Three Diablo Clones Reviewed

In preparation of Diablo III, 411mania.com has taken a closer look at three of the better Diablo clones that have been released over the past several years: Titan Quest, Sacred, and Divine Divinity.

Released in 2006, Titan Quest looks superb as it sports then-cutting edge graphics which are still good even by today’s standards along with advanced bloom and lighting effects and of course my all-time favorite mechanic, ragdoll physics. Monsters go flying and guts litter the landscape as your hero cuts and explodes his way through the extensive campaign. Since the game is based in an ancient mythological setting, the monsters also follow suit. You’ll face the tried and true undead hordes, but then go against more memorable foes like dragons, titans, Minotaur and golems. With the game’s excellent graphics, these guys look great. The game does have a tendency to lag a bit though even on slightly more advanced systems. Poor optimization if you ask me.

Since Titan Quest takes after Diablo so well, the game’s skill and level system will feel very familiar to you, but there are no set classes and you can invest in any skills you want. Upon reaching level two, you get to choose your first school of mastery and every time you level you’ll get a few stat points as well. There are eight mastery schools in all and they range from elemental casting abilities like earth and nature to warrior masteries in damage and defense. What I particularly liked about the skill system is that it isn’t as harsh as Diablo since at several points in the game you have the opportunity to reset your skills.