When I say taxes I mean all of the things required by the game to maintain the gameplay or your character for the sake of “balance.” Usually they take the form of either a fee, like buying skills or repairing gear, or a time sink, like excessive traveling or backtracking. Torchlight 2 doesn’t just hold its own against Diablo 3 in some cases it’s flat out better. While everything about the game screams that it should be a $60 title the only thing that doesn’t is the price tag. They’ve kept their price low at $20 not because their game isn’t as good as other $60 titles, but because, as they say, “Not everyone has $60 lying around.” It’s really for this reason alone that I’m surprised at how enjoyable Torchlight 2 is compared to its more expensive cousin.
They seem keenly aware that the key to any successful game is a happy, active, and robust fan base. Runic’s inviting Torchlight 2 atmosphere isn’t a happy coincidence of good game design, but a deliberate tactic designed to create a larger community. That first day, for both games, really summed up each overall experience Torchlight 2 invites you to play with a smile and open arms while Diablo 3 invites you with a scowl and a cold shoulder.
Two hours after loading up Torchlight 2 I was already level 5 and had acquired a fair amount of loot two hours after loading up Diablo 3, however, I was sitting on my couch wondering when their servers would be stable enough to play. While both had their share of release day problems, Torchlight 2’s didn’t stop me from sitting down to actually play the game. You know how they say that first impressions are the most important? Well, there’s really no better way to show the differences between Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3 other than to compare each on their first day of release.