I've been running around on the Torchlight 2 beta lately thanks to a key that the generous  felixfox has let me borrow

First off I wanna start this journal with: I am not comparing Torchlight 2 to Diablo 3. They are in no way the same game, in fact I believe the only reason Diablo is once again on shelves is for Blizzard to beta-test a real-money marketplace before the throw it into WoW and potentially ruin their biggest cash cow.

Now, beginning the actual review... It's almost sad that I find this a positive but it's the first game in a while where I can definitely FEEL all the steps forward it has taken as a sequel, while being unable to count one step back. The game already feels like a full push forward to evolve the torchlight franchise, It still carries the old-school Diablo 2 feel of game-play, while expanding upon new ideas and mechanics that don't make it feel like just some other MMO. The pets are now more functional, including their own equipment sets and ability to be given a grocery list when you send them into town. There is this new 'charge' feature that works differently for every class, rather than just being the generic " Time to go batshit crazy" build-up bar that most games have. Well, For the embermage it's like that, seeing a for a short time he gets unlimited mana when he gets his bar full, while the Engineer charges "nodes" which help specific skills become more powerful. Still haven't figured out how the Outlander's charge works, nor have I touched the berserker. The multiplayer system, I couldn't have asked for it to be any better than it is now. You are given a server list much like FPS's these days... each one marked with difficulty and the average level of the players present within, even before you join you can see what classes are inside and their levels. Hopping in a game is simple as pressing "Join" provided the owner of it hasn't put a password on his game. Once you're in, joining your allies on a path of mass-murder and looting is simple as walking to the waypoint at center of town, and picking an (Unlocked) destination, or even clicking the check mark next to a teammate to port directly to them and hop in the fight.

Gear wise, it's the most fun and annoying part of the game. The random-gear generating engine that was in Diablo 2 and the original torchlight is back, but this time with a vengeance. "Set" items are more frequent now, in fact it feels like 'set' is simply an adjective or enchantment that is put on the wheel and spun when an item gets dropped, so you could have 5 different pieces of the 'clovenhoof' or 'runemaster' set when it only requires 3 for the max bonuses. Of course there are still unique weapons, and even unique weapon sets. One good bit is all the gear you see, only you see it, so grab away without worry you're stealing that shiny, expensive pistol from the Outlander int he group that might need it. In fact, this feature seems to promote brotherhood, as even in the beta with people I've never met, we would frequently trade just to give each other class-specific equipment unlike MMO's where you'd hoard it and throw it up on the auction house soon as you were done with the dungeon. Fishing returns from the first game, but has a more fable-esque feel to it seeing as I've caught more than just fish, including the cliche pair of boots (Which I actually wore for a few levels after ID'ing them) but the most interesting thing I've found, is a fish that can PERMANENTLY change your pet into the beast in question. Not sure how common these are, but I'm sure they will be highly-prized on trading forums once the game is out, especially for the critters with special attacks like spider's web and what not.

Anyway, feel free to ask any details I didn't cover already, but it's looking to be an excellent game and I'm stoked for it to come out (Rumors are it's coming in July) and for 20 bucks... it feels like a steal. Hope to see some of you on it!