Torchlight 2

Finally, the real sequel of Diablo is here, and no this isn't some torchlight app for your smartphone...

From the original makers of Diablo 1 and 2, comes the epic sequel filled with monster killing, loot hording, item enchanting and explosive fishing.

Torchlight2 is bound to get your ARPG taste buds all tingly and yearning for more button mashing action. Don't worry about Auction Houses, overly easy gameplay, cookie-cut builds and uncostumoziable classes, cause none of them are available in Torchlight2.

An Outlander (physical, range attack class) in action & a shot of the inventory.

Instead, you will be treated to:

• Value for money - game will only cost you $19.90 ($59.90 for 4 copy bundle on Steam) for months of gameplay (lack of sleep is part of the package)

• Stat point distribution when leveling up (place them as you damn well like)

• Skill point distribution when leveling up 
• An NPC in town allowed players to reset for free till level 10 (in beta, not sure about release)
• You can be anything you want and builds are not restricted by the class selected.
• eg. Staff wielding, melee Embermage with short range spells
• Dual wielding, melee Outlander with poison and summons
• Beefy, cannon master Engineer and so on...

• All 4 classes have a unique charge bar that grants specific bonuses either when it is full or at certain points.
• Attack speed, Crit Chance, More magic damage, empower spells, etc.

• Item enchanting that can make low level gear as awesome as higher ones and more powerful gear even more awesome.
• Enchanting is done at NPC enchanters that appears in random maps (dungeons only from what I experience, can enchant above 1 enchantment) or NPC enchanter in town (you save them from a dungeon, but only enchant items to 1 enchantment)

• Take time to away from the hustle and bustle of monster bashing and partake in some relaxing fishing at your nearest water hole

• Categorized Inventory system
• 1 for normal loot
• 1 for potions, scrolls and fishes
• 1 for learn-able spells
• spell scrolls are consumed once learned (by yourself or pet, each can hold up to 4 spells)
• can remove a learnt spell to learn new ones

• NPC vendors that actually sell useful stuff

Berserker (melee, physical attack class) engaging a Giant Spider mini-boss in its lair.

• Quest item rewards which you will actually use (not all but most)

• Varied item tiering for near limitless loot table.
• Normal items (white) - No magical stats
• Magic items (green) - 1 to 2 magical stats (with low min-max values)
• Rare items (blues) - 1 to 5 magical stats (with average min-max values)
• Named rate items (blues, with special prefix/suffix) - 1 to 7 magical stats (with average min-max values)
• All rare items have a chance to be part of a set that is random (same rare item could be part of different sets).
• Sets grant extra bonus by wearing more pieces of gear with the same set name.
• Unique items (orange) - 1 to 7 magical stats (with high min-max values)
• There could be set unique items but after playing 5 characters in Beta to level 21 (max for beta), I have yet to acquire any.
• Be ready for trolling - some unique items are there to troll you.
• It will probably exceed 7 magical stats with higher level uniques
• On top of all this, ALL gear can be enchanted (whites, yours, pets, etc) with an enchanter NPC and gold.

• Loot drops at a variable and acceptable pace and rate
• The game does not deprive you of better loot to give you continuous character progression.
• Each character I played has given me a couple or more Unique items even at low levels, which I feel lets the players see how their can grow.

• Item socketing
• Gems (normal, magic, uniques) can be stuffed into items with sockets to further enhance its monster slaying powers.

• Anyone can wear anything as long as you meet the requirements
• Items have 2 to 3 requirements (only unique has 3 so far)
• One is a level requirement 
• Another is stat point requirement
• As long as you meet either, you can wield the item
• This means, you can eventually wear any item at some point in time.
• Only Uniques have class requirement as far as I played. 

• Have a pet without the trouble of cleaning up after them.
• Same as before, pets will join you in battle (8 total pets usable in beta)
• Pets sell and now buy consumable items (pots & scrolls)
• Extra storage place.
• Give pet spells like Heal All or Summon Zombies/ Skeletons to turn them into a mini support cleric / summoner

• Fame - Not sure how this works yet but completing Quest and killing quest mobs/boss grants you some fame points

• It can be difficult if you want it
• 4 difficulties available - from Easy to Elite
• Veteran gives a nice pace to those comfortable with a few ARPGs under their belt while Elite lets you have the fun of dying to bosses like a fly if you don't dodge their killing blows.
• I can only imagine the massacre that will take place in a 4 player elite. 

• NPC vendor buy back - just in case you sold the wrong stuff

• A nice mix of big open map to explore and pathways that guide you along your quest while dotted with a few dungeons that send you a few levels down to meet its boss
• Not all paths are shown on the map as there are hidden paths in the map that only appear as you go near them or trigger something
• eg. Going near the edge of a path triggers a bridge to be deployed opening a new area that is not shown on the map

• Secret doors, buttons, triggers and booty.
• They do not light up until your mouse hovers over them and you can click on it to open a secret room filled with booty!
• Some secret trigger requires a unique item to unlock which you will obtain if you are lucky enough and gives lots of sexy loot!

• A nice and detailed statistics page for all those AnaLytical players.

• Harder mode after game completion - not available in beta but it lets the player restart the game again with all monsters and difficulty set to match the level of the player or even higher for that extra challenge. (be ready for level 2 goblin gang rapes)

• The game never really ends
• Killing the last boss on the highest difficulty does mean its over.
• There will be mod tool for players to make their own maps, campaigns, scenarios, etc for endless hours of fun! 
• Willing to bet my shoes on a fishing competition mod map  :)

• Dummy!
• Not you, I meant practice dummy in town for players to bash senselessly.
• For a game with no PvP (or with) it is always good to have a damage sponge for players to test their damage, view debuff stacks on enemy and their effects, etc.

Inferno, Frost or Storm. The elements at your disposal as an Embermage (spell caster).

Hope the summary above helps to paint a clear picture of how this game, in almost every way, is more a successor of Diablo-ish francise then Diablo3 will ever be. And for those who are unaware, Blizzy has finally noticed that they are losing more and more players every single day from their juggernaut of a fail game. Now they have started to implement some of the fan suggestions and earlier game mechanics which they conveniently threw out the window after being clouded by lust for money. Just check for them on Blizzy's D3 forum.

Next up, is a rundown of the classes available and their skills as shown in the recent beta.