Torchlight May Not Bode Well For New Diablo

Monday, January 4, 2010

Written by: Jed

Comparing Torchlight to the Diablo franchise, is like comparing a budget-indie title to Avatar – you shouldn’t do it. But I found myself doing just that, the moment I started playing.

It’s made by the developers responsible for the Diablo franchise. It features, Diablo-style gameplay in a three-quarter’s perspective – with a great emphasis on loot collecting.

But at most, consider it a Diablo Lite. Priced at under $20, this shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a single-player game featuring three character classes; its presentation, though adequate, is far from great – unless you’re a fan of text-reading; its story early-on, far from compelling.

And after playing through the initial quests, I’ve lost any need to continue on.

Who knew Cows dropped gold items? Blizzard.

Despite its shortcomings however, it is Diablo at its core, making me reconsider my affinity for past Diablo games, and my excitement for the upcoming third.

I was addicted to Diablo 2, and the Lord of Destruction expansion. There’s probably no other game, I’ve sunk more hours into. It was a game a few high school friends introduced me to, and one I played long after they stopped. Cow levels, Mephisto runs, SoJ bartering – I was in-deep.

Interestingly enough, I couldn’t tell you anything about the storyline, nor do I know anything of the overall Diablo canon. I never cared about the story. My friends rushed me through the game, and I never looked back. It was all about the loot. I partook in the occasional PvP match, but never cared much for it. I just wanted the rarest gear.

I’m not certain how extensive the item library is in Torchlight, but given how quickly I lost interest in Borderlands – it wouldn’t matter.

Perhaps a sign of my age, but a game could look amazing; even play amazingly, but fall flat without a compelling story.

I guess my opinion of Torchlight was doomed, the moment I decided to play it right after completing a 50 hour Dragon Age campaign.

Diablo 3 looks amazing; from its art style to character design and animations. I’m sure the depth will be there as well – from character skill trees, to the loot. The question I’m asking myself is, without a story to match the production, is it enough?

Playing Borderlands with friends, only made me dream of an online co-op Fallout game – where I would actually care for the story and characters. And as much as I loved every minute of Dragon Age, I was disappointed with the lack of depth when it came to item collection and customization.

If Diablo 3 were to feature the tried-and-true Diablo formula, with a BioWare-like focus on story; then count me in once again.

But what was my most anticipated release of 2010 (or whenever they get around to it), has become the game I’m most concerned about.

Especially since Blizzard’s never been known for its story-telling.