Ever since Torchlight was announced, I have been anxious to get my hands on this game.  It wasn't because I thought the game would be the end all to dungeon crawlers but rather because the announced hardware requirements were so low, I could run it on my basic laptop.  Post-release, sure I got my portability...but I also got a ridiculously addicting game.

  Torchlight is a three-quarters view Action-RPG, brought to you by various developers that have been stiched together from such former releases as Fate, Diablo, Diablo 2, and Mythos...and man, did these guys get it right.  The game revolves around a town, appropriately named Torchlight, which was built upon a mine that houses the valuable material known as Ember.  For a $20 game, this is all you need for a setup.  You run various missions into the mine, finding your way deeper and deeper into the world and into the story.  You can play as one of three classes, essentially amounting to a warrior, ranged combat specialist, or a magic user; and all are fun.

  The character designs are enjoyable, and although the game does lack any sort of multiplayer (product of a short development cycle), you never feel alone due to your companion pet.  You can choose either a dog or a cat to level up right beside you, and aside from sound effects, there isn't much of a difference between the two.  You can assign spells (including healing spells) to your pet and equip them with basic rings and amulets for stat bonuses and protection.

  Simply put, the loot system here is absolutely perfect.  There is a ton of loot that drops; much of which is junk.  You can quickly hover over an item and see a pop-up appear that compares the item to what you have currently equipped.  If it is better, simply right click to swtich it out.  If it isn't, simply shift+left click to send it to your pet's inventory.  As soon as your pet's inventory fills up, you can send him back to town, no matter where you are, to sell your goods.  He comes back empty pocketed with the exception of a fat chunk of change for you.  It is smooth and efficient and turns normally tedious back and forth gameplay into a quick solution so you can get back to the main focus, bashing enemies.

  The animations are good and the graphics look like a slightly upgraded version of WoW's graphics, but the real fun comes in the excellent skill system and then unleashing it on the hordes of baddies you come across.  As we've seen in the video game community a lot lately, there are three skill trees you can add points to for new skills and protections.  In addition with every level, you get 5 points to use towards your attributes; strength, dexterity, magic and defense.

  Overall the only real negative is the lack of multiplayer action, but in hearing the announcement that a Torchlight based MMO is already in development, I can barely hold it against the game anymore.  Talk about giving us the co-op/multiplayer experience! 

  Bottom line people, this is the best game you will play for $20 this year.  Support these guys and buy it.  Currently it is only available as a digital download but with the inclusion of a map editor, this one is well worth the support and money.