My question is for old diableros who remember the way to poor Wirt in Old Tristram, the horrible Butcher, Mephisto-runs, and the crazy cosmic level under Lut Gholein palace...:)

I was the one of the stupid who bought Diablo III. As you could guess after a week of playing I deleted this crap from my HDD, and even forgot the password for my Battle.net account already...:)

I heard and read many good words about Torchlight and Torchlight 2, I know that they were made by people from Blizzard North, and so on... But I want the living impressions from people who played Diablo and Diablo 2, and loved them as much as I did. Is Torchlight really so good? The main thing that still stopped me from buying it is the overall "cartoony" atmosphere that I can see on screenshots and videos. And I must say that cartoony atmosphere is the last thing I want from hack-and-slash game.

What would be your advice?

Thanks in advance.

No, Torchlight 1 definitely isn't! It lacks the atmosphere and general depth of Diablo in any way. The "cartoony" style isn't such a downer as it seems at first glance. The visual design and soundtrack are "friendlier" but don't feel inappropriate. It's Torchlight style and just not a 100% Diablo clone. But Torchlight 1 has no soul in my opinion. After the first couple of hours playing, it was more an arcade game experience than an RPG. I did't care much about character or story, just hack 'n slash down the (visually nice) dungeon. I can't give you advise on Torchlight 2 as I haven't played it. It's said, that it's similar, but slightly better then Torchlight 1, thus no need to play the first part. On the other hand it's probably quite similar to it's successor which you might be able to play for free: Check this thread for GOG gifting codes: http://www.gog.com/forum/torchlight/free_codes_for_this_game and redeem them on https://secure.gog.com/redeem. Maybe some are still unsused. Alternatively check the general forum for further Torchlight 1 giveaways.

And what about skill system? The most thrilling part of Diablo 2 gameplay for me was the character building, saving skill points, waiting for long-craving Fanaticism or Whirlwind. I suppose I deleted more than one hundred characters in Lut Gholein or Kurast when I realized that my build sucks...:)

Check your PM ;)

Torchlight 1 is a little bit shallow- comparable to Diablo 1 in terms of complexity of gameplay, but without the dark atmosphere. It's still fun for a run through, but doesn't have all that much staying power. Torchlight 2, on the other hand, was a massive improvement, and as someone who easily sunk over a thousand hours into D2 I can say that I've thoroughly enjoyed TL2. The atmosphere is different from Diablo, but it still works quite well. The skill system offers significant dept, with multiple viable builds possible for each of the four classes (and plenty of crappy builds possible if you don't plan it out), and the mechanics behind stats and gear bonuses offering good additional depth on ways to focus and optimize your character. Overall, as a Diablo veteran TL2 is a game that I would highly recommend.

Torchlight 1 is just an OK game. The idea behind it, fighting monsters to get loot and levels to fight more monsters, is inherently fun and the game doesn't do anything stupid to detract from it (like interrupting the game with cutscenes or stealth missions or some other stupid stuff), and that's what saves it. Other than that there really isn't much to it to make it stand out. The classes are your standard warrior, mage and rogue, nothing special. The skills aren't particulary interestign either and there is only one dungeon. The dungeon has five (or six?) layers, but I'd say the first two are the most interesting ones, then it gets just generic.

With that said, I still had my fun with it, so if you can get it cheaply chances are you'll get your money's worth. Just don't listen to people saying that it's the spiritual sequel to Diablo II, it really isn't. It's more like a decent knock-off, it's not nearly as good, but still OK.

I should also mention tht I haven't played Torchlight 2, so I can't compare it. I didn't play the original Diablo either, so I'm using Diablo 2 as a frame of reference. Maybe Torchlight 1 compares better to Diablo 1, I don't know. Finally, in defense of Runic it should also be mentioned that the game was made in a very short time on a tight budget, so under those circumstances it turned out fine. Of course that still doesn't make the end product better.

I can say that the first game is quite addictive.
Personally, i find the rpg element as good as in diablo. Maybe i make with that statement a lot of enemies. But i think its good.
It is true that you are playing a hack'n'slash game, but so was diablo. I haven't seen so far any character like Wirt. But Diablo 1 was not all that complicated either.
TL1 is not as dark.
What i like about TL1 is for example that you have the option upon dying to sacrifice point or/and experiences by being able to start off where you died or loose nothing and start off in town.

Story? mmm.. not sure if a story plays a big role in either games. Yes, Diablo had a story but so does TL1. I don't think the story is a big part of the game. You get quests and fulfill them after killing everything in your way.

My advise is, try the demo. Not sure if they still have a demo on their website, but on steam you can try the game out. It will give you a glimpse of the game mechanics. Judge it by that.
I find this game very addictive and enjoy playing it.
Diablo 1 will be perhaps still king, but Torchlight is maybe the queen. :)

My opinion of Torchlight 1 pretty much matches what DarkPhoenix said. I haven't played the second one yet, though.

I like TL a lot and TL2 is substantially better. The only feature in TL I like that's not in TL2 is the "beauty shot" (where you hit return, the game pauses, zooms in on your character and does a slow rotation. Looks quite impressive during big battles)

I am in level 30 right now and so far i will say this.

Story is lackluster. Good dude becomes evil wants to rule the world. You, saving the world.
There are a lot of weapons and things that come around. Currently i collect the orange and pink kind of things. I did a lot underestimating opponents.
I think its an ok game but i feel detached from my character. The nice thing is, that you have a pet on your side which you can control to an extent.
But overall its an ok game.
Since i got this game for free i think its great. But i don't think that its equal to Diablo. I will, however, get me TL2 to get the full experience.
One thing i missed from Diablo is the pounding music score. Don't underestimate the music in a game like this. But on the other hand, this game is a steampunk version so you have even guns at your disposal.

Since i have 5 more level ahead of me, this is no final verdict. Just my opinion so far.

Torchlight is just being playable, i guess. I did not like its cartoonish approach, it is even more ridiculous at graphics than diablo 3 itself. Diablo 3 is a legendary piece of sit, but because bazillions of suckers rushed in to buy it, blizzard will be both funded and motivated in order to produce more krap in future. After the idiocy called WoW, everyone should guess what they are going to do with ALL of their games. And especially after merging with Activision. I pity those people, because they were Good Old Gamers, with a fond memory of 1 and 2 as matchless masterpieces, and rushed in to buy 3 in good faith that it would be superior, or even equal to, the original titles. Oh well, something along those lines, but not really; a lot of forums hammered diablo 3 way long before release, analyzing its poor decisions, artistic management and so on!

Anyway, torchlight does not hold a candle to diablo 1 or 2, to say. But compared to that pile of sat called diablo 3, then diablo 3 does not hold a candle to torchlight one. Fine game the torchlight one, though, if you not compare with the grandfather.

And for that reason it will age much better.

I had a terrific time with Torchlight. I liked the cartoony style and generally bright colors much as I liked the bright colors in HOMM2. The style isn't ridiculous, though; nothing like anime-type huge eyes with chipped pupils or characters with chests like bulls matched with feet the size of shirt buttons. Not comical. But there were some frightening moments in Diablo, and and overall sense of encroaching evil and of loss at the devastation of the town that isn't matched by the general jauntiness of Torchlight. Torchlight is more upbeat. The Diablos 1 and 2 had a feeling, not overwhelming but there, that you were playing against a background of lost souls. Torchlight keeps it comparatively light.

Skill-building isn't as developed as Diablo 2 could be, but it still makes a difference. Personally I found the variety in basic character types -- mage, archer, warrior -- limited, especially as the warrior was much harder to play from the get-go. But you could at least play what you got in different ways, and doing so was plenty of fun.

Loot is good and interesting, and your pet can carry it back to town for you -- a huge relief. Mods let you have much more storage space, the lack of which can cripple these games by forcing you to make endless trips to down to sell junk if you ever want to buy anything. There are even abilities to make your pet do it faster so you don't have to wait for him too long. Despite the abundance of loot, you may find yourself waiting many levels between upgrades, time and again. That's not a bad thing though; it makes you look forward to new upgrades more, and you're rarely as handicapped by a long run of exceptionally poor and/or unsellable loot as you are in Diablo's 1 or 2.

The interface was better than Diablo or Diablo 2's, in my book. The game lets you cycle between spells and abilities very quickly, especially if you have something like a Belkin Nostromo or the Logitech whatchamacallit equivalent that I have (can't remember its name, but I actually do love it).

Summons are fun and have character, and can make a big difference in gameplay. You can use them whether or not you're a mage-type character.

Sound is quite good.

Like the Diablos, Torchlight 1 had a world it was fun to be a part of for hours at a time or for just a level or two when you have less spare time. I played the dickens out of it and hope to do so with Torchlight 2 as soon as it's truly DRM-free and on GOG, and don't hesitate to recommend it. For a person who has never played D1 or D2, I'd probably recommend Torchlight first, though Diablo 1, I think, had the most character and best spooky atmosphere by far among these three play-alike games.

Torchlight 2 = Head Crab

Nuff said. Worship this series! :D