they have in store, with high anticipation for future schools as well.

However, these enhancements, while innovative, seem somewhat standard in ARPGs nowadays. Yet, there’s one aspect that truly left me astounded – the fact that this method of earning points and applying modifiers doesn’t just apply to special abilities; it also boosts even the most ordinary skills like my basic attacks for both weapon sets. That’s a game-changer if you ask me!






In simpler terms, although enhancing visually spectacular skills may initially seem more thrilling, the addition of features in Titan Quest such as leveling up basic attacks with modifiers like “Hamstring,” which slows enemies upon impact by 30%, and customizing movements like dashing or teleportation, even when rooted or stationary, adds a unique and intriguing aspect to gameplay that I find captivating.

Revisiting the fresh mechanics introduced in Titan Quest 2, it’s evident that this game embodies the essence of a contemporary Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG). Features such as the dash and protective shield mechanisms, discussed a while ago, are reminiscent of other games in the genre. The dash function enables swift evasion from dangerous enemy attacks, often signaled by telltale markings, while the shield can be activated to absorb a specific amount of damage. Drawing inspiration from Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4, Titan Quest 2 offers two options for movement: traditional mouse-click navigation or WASD keys, both of which offer an equally intuitive and comfortable playing experience.

Although I’ve been praising Titan Quest up until now, it’s important to acknowledge that this game is merely entering early access phase, meaning there are aspects I eagerly anticipate improvements in the future. One of the most significant issues at present is the limited enemy variety and near absence of special mobs during exploration. As I mentioned earlier, my five-hour journey through the story was predominantly occupied by crab-like creatures, with only a handful of other enemies such as spiders, fish people, birds, and angry cultists cropping up. Regrettably, I didn’t encounter any special versions of these enemies during that time.

In ARPGs, I always feel a unique thrill when I encounter a rare enemy, wondering if a fascinating new artifact might drop or what unusual abilities they possess for me to overcome. Unfortunately, this anticipation seems absent (so far) in Titan Quest 2, as these intriguing challenges are only found in mini-bosses during side quests, such as the four fishman commanders I recently defeated. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of the initial updates released during early access brings back these unexpected challenges when exploring.

The early access for Titan Quest 2 hasn’t lessened my eagerness for the complete game; instead, it has fueled my anticipation even more. Just a glimpse into the game has had me battling bosses, marveling at the locations I’ve discovered, and brainstorming potential character builds. It’s left me eagerly waiting to see what unfolds next.

Titan Quest 2 is now available in Early Access on Steam.

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2025-08-26 19:56