Torchlight I & II
If Torchlight seems like it’s pretty much copying Diablo word for word, that would be because two designers from Torchlight actually worked on the first two entries of Blizzard’s action-RPG franchise, and developer Runic Games flat out stated making a game like that was their goal from the start. Fortunately, they also copied the most important part of the hellish RPG franchise, which is to be fun as hell.
The titular town is home to a valuable resource that grants magical power to anyone in possession of it, which makes it a hot spot for adventurers and the power hungry types. Even worse, the resource, called Ember, actually has contributed to previous civilizations dying out in the past. It’s a paper thin plot, to be sure, but the gameplay manages to make that an afterthought. It feels downright satisfying to play the game and use the weapons and powers at your disposal, and the controls are perfectly responsive. Some may find its heavy Diablo influences one of its weak points, but no matter how you slice it, Torchlight and its sequel are some of the most fun action-RPGs out today.
