Best of 2009: Torchlight

This is a $20 game that I'm loving more than most of the $60+ juggernauts released this year.  That alone earns Torchlight a spot on the list.  I'm actually surprised that Torchlight has hooked my heart as effectively as it has.  I generally prefer games with a strong story element.  It doesn't have to be symbolic or weighed down with those ever so popular "moral choices" that seem to be hot these days, but I do usually prefer a well told story to mindless gameplay.  The story is absolutely secondary in Torchlight, though.  It exists, but it's mainly just there as an excuse for why you're delving ever deeper into this long dungeon underneath the town.  Yet the gameplay is so well executed and addicting that it's kept me coming back time and again.

If you've ever played Diablo, you know exactly what you're getting here.  The game was actually designed by the guys who made Diablo, so they kind of know what they're doing with a game of this type.  You may get a creepy sense of deja vu when you play Torchlight, as the music is almost the same as that of Diablo's Tristam.  And since these guys made Diablo, they also know what needed to be improved upon in that classic, and they did a phenomenal job here.  The loot drops are plentiful, yet the meaningful ones are spaced far enough apart to make them feel special.  Combat is a blast, with powers that I'm actually using a lot so I don't just feel like I'm endlessly hammering on the mouse button.  The art style is colorful and cartoony, which is actually a nice contrast from the dark and demonic mood of the Diablo series.  But the greatest improvement is the pet.  No matter what class you choose, you will have either a dog or a cat accompany you.  This pet will fight alongside you.  You can assign it spells and give it accessories to boost its stats.  It has inventory space.  And best of all, you can send it into town to sell all the loot it's carrying while you continue to quest through the dungeon.  For anyone who has been frustrated in a Diablo game by the constant breaks in the game needed to activate a town portal and sell some loot, this is one of the greatest ideas ever conceived by a game developer. 

I haven't finished the game yet, but it's one of those games you can jump in and play for a little or a long time.  That's part of why I love this game so much.  I don't feel like I need to jump back in before I forget everything, yet I still feel drawn to hop in every now and then.  It's kind of like WOW, only without the monthly fees and the annoying people cluttering your chat window.  In other words, it's fantastic.