Torchlight

[scalyblue]

I'd write a review of this game but it would mean I wouldn't be playing torchlight. -scampers off-

 

[aislincade]

Here's a review:

It is great! Play it.

 

[borrofburi]

I dunno... I found it to be ok. I mean if you like action RPGs. Personally, I kept wondering why I wasn't playing Diablo 2 instead.

 

[scalyblue]

This post is a pretty good summary of the differences. I personally like torchlight better than D2, it's a much tighter game and everything feels more refined, the only thing that D2 has is the multiplayer, which I don't even bother with, everything else torchlight does is just a hair better.

http://forums.runicgames.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4729

 

[borrofburi]

http://forums.runicgames.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4729

Bleh... First I like d2 more precisely because of character classes, multiplayer, and, important but not noted in the link, story line and quests.

The level design in torchlight is not the amazing thing he seems to indicate. Is it better than d2? Maybe. It flows better, especially when contrasted to, as he notes, kurast; however the flow is constant and the same in all maps, and in that sense is boring, while d2's can be horribly arbitrary and frustrating but has variety, I'm not sure which I like more. Probably d2, because I get bored easily.

Torchlight *IS* less difficult, however I don't know if that's a good thing or not. And immunities aren't as bad as he thinks they are, because you *do* want to limit potential skills because you want to add another dimension to choice than "how much damage can I deal with it". Torchlight does an ok job of adding more dimensions than that, sure, but I just find his ire over immunities to be unfounded. Even without immunities torchlight is less difficult, I have never had a problem with torchlight, ever; in fact, I've died like twice, ever, not so in D2, even if you ignore nightmare and hell.

He's right about moddability, though because I play multiplayer it doesn't matter too much, I never really cared... maybe I should have.

Torchlight's item drops are not the amazing thing he thinks they are, nor is D2s the horrible thing he thinks they are. I find them to be about even, though modern D2 is hands down better, but that's unfair.

EDIT
Oh and his bulleted points just make me angry. People don't use maphacks because D2's design is bad, but because players like to rush through things, it's primarily a consequence of multiplayer; torchlight players will get maphacks eventually as well, though it does not have the same multiplayer incentives. People don't skip D2 content because it's bad, but simply because they can and it's multiplayer; you'd see the exact same thing if torchlight were multiplayer. Criticizing continual content runs after rushes is idiotic, because again it's a natural result of the existence of multiplayer and rare items (and having been out for a decade). Act 3 has some problems, but it has a lot of unique ideas, it just repeats them too many times; contrasted to torchlight which has every set of 5 floors without major variety in layout but none of them are particularly hateworthy, all of which are bland... I'll concede that the modern diablo with barely patched torchlight is an unfair comparison when torchlight gets its own patches and content updates, elsewise it's saying "look it's as good as diablo was 10 years ago" with no promise or guarantee that torchlight will continue to get better, and I remain absolutely justified in wondering why I'm not just playing D2 instead.
/EDIT


I don't think torchlight is bad, I just don't understand why I'd play it over D2, when D2 has multiplayer, a whole bunch of aesthetic things I prefer more (primarily character classes and skills), and a better story line with better quests.

And for those reasons I think that unless you especially like action RPGs it might be a good idea to just get D2 instead.

 

[scalyblue]

mm, well MP irritates me ^.x Aside from that, Torchlight is 20 bucks and D2 plus the expansion is 40-60, so new players might like torchlight better. I own D2 and I wouldn't pay more than 20 bucks for torchlight, so 10 worked out nicely ^.x

As I understand, there is going to be a torchlight MMO too

 

[borrofburi]

Aside from that, Torchlight is 20 bucks and D2 plus the expansion is 40-60, so new players might like torchlight better.

You can get D2 keys for much cheaper than that, however I am not certain of the legality of that situation. That D2 still costs as much today is a sign of its continued value.