Topic: Torchlight

[vudu]

The problem you have is that you're comparing it to Diablo II. The original is a much more apt comparison.

Why's that?  He can buy either game, so shouldn't he compare it to the one he likes best? 

[Rize]

The problem Torchlight has is that I'd rather be playing Diablo 2.

[noname2200]

The problem you have is that you're comparing it to Diablo II. The original is a much more apt comparison.

Why's that?  He can buy either game, so shouldn't he compare it to the one he likes best?

Not at all. Torchlight is a $20, low budget, rushed game. It's consciously smaller in scope and ambition than Diablo II. In fact, it's deliberately aping the smaller breadth of the original Diablo. If he's looking for Diablo II, then this really isn't the game he should be trying.

The problem Torchlight has is that I'd rather be playing Diablo 2.

More power to you. Your options are surprisingly limited though. As you probably noticed.

[vudu]

Torchlight is a $20, low budget, rushed game. It's consciously smaller in scope and ambition than Diablo II.

All fine and dandy, except at this point you can get Diablo II for under $15.  Torchlight is deliberately trying to cater to Diablo fans, so if the game isn't as good as a 10-year old game I can't see much reason to play this unless you've already sunk hundreds of hours into Diablo II and are looking for a different experience.

[KnowsNothing]

Having never played a game in this genre and only having payed $5 for it, I am very happy with my purchase.  It's addicting, instantly accessible, fun to look at, and sync's my saves with steam cloud.  That said...well there's a reason I didn't even buy it when it was at $10.  I'm not too far in it but I've heard the environments and enemies are recycled too much and the other thing just gets extremely repetitive...plus it's only single player, which ultimately kills it.

But like I said, I had never played a game like this and now I'm positively pumped for Diablo III if it comes out before I die.  That's worth the $5 to me.

[noname2200]

Torchlight is a $20, low budget, rushed game. It's consciously smaller in scope and ambition than Diablo II.

All fine and dandy, except at this point you can get Diablo II for under $15.  Torchlight is deliberately trying to cater to Diablo fans, so if the game isn't as good as a 10-year old game I can't see much reason to play this unless you've already sunk hundreds of hours into Diablo II and are looking for a different experience.

Yes, but that low price came many years after the game's release: Diablo II didn't come out as a budget title from the get go.

What you're saying is that because you can find Diablo II on sale for less than Torchlight now* Torchlight should be as good as, if not better, than Diablo II. But Torchlight never once tries to be Diablo II. The two Diablo games themselves are quite different experiences (and yes, II is better in almost every way). You're essentially comparing a $1 million/year batter to Alex Rodriguez. It's no surprise that Torchlight is found wanting.

*For the record, I still see Diablo II selling for $30 at Fry's, $40 if you include the expansion pack. That's still more than Torchlight debuted at.

[vudu]

All Rize said was he'd rather play Diablo II than Torchlight and you felt the need to tell him that his opinion was wrong.  What are we arguing about anyway? 

[noname2200]

All Rize said was he'd rather play Diablo II than Torchlight and you felt the need to tell him that his opinion was wrong.  What are we arguing about anyway? 

That wasn't my intention at all, and I apologize to Rize if I came off that way. All I meant to say was that maybe the reason he doesn't like Torchlight much is that he was expecting the game to be something it never wanted to be, i.e. This Isn't The Game You're Looking For. *Jedi handwave*

And why not argue? It passes the time!  :

[Rize]

All Rize said was he'd rather play Diablo II than Torchlight and you felt the need to tell him that his opinion was wrong.  What are we arguing about anyway? 

That wasn't my intention at all, and I apologize to Rize if I came off that way. All I meant to say was that maybe the reason he doesn't like Torchlight much is that he was expecting the game to be something it never wanted to be, i.e. This Isn't The Game You're Looking For. *Jedi handwave*

And why not argue? It passes the time!  : :

I already gave my reasons for not liking torchlight, and it has nothing to do with the scope of the game being more like Diablo than Diablo 2.  Let me state them again:

1) I don't like the interface.  It feels clunky.  Also, the single space inventory slots take away an aspect of the game I enjoyed (Resident Evil 5 did the same thing).

2) I hate the music and the sound is very underwhelming.  The music is composed by Diablo 2's composer and sounds like it could have been ripped straight out of that game.  It goes NOT AT ALL with the graphics or gameplay.  The sound effects lack punch.  When I attack enemies I don't feel it the way I do in Diablo 2.  Most people wouldn't be able to even identify this flaw, but I guarantee you that there's someone at Blizzard spending far more time on the sound design than was spent on Torchlight.

3) I don't like the art style.  I understand why they chose it, but in combination with the music it just doesn't work at all.

4) I don't like the thin story as it makes the world feel cheap.

5) No online play.


For those who have never played a Diablo game, I'd say Diablo 2 is still well worth picking up for (along with its expansion pack, actually I'd say definitely pick up and install the expansion immediately and get online and download the latest patches as it changes the whole game in addition to adding act 5 after act 4).

[Morari]

The latest Diablo II patch even removes the CD check! There's really no reason not to be playing Diablo 2.

Torchlight has absolutely no plot, which seems to be the main factor in keeping me interesting. Action RPGs have fairly shallow gameplay by definition, so the story and quests need to make up for tha tin some way. Torchlight does not, unfortunately. If it had multiplayer I could manage without the story, as a nice LAN game with one or two friends would be even more fun. That is also not the case however. I'm glad I didn't pay the full price for Torchlight, because I'd feel ripped off.

[iDraTion]

I think it's kinda ridiculous to be comparing this game to D2.  Torchlight is basically a fan-service game, essentially repackaging the original Diablo.  Don't expect to be engrossed into a living world.  I view it as a pickup and play action RPG; it's simple by intention and I appreciate that.  Take it for what it is; expectations can kill anything. 

[Morari]

I didn't have any expectations though. I had never heard of the game until it popped up on sale. Playing through it however, there is absolutely no way you cannot compare it to Diablo. With that feeling in the back of your mind, it's hard to enjoy the game without feeling as if there should be more.