They've claimed the mininum reqs are still quite low. I don't know, though. Their FAQ doesn't yet list minimum specs.
Aside from the CGI cutscenes (which are always great) D2 was actually a very lackluster game. TL had nearly identical gameplay, though was less grindy and more fun for me (no stingy stash space, pet mechanic, respec potions, moddable, etc.)

You could put a rock on your mouse and finish Torchlight on hard.

Sooo boring.

And gathering fishes? Nigga, please...

Well, fishing was kind of boring to me too, but a lot of people liked it. It was completely optional. Yes, TL was "easy" but so was Diablo 2. Hell even Diablo could be easy (though losing your gear could be a bitch).

I don't know, maybe I got a little more skill, but when I first played Diablo 2, I died A LOT until I learnd what skills to upgrade, etc etc. In Torchlight it was much much easier from the beginning.

But maybe I will give T1 another try.

Are you assuming that D3 is going to be better than D2? :)

Cheers for that. I did have a bash on Crimson Alliance (and Daggerdale - doh!) but wasn't really taken with it. I did like the demo of T1, but clearly missed whatever sale you found and was wondering if it was worth spending out on it if the new and improved sequel was around the corner!

I don't know if they've reduced it to 800 points or if it's 1200, but it's pretty expensive compared to the PC version at this point and imo there's probably better ARPG games on XBLA that lack co-op for that price. If you get TL on PC you can mod away the few annoying things (the 20 stashes mod is great).

CA is entirely about seeing how badass you can be, cranking your multiplier really high and trying to get a time bonus on level completion is hard. Plus they have a difficulty mode called REDONKULOUS! which garners automatic approval from me.

With all the strong games coming out on XBLA and already out (American Nightmare, Warp, Fable Heroes, etc.) I have a hard time saying TL is worth the full price on XBLA right now.

Being within the minimum specs does not mean all that much. I can play Torchlight at 720p with most settings on Low, some on Medium. If TL2 is only playable at 640x480, that would be a problem.

I think what Diablo 2 managed that other hack and slash never quite got right since was the ability to have a game which was, on paper, pretty linear; but which managed to break that feeling by making the maps open area roaming.
So whilst it was still A to B the maps themselves made it more varied. Add into that hidden vaults, hidden quests and a few hidden chests and the game made you want to explore, rewarded you for it and gave a nearly different map each time.

Torchlight failed mostly in a few key areas;
1) Very linear maps - personally only Dungeon Siege original ever made fully linear maps fun.

2) No setting change - same town, same, problems just deeper into the mine. D2 did the whole touring the world thing which whilst not essential added to the flavour of the game.

3) No real missions aside from your primary; nothing really made the world feel more alive or deep; you followed your primary mission and occasionally went down a side track to slay a demi-boss for the organ machine or another character in the town.

That said many other hack and slashes have failed in their own ways. Sacred series tended to fall flat with the concept of both writing an engaging story (it felt bland) and also in writing side quests (heroes of hack and slash do no rescue teddybears from monster caves...).


Personally D2 still stands pretty high on my list for fun and features. Yes its aged and yes once you've played more than a couple of times the maps are fairly predictable, but it still makes the effort.
Personally if Torchlight 2 can equal D2 AND give me a game with a pet ferret with goggles and the option of a panther than its won

I largely agree, although, Diablo 2 was just as linear in terms of play as it is on paper. You end up needing to do pretty much all the quests and I don't recall them being randomized.

Also, you're comparing Blizzard with Runic, Runic didn't have the budget that was required to give things the scope that Diablo 2 did, TL2 is however looking like it's going to address the obvious deficiencies in the first game.

I hope both games do well. Although I'm not likely to play D3 much as I'm getting rather tired of Blizzard's aggressively anti-gamer stance on things like singleplayer and LAN play. I still remember when you just needed one retail copy per 3 players or something like that for LAN play. Sigh.

Never played Torchlight, but I'm sure it is a better game than Diablo II because it doesn't have torches and fires with shadows.

Actually, you could skip several quests.

Also, they were randomized. For example, in first act, loocation of the cemetery was random, in second act, Duriel was in random crypt, etc etc.

What I like from Torchlight is the steampunk cartoon-y style. I had much fun summoning two different kinds of steampunk robots in Torchlight. Here's hoping Torchlight II will improve on this.

Really? Huh... Which ones? It's been a while since I played D2.

I know there's one in the swamp that you don't have to do. In fact, I don't think I've ever done it in my life... But from what I remember, all the other quests needed to be done to advance the story. Or maybe I remember it like that because I'm a little OCD and have to complete everything :-)