Torchlight II

So let's do an "indie" game. This might be a little short, I'm pressed for time with finals coming up.

The background:
Torchlight II is an isometric RPG (think Diablo) produced by Runic Games. It was released in 2012 for PC. It's common to hear it called "the real Diablo 3".

The plot:
Torchlight II is set a few years after the first Torchlight, and it follows the Alchemist (a playable character from the first game), who becomes corrupted by the "Ember Blight" (Ember is essentially mana). You play as one of four characters:

• The Outlander, a gun-toting badass
• The Berserker, a bloodthirsty melee fighter
• The Engineer, an intelligent, wrench wielding tank
• The Mage, a powerful spellcaster with mastery over the elements

Your goal? Stop the Alchemist from destroying the world, by any means necessary. Pretty basic in text, but the game really feels fleshed out when you're playing it. You'll trek across several different areas through 5 acts, helping out the local people in your quest to fix everything the Alchemist has broken.

The gameplay:
So how's it play? Well, Diablo fans will feel at home. If you didn't play Diablo, Torchlight is still pretty easy to pick up and play; your character is driven by mouse clicks, while various spells/skills/menus are controlled by the keyboard. It may seem a little daunting at first, but it's pretty simple. There is a multiplayer option, which is pretty fun when you have friends to play with, but the game is totally beatable if you decide to play by yourself. One common problem in some multiplayer games like Torchlight II is the issue of loot - who gets what? Fortunately, Runic Games thought of that; everything you see on the screen is yours, everybody gets their own loot. As far as characters go, I like the Outlander, because he has a good amount of range, and I just like the thought of pistols akimbo (dual wielded), because it makes me feel like an action movie star. I have played all the other characters though, and I can say that they all handle and play pretty well.

Visually, it's pretty stunning; environments really draw you in and make you feel like you're there. The best example I can give would be the desert area; the first time you set foot into this giant sandy wasteland, you can feel the heat radiating off of your computer screen. It's quite good. Torchlight II sounds pretty nice too; monster and weapon sounds are pretty well done, and the music is absolutely beautiful. Once you get sucked in to this game, it's hard to stop playing, and that's just great.

However, it can feel a little grind-y at times. While you don't HAVE to grind, you may find yourself being killed fairly quickly if you don't. The loot system can be a little wonky at times too; you'll find yourself getting gear you can't even use (e.g. playing as an Outlander, you can get gear that only Engineers can wear, and so on).

The summary:
Torchlight II is absolutely amazing.  It's quite fun, and at about 20-25 hours long, it's worth the $20 price tag. It does have a couple problems here and there, but they're easily overlooked. 4.5/5 stars.