$20 Game of the Week: Torchlight (PC)

Looking for something to do until Diablo III comes out? Torchlight does a good job of taking care of your dungeon crawling fix until Blizzard gets done. Developed by Runic software, a team which includes people who have worked on Fate and Diablo I and II, Torchlight is a simple-to-play yet complex dungeon crawler. Just like Diablo, players take control of one of three character classes, each with upgradable abilities, and explore the mines below the town of Torchlight, battling monsters, gathering items, and completing quests. The town of Torchlight serves as a hub world where players can purchase and sell items along with other stuff. The player also travels with a companion animal whose form can change. The game isn’t graphically intensive, and there is even a graphics setting for netbooks. Players can create their own adventures using Torchlight’s easy-to-use modding tools. Unfortunately there is no multiplayer, but the developer is working on a free-to-play MMORPG set withing Torchlight’s universe. If you’re looking for some good dungeon crawling to take your mind off the fact that Diablo III is a while away, you’d do well to give Torchlight a visit.