Best ARPG For A Newcomer

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betterley

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#1  Edited By betterley

I've just discovered that I really enjoy Diablo 3 on PC.

After playing the game multiple times on console it never really "grabbed" me. Well, the other day I got an itch to give it another try, but my wife was using the TV so I downloaded the free trial on PC... I didn't stop playing until the Skeleton King fell, upon which the trial is over. This may not sound like a big deal, but with life being life-- marriage, house, job, ect.-- I can't remember the last time I sat down and played a game for 2-3 hours straight, completely losing myself. I'm not sure why I seem to enjoy the PC version so much more? It just feels really good. It seems like the perfect game to come home and unwind to after a long day.

Anyhow, I've been digging into the world of isometric ARPG's now, which is completely new to me. I have no nostalgia for this genre at all.
As a little disclaimer, I have tried Path of Exile and I don't really care for it. In my opinion, the game feels rigid and a little unresponsive. POE was actually the first ARPG I ever tried. I played it a few years ago and was turned off, so I kind of wrote the entire genre off.

Well, Diablo 3 is completely different; this game is super fluid and feels excellent.

So, at this point I'm deciding if I want to drop the money on Diablo 3 for the full version on PC or see if there's another, better game I should try, such as Grim Dawn or Torchlight, just to name a couple.

What games would you guys recommend to a newcomer?
What game in this genre has the best "feel"?,

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deactivated-64bc6edfbd9ee

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Torchlight is great if you're new, as it keeps things simple, but leaves room for you to go all in should you want to play with numbers.

(Plus it tends to be very cheap).

Diablo 3 isn't bad either, but the traits/runes make things more complex.

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OurSin_360

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Grim Dawn is better in a lot of ways, but definitely not beginner friendly in the slightest so i would stick with Diablo. I only played diablo on console as i don't like point and click in any type of action game, grim dawn has basic controller support and works great with a steam controller. I hear good things about torchlight but since it's not controller friendly i haven't touched it. Grim adventures of van helsing, Victor Vran(more action than a typical arpg) are some other too look at.

Marvel Heroes and Path of exile are F2P arpgs, i've played a bit of both and they are alright.

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Zelyre

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I'd say Torchlight. Torchlight 2 is my play on the airplane game.

If you haven't played Titan Quest and like mythology, check it out.

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Maluvin

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Diablo 3 with the expansion is the most polished ARPG out there. It's a polished well-tuned experience at this point that is well worth the money. The biggest knocks against it are the tonal shifts in story compared to the past games but honestly at this point the real meat of the game is adventure mode.

Eventually when you burn out on it I'd suggest giving Grim Dawn a shot. It's a lot of fun and you can do some neat things with builds.


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pweidman

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I'm biased, but D3 is the best game. However, since PoE is free and has gone through many improvements, give it another shot. The skill map is crazy cool and allows for so many "experiments". Torchlight is fun but it's the real beginner game, and since D3 grabbed you again, just get that. It's gotta be real cheap now. Season 9 starts real soon too btw, with a patch full of changes and new cosmetics.

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Sin4profit

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I'll recommend Divine Divinity if you're not put off of the older graphics. I'll also echo Torchlight and Titan Quest even though i never finished those games.

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TobbRobb

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#8  Edited By TobbRobb

Diablo 3 is easily the best newcomer game. It has the most polished production and it's streamlined in a way that is less overwhelming. I'd say just stick with it, especially if you are just casually playing and don't want to do the reeeeeally crazy deep diving. Path of Exile is a lot more hardcore in the way you have to play it. Torchlight isn't bad either but eh, might as well play Diablo to be honest. Diablo is my personal favorite just for the record. General game feel, art design and mechanics kept me invested a lot better than other games in the genre. PoE is fun because it's extremely deep, varied and complex. But I don't personally think it makes up for how stiff and ugly it is. Barrier to entry is also pretty high, so it's not very beginner friendly (not that you couldn't get past that by messing around though).

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deactivated-5b031d0e868a5

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Torchlight was probably the first one of those I really got into and enjoyed so that would be my suggestion.

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RubberBabyBuggyBumpers

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Torchlight II is a real solid game for a newcomer. There are also a ton of mods available for it that make it even better. Path of Exile is great if you're somewhat experienced in the genre. The difficulty ramps up an awful lot in the later half of the game.

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The_Ruiner

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Marvel heroes 2016. It's free and pretty fun.

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Titan Quest and Grim Dawn are both made by the same development team, if that interests you. Titan Quest is like a less-balanced but more complex version of Diablo, with mythological aesthetics. It's really cool, and a lot of fun. The magic system has you combining two different elementals/types to create your favorite blend of offense/defense, which is where the balance issue comes in. Some combinations are killer, some are more frustrating or weaker. Fortunately, rolling back your skilltree and trying something new isn't tough, and there's a great save mod that lets you just choose how you want your build to be. All of this being said, I almost prefer Titan Quest to Diablo 3 on its aesthetics alone. I just LOVE the mythological world themes. They're bright, finely-detailed, and just a pleasure to occupy. Entire game is co-op, of course.

Grim Dawn has been getting tons of amazing press, and apparently features similar skilltree complexity but at a higher level, though I haven't yet played it and do indeed hear it is more complex than Diablo.

Diablo 3 is a great, user-friendly game, and Titan Quest is also a fun and relaxing choice.

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hankrazorbeard

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#13  Edited By hankrazorbeard

I came into this thread to say that neither of the Torchlight games are good, but I honestly don't think Diablo III is half decent either, so take that opinion as you will.

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Cameron

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Well, Diablo 3 is completely different; this game is super fluid and feels excellent.

If it's the feel you like, then just stick with Diablo 3 with the expansion. No other game in the genre has the same level of polish as Diablo 3. Torchlight II (I wouldn't bother with the first one) also feels pretty good and is very beginner friendly. I'd play through those two, then if you still want more, move onto games like Grim Dawn. I love Titan Quest and Grim Dawn, but they feel clunky to me after playing a lot of Diablo 3.

I'm also a big fan of Marvel Heroes, but that game can get expensive if you want to play a bunch of different characters. It's definitely worth checking out for free though to see if you like the feel.

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betterley

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Thanks for all the responses!

Looks like I'm gonna go home and pull the trigger on Diablo.
Maybe Titan Quest too.

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Darkecho117

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@betterley: Make sure you get the expansion for Diablo 3, Reaper of Souls. I'm not sure if that's rolled in together or not at this point but the expansion added so much to the experience I couldn't imagine going back to vanilla Diablo 3

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betterley

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Quick update:

I got a few more ARPG's during the Steam Winter Sale and Diablo may be my least favorite now. I got Titan Quest ($4.99), Grim Dawn ($13.74), and Torchlight 2 ($4.99). I can't believe I missed out this genre for so long. These game are so addictive

Titan Quest is a little bit of a chore to get running properly. If the game isn't in windowed mode the mouse curser doesn't work properly. Other than that, I love the setting.
Grim Dawn feels like a more polished Titan Quest. I like the aesthetic. Plus, the multiplayer is fun too.
I like Torchlight's art style. This may be the easiest one I've played so far, but it's a lot of fun.

Overall, I think Grim Dawn may be my favorite at the moment. I love the impact your hits have. I'm also downloading Path Of Exile again to give it another try... I'm going down a dark slope here.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

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Marz

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#18  Edited By Marz

diablo 3 certainly tailored and polished for any skill level of player. Torchlight was a certainly good game but you would probably get more value out of diablo 3 at this point in time.

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OurSin_360

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@betterley: I was going to say Torchlight 2 was 5 bux, i just bought it myself and it works very very well with a steam controller and is real easy to get into. I needed a break from grim dawn after 500+ hours, i bought the anniversary edition of titan quest but couldn't get a good controller profile for it so i am waiting to see if they actually add controller support(apparently was one of the winning features polled before launch).

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an_ancient

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This is very interesting that it grabbed you.

I've been playing Torchlight 2 a bunch recently and I think it's pretty fun. It's much more of a thought out game, but what I don't like it is that it's not as broken as some of the older games, specifically Diablo 2. That being said I really love the Berserker as he has great mobility and lots of lifesteal and summons.

I would personally suggest after you get through the more modern games to maybe give Diablo 2 a try if you are interested to see where the genre really came into it's own and play some sweet skull solos.

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