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.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance may just be copying the same structure of Diablo in pretty much every way possible, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Yeah, it’s basically “X-Men Legends with the whole Marvel universe,” and that’s certainly more than enough for some people. For everyone, it’s the addicting joy of having classic and popular (at the time) Marvel heroes hang out and kick monsters until they get the best loot around, and do it again.
The fun of the original Ultimate Alliance comes in both the beefed up character roster and their powers. There’s some overlap in how each one plays, but they all have skill sets that perfectly reflect their personalities and character history. It feels like a game made for Marvel fans, by Marvel fans — the kind that you call your friends up to come over and play with some pizza and drinks over the weekend. It’s all wrapped in a rather silly story that’s basically just a walking tour of the most memorable Marvel locations (at the time), but it’s worth it because you get to have Spider-Man and Wolverine team up with Daredevil and Hawkweye to fight Fin Fang Foom. Sometimes, that’s enough.
Thankfully, both Ultimate Alliance 1 and its sequel are available to play on the PC, Xbox One, and PS4. If you’re in the mood for a nostalgia trip with a Diablo clone or have never played them, then it’s your lucky day.
Dungeon Siege
Originally released in 2002 courtesy of Microsoft and Gas Powered Games, the Dungeon Siege franchise takes place in the continent of Aranna. Like with most RPGs, players start off as someone with humble beginnings who later becomes the greatest badass in all the land. The first two games and their expansions put players in the shoes of a farmhand thrust into the role of heroism after savage creatures attack a nearby farming community, while the third entry in the franchise lets you choose between one of four characters who survived a mercenary attack.
If you played Diablo, you know what you’re getting here. Combat, like the others on this list, is appropriately well designed, each character class is useful, and some pretty fun co-op stands with the best of the genre. The pause and go tactical aspect of things lend some strategy, so you can plan out your attacks and moves, and there’s a certain charm to be had from the various mods that the community has set up. Single player is a lot of fun that’s expanded on with multiplayer, and having music from Jeremy Soule of Skyrim fame certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Just, don’t watch the movie. It’s… bad.
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
If we’re going to be talking about Diablo-like games, we have to mention the excellence that is Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. The Forgotten Realms series has produced many games over the years, but this was the first to come out for console and handheld players as opposed to the PC, where the franchise typically resides. For Dungeons and Dragons fans in particular, it was the first game to implement the real-time application of new rules added to the 3rd edition, which released back in 2000.
Even though Dark Alliance released on the Game Boy Advance and is fine, it’s much better on consoles. For one thing, you can play as more than just the human dude right from the outset, and you’re able to jump in and play co-op as well.
In any case, you play as one of three adventurers who get caught up in the quest to stop Eldrith the Betrayer from destroying Baldur’s Gate. Each of the three characters play differently, but you wouldn’t know that because they all play just so well. The responsiveness of the controls make it a blast to play solo or with a friend. If there’s any action-RPG that needs a remaster or straight up sequel, this would be it.
Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian is probably best known for some as the studio who makes pretty good sequels to well established franchises. (In fact, they’d probably do well with Diablo, if Blizzard ever wanted to pass the reigns off to another developer.) Pillars of Eternity was their second game not based on another property, Kickstarted in 2012 and arriving three years later to widespread acclaim. Set in the world of Eora, players are in the shoes of a Watcher, gifted with the ability to see past lives and interact with souls. That’s not a normal thing that people can do, clearly, so the goal of the game is to find a way to take the abilities away so you can keep your sanity and figure out why babies are being born with no souls.
Pillars is inspired by games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Baldur’s Gate, and Icewind Dale. As such, it’s easy to think the game is just a nostalgia trip for fans of those series, and while it skirts around there, it stands up as its own creation. The combat is as fun as it needs to be–which is very–and the writing is top notch across the board; the Grieving Mother story is some of the best writing Obsidian’s ever put out.
While players will certainly be taken in by the lore, some may not like how devoid of humor it is, but that’s a minor thing in and of itself. If you like your action-RPGs deep and great, Pillars of Eternity will do you just right.
Divinity: Original Sin
PC gamers will know that the Divinity games have been around since the early 2000s, having switched from action-RPG Diablo clone to real time strategy for a brief period of time. Unlike the other games in the franchise, Original Sin is a prequel, putting players in the shoes of a pair of Source Hunters dedicated to wiping out magic called “the Source,” as well as anyone practicing said magic, themselves dubbed “Sourcerers.”
Original Sin was partially funded through Kickstarter and delayed multiple times until its release in 2014, and it’s a pretty finely polished work because of it. The work that Larian Studios put into it is astounding, from the breadth of customization options for the Source Hunters, down to the modding tools at your disposal. Combat feels as powerful as it could possibly be, and by the end of the game, it’s hard to not feel like the biggest and most powerful badass in all the world. Experimentation is the name of the game here, and once you find the successful formula that best suits you, you’re sure to have plenty of fun alone or with a buddy. It may even give the best Diablo days a run for their money.
If you’re someone new to the classic RPG scene, let it be known that the game doesn’t exactly ease you in well, so it’d be best to look at some tips or play with a friend with more experience. But that aside, Divinity: Original Sin is one of the most fun RPGs out on the market right now, and with a sequel on the way sometime this year, now’s a perfect time to play.
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