Game Review: Torchlight

From my post on the Here We Geaux blog....

So one of my favorite PC games from back in the day is a game called Diablo by Blizzard Entertainment. There is something about dungeon crawl video games that I just love. I remember playing that game for days and days until I finally beat Diablo himself. Since its release Diablo has become synonymous with the Action Roleplaying (RPG) genre of video games. That is, players choose classes, level up, manage gear and spells and the like from traditional roleplaying games but the game action itself is played in real time. There have been may games that have followed in Diablo's foot steps as a "top down" action RPG and one of my recent favorite examples is a game called Torchlight from Runic Games.

Torchlight takes place in a steam punk world in the namesake mining town of Torchlight. In this universe, an ore called Ember is the basis for alchemy and the foundation for all magic. The miners prospecting for Ember eventually dug deep enough to discover the ancient ruins buried beneath the town and the myriad of dangerous inhabitants found there. It is this "Ember Rush" that brings your character to Torchlight in search of fame and fortune.

You may choose one of three classes: the melee centric Destroyer, the magic wielding Alchemist, or the range attacking Vanquisher. You also get to choose a pet to accompany you on your adventures to help in combat and to carry items for you. Once you have decided on which class to play, from town you descend down into a randomly generated dungeon level to slay monsters, acquire gold and loot, and gain experience. One of the highlights of this game is the character customization. As you gain levels, you get to spend talent points in the different specialty trees available to each character. Combined with the limitless gear options available, this makes each character play differently and offers a unique game experience.

Each level lower increases in difficulty and rewards. You can play the game on different difficulty settings depending on how challenged you want to be. This is important, as it is just you and your pet against an entire dungeon of baddies. I found game play to be very responsive and fast and...God like! The array of spells and ability options to deal damage is both staggering and lethal. There is something very satisfying about being surrounded by a whole room full of demons, zombies, oozes and skeletons and letting off a power combo that devastates everything. Still, you have to be tactful enough not to get overrun, as for every mob you kill there seems to be 10 more there to take his place. You only have so much energy or mana to fuel your attacks, so resource management is key. Thankfully, this is aided by potions and locations in the dungeons to replenish what you have lost.

To me, one of the most fun aspects of Torchlight is leveling your character and customizing him to how you want to play. You get to pick talents, customize gear, and learn spells and abilities that reflect how you envision your character should be. No two characters are exactly alike and combined with the random dungeons, even when you hit max level there is still infinite playability. So if you are looking for a game that does not take itself too serious yet is a blast to play at your own pace, I recommend Torchlight!

-Wicked

Game Night

Admit it. We humans are social creatures. No matter how much some of us may try to live on an island unto ourselves, inevitably we gravitate towards other like minded souls to socialze. We congregate at various watering holes, taverns, or coffee shops to socialize and talk about our common interests or topics of the day.

Many of you have heard me talk of the Third Place concept. Basically, we spend a majority of our time at our homes and workplaces because we have to. But the third place we choose to spend our time is usually a place that reflects something we enjoy. For some it is a local pub. For others it may be a bookstore or fitness club. Where ever it may be, our Third Place is our little sanctuary from the rigors of every day life.

For me and my friends that place is Game Night.

Game Night for us is the one day a week we set aside to get together and play some games. Most games require an opponent, so gaming lends itself very well to a social atmosphere. Game Night is the night my mates and I get together to roll some dice, move some miniatures, and try to pulverize each other's armies into submission. We experience the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and the camaraderie that ensues from spending an evening together playing the games that we love.

Now, Game Night can be at any location that lends itself to gaming. Most commonly Game Night can be found at your friendly local game store (FLGS). This is often fun and convenient, as many of the games you play can be purchased at the store. I am very much a proponent of "pay where you play". After all, if you play at someone's business it seems only fair to support that business so that it may continue to stay open and provide you with a place to have your Game Night.

If a FLGS is not an option for you, consider meeting at someone's home. Currently, for me and my gaming buds Game Night is hosted at a friends apartment that we have affectionately dubbed "The Cave". We get together at the table and run the full gambit of our gaming hobby. Our problem is we seem to have more games that we want to play than we have time to actually play them! I have noticed that as a gaming group, comprised of folks from many diverse backgrounds, we are establishing our own little customs and rituals that enforce our kinship. For example, when we meet we simply must hit a particular eatery because it is simply that good. Since Game Night is the only time many of us are near the restaurant it has become a custom for us to eat there. Another tradition is pie. Without fail, just about every gathering someone brings a new pie for us to eat. I like pie now more than I did before. And here I am thinking I was a cake person! But as enjoyable as these things are, they only seem to enhance the social aspect of gaming without detracting from the real reason we get together. Namely, that is to beat the ever-living crap out of each other in a game of WARMACHINE.

I'm kidding.

WARMACHINE is only one of the many games we play and we seem to play more than a few. For one, we are in the midst of playing in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Nothing beats getting together with your buds to slay a few kobolds and the craziness the develops from roleplaying. We are also avid board gamers. Board games are great for Game Night in my opinion because we all can play the same game at the same time. Carcassonne. Puerto Rico. Small World. Arkham Horror. The list goes on. We simply love playing these games and playing against each other. We are also down with card games. Warhammer Invasion. Race to the Galaxy. Cold War. All great games. For me, miniature games will always be the foundation of what hobby gaming is all about. Tabletop games like WARMACHINE, HORDES, Warhammer 40k, Warhammer Fantasy, Mordhiem, Alkemy and Infinity always are fun and enjoyable games. To be certain, there are many more games I could add to these. Again, too many games and not enough time to play them!

So the deal is gaming is a social experience and we are social creatures. I am certain that if you were to get your friends together and try any of the games I mentioned you all will have a great time. Even if hobby gaming is not your thing, take a departure from what you and your friends normally do and try playing some Monopoly or Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit. You will be amazed at how playing games amongst friends really makes for a fun and unforgettable evening.

So grab a game and start your own Game Night.

-Wicked