What I Played Today: November 8

Rift, Torchlight

I didn't play much today! Logged into Rift to dick around a bit, gathering stones so I can get the special mount for this world event, ho hum. Also turned on Torchlight because I remembered that game exists, but gave up really quickly because I forgot how to send my pet back to town to sell my stuff. How do I do that, Internet?

What I Played Today: August 14

Torchlight

I tried to get through Torchlight some more, but unfortunately I’ve gotten the one screen that I never expected because it happens so rarely. A crash screen.

I had gotten down to the sixth floor, where the next challenge awaited, some sisters. I started noticing something was off though, when the camera focused on absolutely nothing and insist someone was talking. Then, ten seconds later, C++ was finished.

I guess this isn’t a terribly interesting story, just letting everyone know that my game crashed. Yep, it’s just an everflowing fountain of interest over here.

What I Played Today: August 13

Torchlight

I keep telling myself that I need to be playing Torchlight, because it’s supposed to be addictively good, which is like telling yourself you should get around to smoking. But every time I play I find myself getting a bit bored, and needing to stop playing after about 45 minutes or so. Sure, there’s a lot going on, and some of the set pieces and challenges that are handed out are quite good, such as a point where I’m running down a corridor and suddenly 20 spiders come tearing out of some grates at me. I was stunned and also excited.

But I just can’t stop feeling that it’s too derivative, and the fact that I’ve already decided what my strategy is going to be and all I’m doing is slowly marching my way towards it. I suppose there are a lot of other options, and I’m not utilizing even half of the resources the game has provided for me. I haven’t really figured out how those orcs work, and the enchanting guy I have no idea what to do with. Does he charge me, or what? Why would I ever talk to him? So maybe I need to branch out a bit, actually delve into the dungeon instead of doing the side dungeons, that kinda thing. Who knows. I did find a pretty cool rifle though.

What I Played Today: June 28

Torchlight

Holy hell, what is this thing? A blog, you say? I’ve never heard of it. Okay, I was busy this past week or so moving all my stuff into a different location and trying to decompress, and I wound up completely forgetting about this. So let’s get started again, shall we?

I finally got the Torchlight game, which is ridiculous, because I was practically the advocate of the game for my entire group. I was the first one to be made aware of its existence when I wrote a preview of it when saw it at PAX, and whenever it was brought up, I always said that it looked like fun. Yet, everyone else I hang out with has already played it and I’m finally getting a chance to try it. I blame laziness.

The first thing you notice about it is how it is Diablo. Like, exactly like Diablo. Which isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it makes it a lot easier to play, knowing what’s to be expected and what you should do. There are noticable difference, mainly that the enemies all act unique and you’re told how to act different, the cartoony graphics make it a lot more enjoyable to watch, the special abilities are actually fun to use, and the story is a lot less doom and stupid.

And truly, Diablo is a fun game, and Torchlight took the fun of that and made it worthwhile. You wonder why there aren’t more Diablo clones out there, and the truth is there probably were, back in 2000 or so, but they’ve kinda died out. It took the creators of the game, now with Runic, to say to themselves, “Let’s do that again, only better.” I’m digging it.