Torchlight II

I still prefer Torchlight 1. Torchlight 2 is better in every way in the gameplay compared to torchlight 1, but since it is longer and the story is worst I think Torchlight 1 is, in the end, a better game. the good thing about torchlight 2 is the multi-player.... the problem is that if you install any mod (like a translation mod) you cannot play in multi with any player with different mods. Also there is no way to use the same save from a mod save. Still I think is worth 5 stars because it is still a good, cross-platform and funny game. PS. I got this game DRM-free from humblebundle before gog release.

Fun character and enemy design, worlds which feel challenging and not frustrating to romp around in, decent death penalty mechanics which won't punish you too much for getting careless and the ability to rollback a few points in the skill tree if you suddenly regret your build. Also: procedurally generated dungeons. Also you get pets you can equip and who won't die on you. And lots of loot. Also, be warned that you'll be telling yourself "just until I finish this one quest and then sleep". Next thing you know it's already 3am. Then 4am. Then you'll call in sick for work. (try not to do this every other week)

I enjoyed Torchlight 2 but it just did not match the intensity of Diablo 2. Torchlight 2 is fast, it is fun, somewhat addictive but, in the end, Torchlight gave me the same sort of satisfaction I might get from an arcade game; I wanted to keep playing it for the fast action but I never felt immersed in it or completely satisfied by the experience. So what made Diablo 2 so much better? First, the story. Diablo 2 had a dark and foreboding story accentuated by cinematic inter-chapter cutscenes. The voice acting, although limited, added to the real feel of the places I visited. In Torchlight the story felt dull, over-complicated, and derivative; instead of magic crystals we had embers. Yawn. It reminded me of the quests in the MMO, Rift. You just have to read Torchlight 2's plot summary in Wikipedia and you will see what I mean. Also, the lack of voice acting kept the story distant. It felt as though I was reading a boring fantasy novel. The dialogue was never clever or witty and nobody spoke like a real person. Second, the boss fights in Diablo 2 were far more intense. In Diablo 2 you prepared for these fights. You either went through them, died a few times, and learned a very specific and clever strategy to win or you read a few walkthroughs and tried someone else's tactics. Either way, the outcome always seemed uncertain and the consequences of death were formidable enough to cause real panic during the fight. In Torchlight 2 I never found the boss fights to be much of a challenge and I mostly used the same run and gun strategy over and over again. Third, I found Diablo 2's skill trees much more interesting and consequential. That said, I loved Torchlight's cartoon style graphics more than Diablo's grainy style and I also preferred the far less restrictive inventory system. Am I glad I bought and played Torchlight 2? Definitely and I recommend the game. But did I cherish it like I cherished Diablo 2? Sadly, no, but I am still very happy to see it on GOG.

This game is a truly superb and magnificent aRPG. I'm playing it yet again in 2021, after 150~200h of gameplay earlier on Steam. The game does NOT demand us to agree to any T&C. The game works flawlessly on Ubuntu Linux 18 LTS and 20 LTS - I don't think I have ever had a crash, ever, and don't even remember ever seeing a graphical glitch (how many AAA productions can brag of such!?). The aRPG mechanics are flawlessly implemented: - the 4 different characters are interesting (although 1 is off "norm"); - the skill trees are very interesting and fun to explore the different viable strategies; - the loot is just right; - the action is excellent; - the animations and sounds are excellent; - the enemies are excellent; - the artwork is excellent (though is noticeably «old» by now - and is steampunk, which not everyone prefers); - the story is a bit meh .. which is quite ok for me (I watch movies when I want to see a story). Can't say anything less good about this game .. except that the devs got fed up with aRPGs after Diablo 2, Torchlight 1 and Torchlight 2, and decided to not create a Torchlight 3 :'(.

Linux users have truly been blessed by Runic. Torchlight II is not only a very fun action RPG, but also has modest system requirements and runs on Linux and Mac. The single player campaign is fun, but the story is disposable. The multiplayer is a blast, but doesn't get much traffic. The upgrades, loot, and unlockables are pure gold. Toss in the NG+ mode and mods like the Synergies and Torchlight II's replay value becomes exponential. Some pine for a sequel, but I'm good right where I'm at.