We went hands-on with a demo version of Torchlight Mobile, coming in 2015 on iOS and Android.

Torchlight Mobile, currently in development by Perfect World Entertainment, is expected to hit iOS and Android devices later this year. An ARPG featuring online play and its own vivid, unique art style, the game looks promising enough to snare in lovers of the genre.

We had the chance to go hands-on with an early build of the game at E3 and speak to Perfect World about it.

With hopes set on a Q4 2015 release, Torchlight Mobile's early build is coming along nicely. During our hands-on we noted that the gameplay was quite smooth with no lag, and controls were easy to use, even for someone who isn't used to playing an RPG on a tablet. The controls feel as if you're holding a gamepad, making navigation and execution of menus and abilities quite fluid.

Torchlight Mobile features classes and races never before seen in the Torchlight universe. The story takes place following Torchlight and runs parallel with the events of Torchlight II, but new players to the series will be able to follow along easily. In a different land, Ember is still being harvested by civilizations, and the player can choose one of three new classes that will take on the helm of fighting off corruption with the help of a companion pet.

The town ideally requires an online connection, while the quest instances can be played out while offline. Each quest run ranges from about 3-10 minutes, which is great for quick spurts of gameplay, and the quests are rated based on your performance in hitting objectives. Players will be able to co-op runs with their friends and form a guild as well. Later in-town features will include PvP gameplay.

As with many mobile games, Torchlight Mobile will be free to download but also will have a "gently monetized" in-game store. The store selection will be for convenience only; it will have things that can be earned in the game—such as stamina or gold—but if you prefer to speed things along, buying will be an option.

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Ann "Cyliena" Hosler, Managing Editor