Torchlight II

Torchlight II picks up where the original Diablo-style hack-and-slash left off and immediately scales it outward. Where the first game was a single dungeon under a single town, the sequel adds an overworld of Vilderan with multiple hub settlements, weather and day-night cycles, and dungeons and overland zones that are randomized on every playthrough — layout, monsters and loot all change run to run.

Four classes are available, each playable as male or female with cosmetic customization on top of build choices. Pets accompany every character — usable for combat and, as in the original, willing to walk back to town to sell whatever loot the player doesn't want to drag home. Fishing returns as the strange optional side activity.

Multiplayer is the single largest addition. Online co-op runs through a free matchmaking service, LAN play is built in, and the matchmaker connects players across the world without subscriptions. Mod support arrives through Steam Workshop with auto-subscription, and a separate editor called GUTS ships for anyone wanting to build their own content.

New Game Plus is here in the form ARPG players will expect — finish the campaign and replay it with the same character, gear and skills against a harder version of the world. The whole package leans toward replayability rather than narrative weight, which is roughly the genre's contract.