Dungeon crawlers are a niche within the larger RPG genre and not surprisingly, appeal to a smaller audience. But Torchlight is a really good introduction for novice role-playing gamers because it combines intuitive hack and slash combat with an obtrusive leveling system. Sure, you can get lost looking for gems, artifacts, and jumping to town to embark on the many side quests. But you could also just always remain in the dungeon, level grind, and stay in the action. Torchlight is a more enjoyable world and better tuned game than Fate and offers a more casual approach to role playing than Diablo, making it a great gateway for gamers. While it doesn't offer much that hasn't been done before, Torchlight borrows just enough from the right places to make it an entertaining venture.

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