It's been a while, but there's finally an new option for those who like to kill and loot. Titan Quest, from the Iron Lore Entertainment company, founded by Age of Empires co-creator Brian Sullivan, is a frenzied role-playing game (RPG) with heaps of intense action and even a unique mythological theme geared to cure the elf-and-orc blues.

In fact, it might be a little too intense for its own good at times. The campaign, which begins in ancient Greece and sees your hero eventually journey to Egypt and China fighting evil Titans who have cut mankind off from the classical pantheon headed by Zeus, is over 40 hours long and so packed with incessant combat that you'll feel exhausted out after slaughtering your way through a few levels. Not exhausted like well-exercised, exhausted like carpel tunnel syndrome.

Problem is, the levels are stretched out, milked, and almost every crypt, swamp, or temple is longer than it needs to be, so even though you enter each locale all fired-up for combat, you leave feeling frustrated. You're not so much glad for the experience you just had as you are glad that it's finally over.

There's too much monster repetition. Each region features a few common enemies that you kill over and over again during your entire journey through the lands. In Greece, you slaughter satyrs and maenads. In Egypt, you kill jackalmen and scorpions. In China, you massacre tigermen and Neanderthals. Kudos for the original enemies based on real ancient mythology, but thumbs-down for the lack of variety.

Also, the loot is dull. Aside from rare mythological goodies like shards of the Golden Fleece, you pick up garden-variety clubs, swords, shields, and pieces of armor. There isn't much variation on loot, either, so you can find Egyptian swords in Greece and vice versa.

Most of the time, though, there is no point picking up artifacts dropped by slain foes. Chests and some enemies are packed with gold, to the point where you can stockpile a hundred grand in coin before the midpoint of the game. This makes it possible to buy loads of magical artifacts and an unlimited supply of health potions that can make even the toughest boss battles a snap.

Still, it's impossible to dislike Titan Quest. The combat is absolutely superb, at least in limited doses. Enemies swarm you constantly, attacking like in a first-person shooter, or even a hyperkinetic arcade game like Robotron. You need to constantly chug health potions and whip off special attacks and spells with hot keys to survive even a humdrum run-in with maenad villagers.

Monsters attack smartly, too. They use tactics in almost every battle, deploying melee fighters to keep you busy up close while sniping from long distance with arrows and spells. You don't have to do a lot of thinking here, but you can't mindlessly click your way to victory.

Character development is also original. Instead of choosing a class, you pick two skill masteries that govern the types of abilities you buff when leveling up. These masteries represent standard fantasy RPG class types, like Warfare for fighters and Rogue for thieves or assassins, but there is depth beyond the initial selection as around a dozen abilities are included in each mastery. This means that you can never gain enough skill points to learn everything, and must make hard decisions about character building or pay town mystics a pretty penny to adjust things later.

Multiplayer is another high point. A cooperative mode supports up to six players, and you can move characters freely between solo and multiplayer campaigning, as long as you fit under the level cap in the chosen game. This provides for some lively co-op moments. There are no amenities like automatic loot sharing, however, so choose your companions wisely.

If you're looking for an action-oriented RPG to tide you over until Diablo III arrives, Titan Quest is your game. There are a few issues with repetition in the padded campaign, but the frenzy and sheer length of the game make it a worthy play for anyone into slaughtering monsters with a mouse.

TIP: Make use of mystics to move your skill points. It's only 250 GP a shot.

TIP: To ease on the repetitive feel, mix up combat styles every once in a while. If you're playing a Battlemage with Warfare and Earth masteries, for example, switch between your sword and your long-distance fire spells every couple of battles.

TIP: Hold off on the use of single relic shards to enhance weapons and armor. They're reasonably easy to acquire during the game, so it doesn't take too long to pick up three of them to complete a set and maximize your bonuses.

 
 

More Images

(click to enlarge)