There was a time in my life when all I cared about was playing ARPGs. I lived for the grind—long nights filled with Baal runs in Diablo II, chasing that perfect drop, or losing sleep just trying to snag my first legendary in Diablo III. I went through so many phases: from the dark gothic charm of Diablo, to the quirky fun of Fate, and the more ambitious takes like Sacred and Dungeon Siege. Those games weren’t just entertainment; they were a comfort zone, a place where I could escape and feel right at home.
While some might raise an eyebrow, I genuinely think Diablo III was the last ARPG that truly felt like home. Sure, it had its rocky launch and plenty of criticism, but under all that, there was a core of fast, satisfying gameplay that made it easy to lose hours without realizing it. I know games like Path of Exile are considered masterpieces—artworks, even—and Last Epoch and Lost Ark have their die-hard fans. But when I play those games, I don’t feel joy. I feel overwhelmed. It’s like clocking in for a second job, trying to decipher layers of systems, skill trees, and crafting mechanics that often feel more like chores than adventure.
Maybe that makes me old school. I’ve dabbled in Grim Dawn, and while I respect it and enjoyed parts of it, even that game got a little too tangled in its own complexity at times. These days, I find myself gravitating toward familiarity—back to games like Diablo III, or even Diablo II: Resurrected. Games where I don’t need a wiki open just to figure out what to do next. Diablo IV, for all its polish and scale, left me cold after just a few hours. I couldn’t bring myself to slog through the story, and I definitely wasn’t interested in tracking 37 different currencies just to upgrade a sword.
There’s something deeply comforting about simplicity in ARPGs. Tower of Kalemonvo—a game that barely makes a blip on the mainstream radar—captured that feeling beautifully. Its demo gripped me so hard I forgot it was a demo. When it ended, I genuinely felt regret for not having bought the full version. It reminded me so much of Diablo I, that slow-burn crawl through creepy dungeons where loot meant something and progress didn’t feel like a spreadsheet. That’s the kind of experience I miss, and it’s rare to find now.
I think a lot of modern ARPGs have lost the plot. They confuse complexity with depth. They pack in endless mechanics, currencies, and crafting materials, hoping that more will somehow equal better. But I don’t want more. I want meaningful. I want the simplicity of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance on the PSP. I want the satisfying grind of Gauntlet: Dark Legacy or Dungeon Hunter: Alliance on PS3. Those games weren’t perfect, but they were honest. You picked up a weapon, fought some monsters, and had fun doing it. No need for an engineering degree to figure out what your DPS rotation should be.
So maybe I am just a nostalgic old guy shaking my fist at the new generation of loot games. But I know what I like. And it’s not a convoluted mess of menus and modifiers. It's the joy of diving in, killing some monsters, and grabbing that shiny piece of loot that makes the whole run worth it. If that makes me outdated, so be it. You can keep the crafting simulators and gear spreadsheets. I’ll be in Tristram, torch in hand, chasing demons the old-fashioned way.