Torchlight

If you didn't know any better you might write Torchlight off as just another Diablo clone.  However if you were to be told that Torchlight was made from the very people who brought you Diablo...maybe you'd have a change of heart.  Torchlight is as straight up Diablo as you can get.  From the gameplay right on down to the music Torchlight is very similair to Diablo....but can it live it to the name?

 

Torchlight starts you out by choosing three different classes.  The Destroyer, the Alchemist and the Vanquisher.  All of which have distinctly different abilities and skill sets to choose from.  While the destroyer is much more of an in your face hack and slash kind of guy, the Alchemist relies much more on magic to get through sticky situations.  Each character has three seperate skill trees with numerous skills you can level up allowing for a large amount of customization for each character and multiple play throughs is basically necessary.

 

Accompanying your character you'll have a pet who can serve as a place to store more items as well as a great fighting partner.  Whether you'll have your pet choose a defensive stance or summon skeleton archers to fight by your side is up to you.  But either way, it's pretty freaking awesome.  The pet takes away the need to constantly return to town to free up inventory space as you're able to send your pet back to town and sell the items that it's holding.  This does however leave you without a partner for some time so you'll need to be on your toes during those precious moments.

 

Torchlight is a loot game.  You'll be finding all different types of weapons of all different shapes and sizes and colors.  Often times you'll find yourself retracing your steps in order to find that extra powerful weapon to give you the upper hand against enemies.  Which is something you'll need as you get farther into the game.  Torchlight starts off easy but gets increasingly difficult once you reach the last few stages.  Hordes upon hordes of enemies swarm you from all directions as you must fight your way through each and everyone of them. 

 

While the story isn't anything to get excited about there is one there.  It's not great but it does at the very least keep you wondering what might happen next.  Of course Torchlight really isn't about the story.  The fun in Torchlight is found in endlessly searching the infinitely long dungeons completing quests, slaying beasts and collecting rare equiptment.  Of course not everything is sunny and bright in Torchlight.

 

As with the gameplay, Torchlight will have you clicking..a lot.  To some this can get repetitive and may cause you to be unable to play for extended periods of time.  The story while nice to have is a wonder why it's really there at all since it's only a few times ever really important and the boss fights rarely required much of a strategy to get through. 

 

However Torchlight still remains to be an excellent game and something that absolutely can not be missed especially for all the Diablo fans waiting for the next installment.  Torchlight is an extremely addicting and well made loot game.  With mod support, infinite dungeons and three highly customizable classes this is a game that is sure to last you for a long time to come.  And at $20...why would you pass it up?