I myself cannot get past WoW/Warcraft style so TL2's choice with gfx is a showstopper.

Now that only leaves D3 and PoE

Originally posted by Auxiliary

Diablo 3, Torchlight 2 and Lineage Eternal are the promising ones for me.

I didn't include any other ARPGs on the horizon because they havn't been mass beta tested yet but there certainly are a few more good looking ones to watch out for :)

POE & D3

Probably will check out TL2 at some point but unfortunately due to the ridiculous and unfounded hype associated with the first title I don't have a real interest in that game.

Originally posted by Vannor

Originally posted by Auxiliary

Diablo 3, Torchlight 2 and Lineage Eternal are the promising ones for me.

I didn't include any other ARPGs on the horizon because they havn't been mass beta tested yet but there certainly are a few more good looking ones to watch out for :)

Lineage Eternal would have been a great prospect.. however it'll be managed by NCsoft in the west and that is not good. I have no hope for that game.

Originally posted by Aori

Originally posted by ArEf

Originally posted by Aori

Actually he is spot on.. it'll be a fun little hack n slash but there is no persistance with it so it'll get boring for the majority of players.

I Just don't understand his PoE comment of how its for more demanding gamers.. whats that mean?

Again, fairly obviously never played Torchlight 2. Post a picture of a character with the name "Hi ArEf" and then I'll believe you.

Path of Exile is very oldschool and very, VERY hard.

I don't understand what you're arguing with me for? You're just saying I never played TL2 and nothing else. Either you are upset with me because TL2 isn't fun or you're upset because you think it will have staying power for each individual.

As for PoE being oldschool and hard.. if by not trying to fall asleep = hard then sure. The game is to slow paced for me, ARPGs are fun, exciting and countinous slaughter.

So you're admitting you're making a judgement of the game without actually playing it? lol okay.

No, they're not. So, you've not tried any of the games you're making judgements on? Why are you still here? Go play D3, fanboy.

Originally posted by NitemareMMO

I myself cannot get past WoW/Warcraft style so TL2's choice with gfx is a showstopper.

Now that only leaves D3 and PoE

D3 has WoW's graphics, just with a MILDLY darker tone. srsly.

Lineage Eternal for me!

Its what D3 should have been: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxenADDtB80

Originally posted by Aori

Originally posted by tazarconan

From what it appears D3 and TL2 have both bit more childish approach,cartoonish graficks,characters are are uber destroying machines killign easilly everything in their way.  POE though seems to be more dark,dreadfull and mature in its approach with great emphasis and variety on character development which i value above all. Thus i voted for POE.

These are the comments that cause problems. There is nothing childish about any of the games, they just have 3 different art styles.

In diablo 3 there is nothing childish about blooding running out of a decapitated torso nailed to a wall. The details in the game far exceed the other too.

TL2 runs a more casual approach to accept a wider range of audiences, it isn't childish but it isn't gore either. It is just simple fun.

PoE.. the world is pretty good to look at visually, the lighting needs work but its decent. The character and NPC models in general are pretty lackluster and I see nothing impressive in the least.

The whole blatant bias is ridiculous, it is the same vague defense too. D3 is childish and PoE is dark. Rarely an example or explaination.

A typical watch of videos from both games speak for themselfs in terms of graficks and artstyle. Now dont get me wrong,im sure loads of players will enjoy both D3 and TL2. I was just expressing my personal evaluation  from what the games appear to be like and what they offer to players.

Concerning POE after watching carefully videos news and actual beta testers reviews like this one

http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/344429/Path-of-Exile-Mind-Blowing.html

it seems to me that POE is closer to D1+2 even from D3 ,which were great games and i personally spended hundrends of hours playing them .

Ah and btw ppl tend to forget something from what i ve seen. POE is supposed to be  A persistent online world capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of players  online while D3 supports few players coop only. What are we comparing here really? Poe is a full Mmorpg + pvp in server+arenas style pvp, while D3 is single player rpg + coop with few friends +queqe for arenas.

My avatar says it all but I will also try Torchlight 2 at some point.

---

Originally posted by tazarconan

---

Originally posted by Aori

---

Originally posted by tazarconan

From what it appears D3 and TL2 have both bit more childish approach,cartoonish graficks,characters are are uber destroying machines killign easilly everything in their way.  POE though seems to be more dark,dreadfull and mature in its approach with great emphasis and variety on character development which i value above all. Thus i voted for POE.

---

These are the comments that cause problems. There is nothing childish about any of the games, they just have 3 different art styles.
In diablo 3 there is nothing childish about blooding running out of a decapitated torso nailed to a wall. The details in the game far exceed the other too.
TL2 runs a more casual approach to accept a wider range of audiences, it isn't childish but it isn't gore either. It is just simple fun.
PoE.. the world is pretty good to look at visually, the lighting needs work but its decent. The character and NPC models in general are pretty lackluster and I see nothing impressive in the least.
The whole blatant bias is ridiculous, it is the same vague defense too. D3 is childish and PoE is dark. Rarely an example or explaination.

---

A typical watch of videos from both games speak for themselfs in terms of graficks and artstyle. Now dont get me wrong,im sure loads of players will enjoy both D3 and TL2. I was just expressing my personal evaluation  from what the games appear to be like and what they offer to players.
Concerning POE after watching carefully videos news and actual beta testers reviews like this one
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/344429/Path-of-Exile-Mind-Blowing.html
it seems to me that POE is closer to D1+2 even from D3 ,which were great games and i personally spended hundrends of hours playing them .
Ah and btw ppl tend to forget something from what i ve seen. POE is supposed to be  A persistent online world capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of players  online while D3 supports few players coop only. What are we comparing here really? Poe is a full Mmorpg + pvp in server+arenas style pvp, while D3 is single player rpg + coop with few friends +queqe for arenas.
 

---

PoE isn't an MMORPG, all PvE content is instanced.

Originally posted by ArEf

Path of Exile is very oldschool and very, VERY hard.

I'm not sure what's hard with maximizing one skill and 1-2-shotting everything with it for 3 difficulties? (or fun, for that matter)

Originally posted by Alot

 

---

Originally posted by tazarconan

---

Originally posted by Aori

---

Originally posted by tazarconan

From what it appears D3 and TL2 have both bit more childish approach,cartoonish graficks,characters are are uber destroying machines killign easilly everything in their way.  POE though seems to be more dark,dreadfull and mature in its approach with great emphasis and variety on character development which i value above all. Thus i voted for POE.

---

These are the comments that cause problems. There is nothing childish about any of the games, they just have 3 different art styles.
In diablo 3 there is nothing childish about blooding running out of a decapitated torso nailed to a wall. The details in the game far exceed the other too.
TL2 runs a more casual approach to accept a wider range of audiences, it isn't childish but it isn't gore either. It is just simple fun.
PoE.. the world is pretty good to look at visually, the lighting needs work but its decent. The character and NPC models in general are pretty lackluster and I see nothing impressive in the least.
The whole blatant bias is ridiculous, it is the same vague defense too. D3 is childish and PoE is dark. Rarely an example or explaination.

---

A typical watch of videos from both games speak for themselfs in terms of graficks and artstyle. Now dont get me wrong,im sure loads of players will enjoy both D3 and TL2. I was just expressing my personal evaluation  from what the games appear to be like and what they offer to players.
Concerning POE after watching carefully videos news and actual beta testers reviews like this one
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/344429/Path-of-Exile-Mind-Blowing.html
it seems to me that POE is closer to D1+2 even from D3 ,which were great games and i personally spended hundrends of hours playing them .
Ah and btw ppl tend to forget something from what i ve seen. POE is supposed to be  A persistent online world capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of players  online while D3 supports few players coop only. What are we comparing here really? Poe is a full Mmorpg + pvp in server+arenas style pvp, while D3 is single player rpg + coop with few friends +queqe for arenas.
 

---

 

PoE isn't an MMORPG, all PvE content is instanced.

You mean like aoc instanced squares? or gw1? Wait.. these 2 are mmorpg's right?

I'll probably buy Torchlight II.

Originally posted by tazarconan

Originally posted by Alot

 

---

Originally posted by tazarconan

---

Originally posted by Aori

---

Originally posted by tazarconan

From what it appears D3 and TL2 have both bit more childish approach,cartoonish graficks,characters are are uber destroying machines killign easilly everything in their way.  POE though seems to be more dark,dreadfull and mature in its approach with great emphasis and variety on character development which i value above all. Thus i voted for POE.

---

These are the comments that cause problems. There is nothing childish about any of the games, they just have 3 different art styles.
In diablo 3 there is nothing childish about blooding running out of a decapitated torso nailed to a wall. The details in the game far exceed the other too.
TL2 runs a more casual approach to accept a wider range of audiences, it isn't childish but it isn't gore either. It is just simple fun.
PoE.. the world is pretty good to look at visually, the lighting needs work but its decent. The character and NPC models in general are pretty lackluster and I see nothing impressive in the least.
The whole blatant bias is ridiculous, it is the same vague defense too. D3 is childish and PoE is dark. Rarely an example or explaination.

---

A typical watch of videos from both games speak for themselfs in terms of graficks and artstyle. Now dont get me wrong,im sure loads of players will enjoy both D3 and TL2. I was just expressing my personal evaluation  from what the games appear to be like and what they offer to players.
Concerning POE after watching carefully videos news and actual beta testers reviews like this one
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/344429/Path-of-Exile-Mind-Blowing.html
it seems to me that POE is closer to D1+2 even from D3 ,which were great games and i personally spended hundrends of hours playing them .
Ah and btw ppl tend to forget something from what i ve seen. POE is supposed to be  A persistent online world capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of players  online while D3 supports few players coop only. What are we comparing here really? Poe is a full Mmorpg + pvp in server+arenas style pvp, while D3 is single player rpg + coop with few friends +queqe for arenas.
 

---

 

PoE isn't an MMORPG, all PvE content is instanced.

You mean like aoc instanced squares? or gw1? Wait.. these 2 are mmorpg's right?

AOC is heavly instanced but still you play with other people in the same instanced so this is a mmorpg, GW1 is not an mmo, you see people in town but you own the instanced to yourself and team, POE is like GW1.

PoE is a no brainer.  Its free, looks ok, skill system is fun, unique character customization.

D3 may have good presentation but it lacks the formula that D2 had which is what I really wanted for d3.  Skill system is rubbish, cannot make a unique char. Crafting seems fun

Torchlight 2. Have not tried it yet , didnt really like Torchlight 1 because of its dungeon design. everything looked the same with small changes in skins of environment. 

Originally posted by Theonenoni

PoE is a no brainer.  Its free, looks ok, skill system is fun, unique character customization.

D3 may have good presentation but it lacks the formula that D2 had which is what I really wanted for d3.  Skill system is rubbish, cannot make a unique char. Crafting seems fun

Torchlight 2. Have not tried it yet , didnt really like Torchlight 1 because of its dungeon design. everything looked the same with small changes in skins of environment. 

My dad feels the same as you about Torchlight 1 but loves Torchlight 2. So I wouldn't write it off without giving it a serious go first.

Since this weekend, I have now had a chance to play the betas of all three of these games.

For me, by far the most important thing in an ARPG is the basic feel of the gameplay. It must feel good, if it doesn't, then nothing else matters. On this front, I found Diablo III to be easily the best, the visceral feel of the action is just fantastic. Path of Exile I'd rate second - the action feels quite good, but perhaps a little slow-moving? Torchlight 2 I liked the least - there was something about the sensitivity of the hitboxes or something that actually made it quite frustrating to play - I often found myself not quite clicking on a target and thus running towards them rather than shooting at them.

Graphics is an interesting one, given how different the three of them are. D3 has gone for the painted look with soft-focus backgrounds; PoE has gone for the more realistic look; and TL2 has a very stylized cartoon look that in some ways reminds me a lot of Warcraft 3. I have to say, I think all three of them look very nice, in their own ways. Certainly all three have fine art direction and a strong, internally consistent style.

As far as game mechanics go, they all have some things I don't like. I don't like the way that in D3 the only things which distinguish your character are class, level and gear - any character can respec into a precise duplicate of any other character of the same class and level. I would have stuck with some method involving finding runes and using them to unlock skills, so having access to all variations of all skills would be an achievement (like collecting all the skills in the original Guild Wars). PoE I think overcomplicates things for the sake of overcomplication. The passive skill web looks great but I didn't find it a particularly interesting or fun design - the collecting and leveling up of skill gems is a wonderful idea, though. TL2's pet is a shining light - I'd never get tired of sending my ferret back to town to sell loot. But character development seems dated with it's skill tree and attribute buying, virtually cloned from Diablo 2. It wasn't a great design then and it's certainly not a great design a decade later.

Summing up - I have already purchased Diablo 3. I will certainly play Path of Exile at some point since it's F2P and a solid game. Torchlight 2, however, I honestly can't see myself buying.

Where is this whole cannot make a unique char in DIablo 3 coming from? Just because you get free respecs instead of paid respecs?

IN Diablo 3 for example you can make a Melee monk, a ranged monk, a dodge tank monk, a healer monk, a support monk.

Said for all classes, Diablo 3 has more customization when broken down than Diablo 2. Diablo 2 had a crappy archaic skill system that didnt offer much freedom or exploration.

I will play them all, D3 cause come on its diablo. TL2 cause i loved the first one and mods. And PoE cause of its skill system.

PoE looks the most interesting to me, but judging by testers' opinions, it needs more polish. Not sure about that one.

I'll probably end up playing D3 just because its Diablo, and Torchlight 2 in case D3 doesn't meet my expectations.

Diablo 3...no contest.