Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Torchlight

I've been interested in Torchlight since it was released on the PC in 2009, since many of the gaming blogs I read on a regular basis were giving it great praise.  Since I am not a big PC gamer however, I let it go.
 
It has now been released on Xbox Live.  I finally decided to try the trial version last night.
 
Oh wow.
 
First of all, the trial is pretty long.  It was getting kinda late and I actually began wondering when it was going to end because I had to go to bed (not because I wanted it to end mind you, since I was having a grand old time).
 
I do not think I have ever played a trial that has made me want to purchase the full game so much.  Not only because of how fun the game was, but because of something else.  It's what makes these type of games so addicting in the first place.  I did not want to lose all the great equipment and weapons I had already found and begun to customize to my liking!
 
I did not end up purchasing Torchlight last night.  I am actually using all my willpower to NOT purchase it.  I've been trying to spend less time gaming and do more productive things.  A few months back I was doing just that and very much enjoying getting things done and not feeling like my days were just being wasted away sitting on my couch.  Recently however, I've been back to my Black-Ops addiction and playing it every night (got my overall k/d ratio to 2.00, and I am very happy about that).  Before that I spent a solid two days playing through Killzone 3.  I've spent time with BG&E HD.  Basically, I am back to gaming every free moment I get and it pains me to say it, but I don't want to be.
 
And Torchlight, I am afraid, is a game that will push me overboard.  I can see myself playing that game for hours straight, thinking to myself, "I'll just go down one more dungeon level, get some more loot, and then go to town to sell stuff and that's it . . . just one more level".  Those types of games, while highly enjoyable for the most part, feed off some sort of weird addiction where you're playing the game not even so much for the enjoyment of the play mechanics, or story, but because of some internal need to continue level and collecting.  It's kinda like the MMO or RPG syndrome.  You get an almost high from leveling up and finding new items.  The gameplay itself is repetitive or sometimes not even very fun.  But you just cannot stop playing.
 
Yes, I definitely do not need a game like that right now, as much as I wanted to keep playing the game after the trial ended.  So my apologies to the developer, even though you made a fantastic port and a great title, I cannot give you my money (but most importantly, my time) right now.
 
Alright now that I got that off my chest anyone that knows me already knows that I will probably own this game before the end of the week.  :-(
 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Reminder . . .

Beyond Good & Evil HD was released on Xbox Live Arcade yesterday.  Buy it.
 
That is all.