Other Hack'n slash games have been released none of them has been a better experience or more successful, but all of them have been compared to Diablo.
Torchlight was yet another Diablo clone. For some reason Hack'n Slash game becomes automatically a Diablo clone, it is inevitable. It is a bit hilarious considering not all FPS games are Doom / Wolfenstein clones. Somehow it is as if Hack'n Slash games are not considered as a category but as Diablo. Diablo is the genre and all games which even resembles the beast of a game becomes a clone.
I think it is a curse that we will have to live with for some reason and it annoys me a bit.
When it comes to Hack'n Slash games I think they have never really pulled a huge audience. Diablo 2 was in it's own way superior with its online features yada yada when released and it managed to attract a lot of people. People whom would never really play a Hack'n Slash game after that. But for those who fell in love with Hack'n Slash games? Well we have tried all these so called clones. Some has been really good while some has been rather boring, none has really managed to attract the huge mass which Diablo 2 did, while all has tried to stay pure to the gameplay. So we have not seen a lot of Hack'n Slash games the past years since if not managing to pull off the great success of Diablo 2 it is hardly worth the effort and will hurt the economy of the studio. Same goes with old school RPGs. AAA titles are expensive and if not executed perfectly it would be hard to make it go around.
Out comes Torchlight... it is a small indie game, it does not need a lot of sales and it does not need to be the best nor most successful. It passes by a lot of people (me included) but for those who come across it it becomes almost like a nostalgia trip. One is taken back to the full night gaming sessions with Diablo 2. It has the same touch the same feeling of Diablo 2. It is different in art and style, yet... the spirit of Diablo 2 exists in it. Something I have not come across on any other Diablo clone. This made Torchlight very special and I am happy over its success. Yet it does not have multiplayer something which was the ace on Diablo 2 and the reason why a lot of people played it.
Blizzard is playing it safe. With World of Warcraft in their pocket which attracted a lot of people who would normally not enjoy RPG games nor Fantasy plays it. They modify Diablo 3 a little to attract this new audience while trying to keep the Diablo 2 fanatics. Which is very understandable. I would have done the same. The best thing for Blizzard being the fact that they are making Diablo 3, even the name will pull buyers another studio with a new title could not attract. I have a lot of friends who has never looked or played any other Hack'n Slash game since Diablo 2 who then goes out and buys Diablo 3 without a second thought. It is quite magical.
Now... Torchlight 2 is about to come out. It is impossible to compare Diablo 3 with Torchlight 2. The Hack'n Slash lovers will be able to play both because they see the different positives and negatives with both games, but the mass will see: Diablo 3 vs Diablo Clone. They will compare the feature and bash down on either depending on which side they pick. Quite nasty :/
But since I am not that very intelligent I wanted to take a look on why I decided not to play Diablo 3 and why Torchlight 2 became to choice for me. I am also hoping that my post will at least be considered before being forgotten as a Diablo 3 vs Diablo clone thread. It is not my intention to bash on either game nor compare them.
The things that Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2 have in common are:
combat, loot, isometric view, and to kill as much enemies as possible to collect their loot.
One can argue if TL2s combat is better than D3s or if the isometric view in TL2 is 1m higher up or 10degrees wrong angle to D3. It is actually important to compare those different things and point out if TL2 should balance the same as D3 or not. I am all up for that kind of discussions. To me however: combat, loot, isometric view and to kill as much enemies as possible to collect their loot... is the same in all Hack'n Slash games. There is no difference in them.. they are ALL the same. So to be able to choose between games, if I shall buy them or not... these are not the important aspects.
What they do not have in common are:
Target audience
This is where the difference come to me. This is what makes the one game better than the other (in my opinion!). But another person will see it completely the other way around and some will like both.
The purpose of D3 is to milk as much money on the franchise as possible.
The purpose of TL2 is to make as much money as possible with a small team while building a franchise.
D3 is competetive, Tl2 is for fun.
D3: PvP (BOHYAH!), Closed battle net (Hurray!), Real money auction house (DUMDUM!), Difficulty level which makes you wanna cry (Glory to the people!).
TL2: Mods (HELL YEAH!), Open multiplayer (YAY!), Play with your friends (WOHO!), It is ment to be fun (POMPOMPOM).
It is impossible for each individual to try to convince another individual which they will prefer. Someone who wants closed battle net will think that D3 is better than TL2.. someone who wants Mods will think that TL2 is the obvious purchase.
I like mods, I hate pvp. I pick harder difficulty because I want it to be more fun with a little extra challenge, yet I do not want to dedicate my soul to try to beat it all. D3 makes me think a lot about WoW. When I started WoW it was very much fun. It took long time to reach high level and the journey was very much fun. When reaching max level the competition began. PvP, Arenas, Raids etc. The whole game changed at that point. It became something I did not like. It went from fun to competitive so I create an alt... In later years they even changed it to be short road to max level and the competition, with cataclysm they made the world linear and boring while leveling, all the time sent between hubs and to the next. It was a short grind to max where the game is supposed to begin, to me it ended.
So figured yet why I pick TL2 over D3?
In D3 you are supposed to try to get the best gear, min/max, beat the hardest bosses to stand out above other players and be the superior.
In TL2 you look for loot to progress, you create an adventure with your friends or family to slay the foes and complete the quest... simply have a good time and experience an adventure.
I realize that a lot of people will disagree with me.. but to me TL2 is the obvious choice. but I understand why someone else would pick D3.
So as my last piece of stupid rambling here:
Cartoony Graphics vs Even more Cartoony Graphics.
Some say it matters, some say graphics does not matter, some says something is for children, some says blah.
I say.. obviously graphics matters.. but it can matter to different degrees and everyone has different tastes..
discussion: pointless
TL2 is better than D3
100% personal taste
discussion: pointless
Will TL2 have endgame
Not in the same way as WoW and not in the same way as D3, because they do not have the same goal with their game
discussion: pointless
Open Multiplayer, cheats
Yes it is open, yes people can cheat, but the game is not competetive. Play with friends and family to have fun. If the idea is not for you this game is not for you
discussion: pointless
Infinitive respec, limited respec, no respec
This game is not competitive, whet ever there is unique builds, a lot of builds or if people who are stupid and do mistakes to then change builds does not matter to you as a player.
If I want to play hardcore and not respec I can just not respec or remove the possibility to respec through a mod (personally I do not care but prefer limited respecs).
discussion: pointless
Diablo 3 vs TL2
The games basic features are the same, and I think it should be discussed. As for the other points.. it is a matter of what type of player you are and let's face it.. if you do not like Open Multiplayer.. I do not think that this game is for you, this however does not make the game sucky.
discussion: pointless
Message to Runic:
*pokes on BrianW* schhhhhhh ... wub you guys
Fortunately, those are out of the question.
