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Best ARPGs out there?

I'm in a Action RPG hach and slash mood these days. What are the best Diablo wannabes avaiable if you could tell me please?
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  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    edited February 2019
    Not really Diablo style but have you tried Dark Souls?
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    edited February 2019
    I like Grim Dawn a lot. Great speed, leveling, many different class combos and skills to pick and choose from. One expansion is already out and another on its way. I bought it on a sale on GoG and I wouldn’t be surprised if the core game will be on sale again when their new expansion comes.

    Another game on its way, but still in beta, is Wolcen. They have delayed their go-live a long time but the game looks really solid.

    Both of these games are more akin to the grittyness of D2 and less “cartoony” than D3.

    A third game is Path of Exile. Free to play but with a very different approach to skills. Instead of leveling up and choosing active skills, the skill tree is mostly passive buffs and you pick ie attack skills from chaining skill gems in slotted items.

    Check them out on YT and see if any of these fit your preference.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    edited February 2019
    Others not mentioned yet, all very good in my opinion:

    1) Titan Quest
    2) Torchlight 1 and 2, and their predecessor, Fate
    3) Sacred 1 and 2 (*not* 3)
    4) The original Divine Divinity (*not* Original Sin)
    5) Nox
    6) Dungeon Siege 1 and 2
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Do they have to be Diablo style?
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    Wolcen is the biggest tease in the history of the genre. It's moved BACKWARDS over the last year. They promised a beta last September when they announced six months earlier they were suspending all updates to work on it full time. Instead, there was what can only be described as a limited time tech-demo to test some multiplayer features in November. The Alpha client is obsolete, and is the only thing currently accessible. They have essentially redesigned the entire game since then, and no one has seen a single meaningful update in over a year. That people are still pretending this game is some new powerhouse and player in the genre is mind-boggling. I'd be shocked if this game was finished before 2025 at this rate. Give your money to Crate, who deserves it.
  • ShapiroKeatsDarkMageShapiroKeatsDarkMage Member Posts: 2,428
    edited February 2019
    Others not mentioned yet, all very good in my opinion:

    1) Titan Quest
    2) Torchlight 1 and 2, and their predecessor, Fate
    3) Sacred 1 and 2 (*not* 3)
    4) The original Divine Divinity (*not* Original Sin)
    5) Nox
    6) Dungeon Siege 1 and 2

    ,We should stand together one by one this world Is saaaaaacred!

    Divine Divinity Is actually the first western RPG i have ever played.
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    I have played Fate. Not sure if it's the same one you're talking about. My character's companion is a cat, currently morphed into a Tiger.
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    LadyRhian wrote: »
    I have played Fate. Not sure if it's the same one you're talking about. My character's companion is a cat, currently morphed into a Tiger.

    Fate was pretty cute in it's time, but everything Fate did has now been done 10x better by the two Torchlight games. At this point, they are relics that are worth dabbling with for about 30 minutes. That said, alot of people LOVE the Torchlight games, and they wouldn't exist without Fate.
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    Okay. :)
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    LadyRhian wrote: »
    I have played Fate. Not sure if it's the same one you're talking about. My character's companion is a cat, currently morphed into a Tiger.

    Yes, that sounds like the one I mean. There is basically one deep dungeon that generates the floor maps randomly, which is an interesting difference from the norm.

    I found the cartoon atmosphere and the light, penny-flute music to be very charming, and I very much enjoyed the fishing mini-game. If you do it long enough, you start to fish up rare and unique items, which is cool, in addition to the pet transformations.

    Shoot, now you've got me wanting to fire up Fate and play it again. Must...not...get...distracted before finally finishing all the Might and Magic: Heroes 5 campaigns!
  • WarChiefZekeWarChiefZeke Member Posts: 2,669
    I find a few of the Star Ocean games to be good RPGs and challenging action games. Till the End of Time is the one I would recommend, or the PSP remakes of the original two, if you can get your hands on them. I really wouldn't venture into the later installments though. The mere mention of the name "Edge Maverick" fills me with a level of cringe previously unseen by human eyes.
  • ShapiroKeatsDarkMageShapiroKeatsDarkMage Member Posts: 2,428
    LadyRhian wrote: »
    I have played Fate. Not sure if it's the same one you're talking about. My character's companion is a cat, currently morphed into a Tiger.

    Yes, that sounds like the one I mean. There is basically one deep dungeon that generates the floor maps randomly, which is an interesting difference from the norm.

    I found the cartoon atmosphere and the light, penny-flute music to be very charming, and I very much enjoyed the fishing mini-game. If you do it long enough, you start to fish up rare and unique items, which is cool, in addition to the pet transformations.

    Shoot, now you've got me wanting to fire up Fate and play it again. Must...not...get...distracted before finally finishing all the Might and Magic: Heroes 5 campaigns!

    Have you played Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, the side story of Heroes 5?
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @ShapiroKeatsDarkMage , No, I've never played Dark Messiah. It's a completely different kind of game from the rest of the franchise, and has a format I'm not interested in (first person action sandbox, similar to Skyrim).

    I didn't know that it was by Ubisoft and set in Ashan, though, so you taught me something there.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    DM HoMM has been on my wishlist on Steam for ages. I've considered buying it many times, but I've read it can be hard to get to work on more modern computers as well.
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    1) Grim Dawn
    2) Titan Quest
  • ShapiroKeatsDarkMageShapiroKeatsDarkMage Member Posts: 2,428
    @ShapiroKeatsDarkMage , No, I've never played Dark Messiah. It's a completely different kind of game from the rest of the franchise, and has a format I'm not interested in (first person action sandbox, similar to Skyrim).

    I didn't know that it was by Ubisoft and set in Ashan, though, so you taught me something there.

    Skyrim is a pretty weak entry in the Elder Scrolls series though. It shouldn't be considered the be all end all of first person rpgs.
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Not really Diablo flair, but Enderal's completely free expansion pack will be released this Thursday on steam. Even introduces the Lycanthrope as an alchemist job archetype.
  • ShapiroKeatsDarkMageShapiroKeatsDarkMage Member Posts: 2,428
    Skatan wrote: »
    I like Grim Dawn a lot. Great speed, leveling, many different class combos and skills to pick and choose from. One expansion is already out and another on its way. I bought it on a sale on GoG and I wouldn’t be surprised if the core game will be on sale again when their new expansion comes.

    Another game on its way, but still in beta, is Wolcen. They have delayed their go-live a long time but the game looks really solid.

    Both of these games are more akin to the grittyness of D2 and less “cartoony” than D3.

    But why Diablo 1+2 fans hate Diablo III though?
  • DragonKingDragonKing Member Posts: 1,979
    Others not mentioned yet, all very good in my opinion:

    1) Titan Quest
    2) Torchlight 1 and 2, and their predecessor, Fate
    3) Sacred 1 and 2 (*not* 3)
    4) The original Divine Divinity (*not* Original Sin)
    5) Nox
    6) Dungeon Siege 1 and 2

    ,We should stand together one by one this world Is saaaaaacred!

    Divine Divinity Is actually the first western RPG i have ever played.

    Someone said sacred?
    rh1djmcs2ha6.jpg
  • ShapiroKeatsDarkMageShapiroKeatsDarkMage Member Posts: 2,428
    DragonKing wrote: »
    Others not mentioned yet, all very good in my opinion:

    1) Titan Quest
    2) Torchlight 1 and 2, and their predecessor, Fate
    3) Sacred 1 and 2 (*not* 3)
    4) The original Divine Divinity (*not* Original Sin)
    5) Nox
    6) Dungeon Siege 1 and 2

    ,We should stand together one by one this world Is saaaaaacred!

    Divine Divinity Is actually the first western RPG i have ever played.

    Someone said sacred?
    rh1djmcs2ha6.jpg

    I love that song by the Blind Guardians.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    Skatan wrote: »
    I like Grim Dawn a lot. Great speed, leveling, many different class combos and skills to pick and choose from. One expansion is already out and another on its way. I bought it on a sale on GoG and I wouldn’t be surprised if the core game will be on sale again when their new expansion comes.

    Another game on its way, but still in beta, is Wolcen. They have delayed their go-live a long time but the game looks really solid.

    Both of these games are more akin to the grittyness of D2 and less “cartoony” than D3.

    But why Diablo 1+2 fans hate Diablo III though?

    well, I can't speak for others of course, but from what I've seen, heard and read, many ppl objected against the streamlining of D3, it's simplified skill tree, the simplified item categorizations (monks/wizards use axes instead of orbs or hand weapons), the different "feel" of the game from being gritty and grimdark to a more "WoW-esque" thematics etc. Personally, I liked D3 and played it extensively in the early days. Same as with D2 though, for me, the end game just isn't interesting enough to keep me playing. As with D2 I'd rather start over with a new char then keep running the same maps to colled 10 items so I can spawn an über boss. D3 had partly the same mechanics there, so I lost interest. Also, the auction house made it too easy to get great items cheap, so the inflation in gear made the game to easy. Nightmare was just a transitition to Hell you speed through (though that could be argued was the same as in D2, at least in the later eras). I quit PoE for the same reason, the game kinda died for me the moment I started to use the third-party action house for that game, taking away the challenge since I could always get higher level tier gear to browse through the stage of the game I was at.

    In the end, D3 is a magnificent game, but it just caters to a partly new audience. And that's fine for me, Bliz has the mandate to dictate what their games should be and who to cater to. For me, Grim Dawn is the D3 I would have wanted. The only thing lacking in GD is a vibrant multiplayer community. I would like to play with a friend or two, I think that would be amazing. Wolcen looks like something more akin to D2, partly at least. I will probably buy it once it comes out, play it through once or twice, and see if it has an end-game that can keep me interested. Few games do nowadays though (cough cough Destiny 2).
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @DragonKing , That's a beautiful picture of the dragon mage wearing the Pyx set. I only ever play two classes, the shadow warrior and the dragon mage. Shadow warrior is my favorite and my usual go-to, but when I get in the mood to play a caster, the dragon mage is it for me. (I can't identify with a female avatar, or I'd try the high elf sorceress.)

    It's pretty thrilling to gather up a mob of enemies, cast Elementals to make them all explode, blast them with Wind Shards and then drop a Tornado to clean up the rest. Then you can make a giant fire-breathing dragon fly over head and scorch the earth just for kicks.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @Skatan , the end game of Diablo 3 has been significantly changed from what you just described, and the auction house is long gone. You might want to check out the contemporary version of the game, because it sounds like you played an unpolished early version and never looked at it again. It has evolved, and it really isn't the same game any more.

    I still have never been interested in what they're doing with the end game, and only ever want to play through the campaign one time, but it might suit your fancy. There's a portal system where you do a lot of very challenging ranked maps, all different one from the other and in increasingly challenging levels. It's not my cup of tea, but it's completely different from the usual.

    One of my main problems is with the simplified skill system that leads to pretty much every character of a class being exactly the same. That's still a thing, unfortunately. I've never been a fan of how loot works in Diablo 3, either, but the drop tables have been revised and tweaked again and again over the years. My problem isn't with the drops so much as I just find the art and the stats bland and boring.

    There has also been at least one expansion and a couple of new classes added since the game was released.

    I'll probably give it another play eventually, but I doubt it will be any time soon. Too many games, too little time.
  • DragonKingDragonKing Member Posts: 1,979
    @BelgarathMTH
    I'll be honest, I've never understood the whole "can't identify with" thing. And this is coming from a guy who if given a chance will make his character a black guy. I don't even thing I've ever played anything buy a redguard mage whenever i play a elder scrolls game.

    But before i had bought the whole sacred 2 gold (i couldn't find the expansion anymore, when i even found out it had one the company was already into 3.

    My main character was the high elf no problem. I played all classes but the inquisitor. Shadow warrior had become my second when i realised i could go summoner mode with him and didn't have to play him as a warrior followed by a tie between the druid and temple guardian.

    Once i got the gold addition, Dragon Mage just knocked everyone back... I building up my dragon forms until i realized the flaws with it and had to get the community mods which kinda restructured the whole class. It got rid of the flying dragon form (which was my favourite of the 2 forms) but kept the dragon berserker and give it buffs. I still had fun though. It did make the flying dragon form a pet summons though.

  • ShapiroKeatsDarkMageShapiroKeatsDarkMage Member Posts: 2,428
    Fardragon wrote: »
    1) Grim Dawn
    2) Titan Quest

    May i add Adventures of Van Helsing?
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    Fardragon wrote: »
    1) Grim Dawn
    2) Titan Quest

    May i add Adventures of Van Helsing?

    Not to my list, I tried it and didn't like it. Didn't much care for Sacred or Torchlight either. Diablo 2 and 3 where okay.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    @BelgarathMTH Thanks for the info. I've kept some tabs on it by watching ie Rhyker's news on his YT channel so I am aware of some of the changes. I never bought any of the expansions, only the vanilla game, so I don't have the necro or paladin etc. Perhaps it is much better today, as you say. Problem is, it have to compete with the smorgoesboard of games I currently have installed, hehe :) (PKM, ATOM, GD etc, so many games, so little time.. )
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    @skatan wait aren't you Swedish? But can't spell smörgåsbord??
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    @FinneousPJ I am, and I do have a swedish keyboard, but since this is an English forum I kept to the English form.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    I'm peeved by it!
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