The isometric action RPG (ARPG) genre has had one diabolical champion for over 15 years now. That's right, Diablo. Others have tried to compete head-on with the Blizzard phenomenon over the past several years, most without comparable success.

Now that Diablo 3 is finally heading to store shelves, a few contenders are gearing up to take on the king once more, and this time, they think they might just succeed.

We have rounded up three ARPGs in the same vein as the Diablo series and pit them against the famed franchise. Each comes from a starkly different background, but every game has something a little different to offer. There's a sequel, an MMO, and a still-developing Kickstarter project. Which do you think stands a chance against the "Lord of Terror"?

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Torchlight 2

Torchlight 2

Let's start with Torchlight 2, the sequel to one of the most popular "Diablo clones" in recent memory. Torchlight made a huge impact on the PC gaming scene in 2009, a time when Diablo 3 still seemed like a distant gleam in Blizzard's eyes. The ARPG community welcomed the project with open arms, praising its faithfulness to the genre, its $20 price tag, along with many welcome additions (i.e. a loot-carrying pet) not seen in similar titles.

Now Runic Games, the developer of Torchlight, is back in the saddle to fix the problems of the original game - most notably the lack of multiplayer - and create a much larger, more intricate world for players to explore. The story will pick up several years after its predecessor, starting a new quest for the adventurer, or adventurers, to embark upon. Klei Entertainment, the folks behind Shank and Shank 2, animated this fantastic trailer to catch up new and old fans alike on the story of Torchlight:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kW6XIlHOGo

Torchlight 2 is probably the most traditional ARPG on this list, which could be seen as a pro or a con. On one hand, those looking for something that closely mirrors the first Torchlight and the Diablo series will be satisfied with this value-priced sequel. On the other hand, the other two games on this list might possess more marked originality. Torchlight 2 also does not have a release date yet - although pre-orders opened up this week. This sequel is the looking to be the safest bet as a competitor, or at the very least a companion, to Diablo 3.

Torchlight 2 is available for pre-purchase now on Steam.

Grim Dawn

Grim Dawn

Next up is a game, Grim Dawn, with no publisher. A small group of veteran developers from Iron Lore, the team that brought us Titan Quest, have struck out on their own in the form of Crate Entertainment. Crate is "not competing to launch the next big ARPG but if you’re a more traditional gamer that still craves the complexity, intrigue and quirkiness of older games, maybe Grim Dawn can be the next big ARPG for you."

Grim Dawn is currently looking for funding from the masses, $280,000 to be exact. According to the Kickstarter page, Grim Dawn has been in development for over 2 years now, previously funded by nothing but the personal bank accounts of the developers. Now that the end is nigh, Crate Entertainment is asking fans for cash, as countless others have been doing over the past several months.

The difference? These guys have a lot to show off already. The game has a much more gritty, realistic style than the others mentioned on this list, including Diablo 3. There are also some unique, exciting features discussed in the bullet point description of the game. Rather than trying to pick out the most interesting ones (which was all of them), here is the full list of reasons why Crate believes Grim Dawn deserves your attention.

Grim Dawn will:

  • Be DRM free!
  • Include robust modding tools so you can create your own worlds!
  • Be faster-paced, with much more satisfying enemy hit reactions and deaths.
  • Allow you to fight house-to-house as you lay waste to enemies and the former owner’s furniture in the process.  Break through walls to open up new areas of exploration!
  • Feature a more open-world design with randomized elements that will greatly enhance replay-ability.  Each play-through will be unique with "set-piece" spawners that can turn a patch of wilderness into different types of enemy camps, a traveling merchant caravan, etc, each with their own unique art.
  • We don’t control where you go; you do!  If you don't want to follow the main story, you aren't forced to.  Non-linear progression allows you to unlock new areas by repairing bridges, defeating enemy blockades, etc, as soon as you have the resources and power to do it.  Race ahead into higher-level areas and get pwned, we'll warn you but we're not going to stop you!
  • Let you combine any two of five distinct skill classes, each with multiple skill trees in which to specialize.  Spend money to reclaim skill points if you’re unhappy with your build.
  • Have a refined loot system that drops far less junk-items, produces more uber randomized gear and ensures more consistent rewards from hero and boss monsters.
  • Immerse you in a gritty, dangerous, Victorian era fantasy world where humankind has been pushed to the brink of extinction by warring otherworldly powers.
  • Give players meaningful quest choices and the ability to visually change the starting town as they help to rebuild and secure the future survival of humanity.
  • Let you ally with NPC factions to earn rewards and unlock new quest lines.  Be wary though, aiding one group can make another your enemy!
  • Join up with friends in coop-multiplayer through online match-making or play over LAN and experience the full game together.
  • And so much more…

The warring NPC factions and open-world exploration are pretty much unheard of in the ARPG realm and their implementation might seem outlandish, but keep in mind, most of these features are already intact. This has been a collaborative side-project for a group of developers with separate day jobs, one that has involved the community every step of the way. There are still 22 days before the Kickstarter campaign comes to a close, and funding is already well over halfway. Hopefully the last $100,000 will find its way to this project before time runs out.

Check out the Kickstarter campaign for Grim Dawn right here.

Drakensang Online

Drakensang Online

Drakensang Online is another ARPG, but this one has the advantage of being completely free to play. It is also the lone MMO on this list, with instanced dungeons, player-filled towns and swamps, and other tropes of massively multiplayer games.

Another advantage of Drakensang is its ease of use. The entire game is signed-up for and played through a browser, meaning no pesky downloads. I was running around beating bog creatures into the grounds no more than three minutes after creating an account.

On top of all that, Drakensang is also the impetus behind this list. A few days ago, the people behind Drakensang Online sent out a list of reasons why their game is better than Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2.

They compared the key features of each game, and according to Bigpoint Games, Drakensang comes out on top.

Drakensang Comparison

Clearly Bigpoint has chosen to focus on the community aspect of its ARPG, with perks including "thousands of simultaneous players" and "frequent community events." Although Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2, will both have multiplayer components, Drakensang is the only title offering a persistent world with thousands of willing teammates online at all times.

Play Drakensang Online for free - without a download - at Drakensang.com.

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So who wins? Well, we all do! Drakensang is currently in open beta, Torchlight 2 only just became available for pre-order, and Grim Dawn is still under heavy development, but each of these games, along with dozens of others that didn't make this list, are demonstrating how alive and well PC gaming remains in 2012. The action RPG field is about to see a true resurgence as these games reach completion. So when Diablo 3 finally unleashes hell on earth next month, keep in mind that a hoard of terrifically enticing competitors are hot on Blizzard's heels.