Torchlight II

Torchlight II is an improvement over Torchlight in all the obvious ways: more classes, more abilities and items, more environments, multiplayer (LAN or online), general mechanical enhancements. As such, it's eminently more playable than its somewhat-anemic predecessor -- and in many ways, I would argue, a superior dungeon-crawling experience over its Goliath of a rival, Diablo III.

But there are some ways in which Torchlight II still seems stuck in the past (albeit, a more recent past than the first game). Its storytelling is a complete throwaway, with uninteresting cutscenes and unengaging quest descriptions. The world and enemies are visually diverse, but almost never mix up combat. Weirdest of all, though, is the talent point system; you can re-allocate your last three talent points, but that's it. For a game that's otherwise rife with choices, forcing you to live with early decisions - likely made in error - is a bit baffling.

But these finer complaints fade away when you're partied up with a group of friends, grinding through monsters and dungeons, following map indicators across an impressive (yet randomly assembled) gamescape, picking up colored loot (dropped uniquely to your character!), and sending your pet back to town to clear out your inventory.

Here's what I wonder, though: why is Act 2 always in the fucking desert?

Progress: Somewhere in the desert