In my opinion Torchlight looks a lot better graphically and artistically, animations are smooth and the environments are more fun and varied. The sounds of Torchlight are much higher quality, not only the music, but the sound effects. Torchlight has slightly better pacing that Diablo - they utilise calmer moments and breaks in dungeons for fishing etc. to deliberately heighten the impact of adventuring intensity and boss battles in a way that works better than Diablo. The character retirement feature is great, and item collection is even more addictive. Gameplay with different characters is at least as varied, and the skill trees produce more differences in game style and feel than Diablo. The game also has a better sense of humour than Diablo.
Sure, it's a modern game and thus it looks a lot better.
As for the pacing - you may be right. I can't enjoy pacing when I can't enjoy the basic game.
The primary thing that's lacking for me is the multiplayer aspect. I simply can't enjoy such a game alone - as the pointlessness of the genre becomes overly evident. These games literally need cooperative multiplayer to have a point - if you ask me.
As for the characters, I find the skill-trees painfully dull and unexciting. Only tried the melee and the ranged guy. Both had BORING skill-trees with only 1-2 interesting abilities. I also happen to prefer melee characters, but hate "big berserker" types, so that didn't help.
The loot may be better than Diablo (marginally) but it's incredibly inferior to Hellgate (the best loot game, imo).
Now, Diablo didn't have skill-trees - as they hadn't been invented by then. But at least the characters could use spells to diversify builds - and though I'd still prefer D2/Hellgate/Titan Quest skill trees - it's better than the unimaginative trees of Torchlight. But I honestly don't remember if all classes can use spells in Torchlight? That would be helpful.
Torchlight atmosphere is "bright and cheery" which is not my preference. It completely lacks the atmosphere that Diablo mastered. In fact, Diablo is probably the strongest game in terms of atmosphere, in my opinion.
Also, the story of Diablo was actually quite good - if you bothered to read the manual and follow the dialogue. There wasn't much of it, but I really liked what was there.
Torchlight obviously doesn't even try - much like Hellgate didn't even try. That's a fatal mistake - because a singleplayer only game in this genre NEEDS a story to carry the momentum. Then again, since people seem to play Torchlight as a "10 minute" break game - I guess they don't need anything interesting here. I don't understand the appeal of such games - so maybe that's a vital point.
Well, at least that's what I think.
Diablo obviously didn't go for humor - so it shouldn't be measured against Torchlight in that way. It's just a difference in style.
You liked fishing? Hmm, ok. There are people in WoW who enjoyed fishing - so I guess that's possible. Deliberately improve the pacing? Haha, nah. It's just a little timewaster feature to my mind. I doubt it's there to spice up boss battles.
I think the boss battles in Diablo were memorable - a lot more so than ANYTHING in Torchlight. Maybe I'm not giving it enough credit - but I think we must have a very different idea of memorable boss battles. Remember The Butcher? It's one of the most memorable bosses in gaming history.
The retirement feature I will grant you. It's a neat little thing that does have a small positive impact.
I suppose my ultimate confusion is why we're comparing Diablo to Torchlight - well apart from me asking you
It would make more sense to compare the best of the genre with Torchlight.
What do YOU think is the best game in the genre?
