@@ZoobleZi Absolutely not true. Even in the US, internet is spotty in rural areas and a lot of people don't have a good enough connection to play online games like this. Heck, I live in NYC and my internet connection isn't 100%. Also, most of the world cannot afford internet access at home or a gaming PC. Most access it via wifi and a smartphone when out and about.
I have all the above. But Grim Dawn is easily my favourite. Multiplayer in ARPGs rarely means anything other than seeing other players and a trade hub. I much prefer solo play in all games. I have a full work, social, family and sports life. I game to get away from people. Always have.
Grim dawn is AMAZING, but nothing will ever beat day 1 of a PoE season. Starting fresh will all my friends is just such a fun time. It's honestly the closest thing to playing games as a kid.
@@maulyew I'm waiting for POE2 to come out before I deep dive into it but none of my friends are playing it :( Sadge. Grim Dawn is absolutely fantastic though, and I convinced many of my friends to try it and they all loved it.
Playing community season 6 right now. The only arpg where I play hardcore. I have 5k hours on poe but this league sucks and grim dawn just feels good to play.
My juvenile brain got hooked on that slotmashine very bad too. Played the past few weeks and what can I say..its still better than D3 and D4 Season4 combined.
Me too i have many of my best hours at action RPG playing and fantastic experiences and also it was the first game that made a debut at my youtube channel with no commentary (in the future my videos will have commentary) conclusion : it was the most obvious choice for being my first video would be uploaded 😎😊🙂
The thing that I find confusing is that D2 is the best ARPG ever made. Grim Dawn is dated. Nobody plays Grim Dawn. Grim Dawn is an upgraded version of D2. Better graphics, more stash space, better class and talent system. I loved D2 when it came out, but Grim Dawn IMO is a superior game in every way, and for the same reasons that people love D2, they hate Grim Dawn. I don't get it. Is nostalgia really that strong?
@@Davivd2 Yes, it is. Nostalgia is quite the beast. D2 is great, but it was much better during its time period when we didn't know as much as we do now and hadn't experienced as much as we have now. Also, Grim Dawn is my favorite ARPG of all time and that's as a lifelong D2 enthusiast. If Grim Dawn 2 comes out during my lifetime I will be able to die happy. Such a dope story and such good itemization.
@@Vigoszz What do prefer about it? I felt like Grim Dawn had everything TQ had, but more stuff on top of that. The one thing I prefer about Titan Quest was the world/setting, but otherwise I think Grim Dawn is the better game. In any case, I really enjoyed playing both of them and I'm very much looking forward to TQ2
@@FzNd I know a good amount of people that like the setting over other games. Just plowing through monsters of mythology in a not super dark setting was - and is I suppose - quite refreshing. Personally like the relative simplicity of the game itself. It's juuuuust deep enough to be fun and still have meaningful yet varied build options. I have to acknowedge that not everything has aged well but the last addon with its 6 or 7 major patches did a lot of things right.
the fact that we could stack thousands of hits per second on 100+ enemies at the same time with the game not freezing was and is still extremely inpressive
I still like Diablo 1 best overall. The mood/setting and deep dungeon diving were fantastic. Plus you weren't in God mode destroying rooms of a million plus mobs in a blur of red mist like modern arpgs. The slower pace made this a winner. Just needs a remake with qol and updated graphics
Maybe the first Diablo game was never surpassed by any other game in terms of creepy feeling, atmosphere and immersion until today (2024-May-09)....!!!! 😲😉😎🙂
Only Diablo 1 can have you walk up to the stairs to the next level and make you question your life decisions by going down the stairs. Those moments when you are scared to open a door, or walk around a corner because 50 acid belchers spit at you....yeah. I wish that we had a game that still gives that feeling of danger around every corner.
@@Davivd2 Exactly. Loved the mobs of acid spitters, etc that would just destroy you just when you're starting to get a bit cocky.. the difficulty made you much more cautious and added to the immersion.
Me too... I still play it and enjoy it... time to time... the sounds, ambience... game pace... everything you said I miss even in d2... I hate that GODMODE culture that every modern ARPG has to have to be good... that`s why No Rest for the Wicked which is more of a Soul`s like game got me some hope for the future of isometric ARPGs... Also PoE2 demo... but I think thing will go really crazy on higher lvls...
Who here still remembers Dungeon Siege, Throne of Darkness, Revenant? O vaguely remember playing an arpg with a mage (reign of mages!?) and there was also a viking themed arpg but also can't recall the name but i had a lot of fun.
Revenant was so sick. Slicing off ogrok heads, impaling spiders in the air and sliding them off the blade with your boot, smashing earth elementals with maces, calling down meteor barrages... A truly incredible game.
The game u do not remember the name was Loki, and it was very good, pity of the cursor click where you had to click precisely on every enemy for every hit to attack them. Dungeon siege too was a very good game.
@@Akitorbenov Thank you! After your comment i looked it up on youtube and YES that is the game. Also looked up the mage one and it's called Rage of Mages which also has a sequel that i didn't know about!
Marvel Heroes Omega was amaing, but what about its offline sibling, Marvel Ultimate Alliance1-3? That, to me deserves an honorable mention in the top 5.
@@everettcooper8939i had played Marvel Heroes Online in the past it was fantastic, awesome but unfortunately : 1) i haven't had a good internet connection back then and 2) is no longer available so i can't make any gameplay video to upload at my youtube channel 😞
D3 just got a type of feel to it. The sets were not everyone's cup of tea, but they really did make you feel powerful and they had genuinely novel concepts and playstyles to explore. Not to mention that game may have one of the most unique set of classes. Monk & WD are class themes that don't get explored really at all in most RPG class systems
I don't think D2 is just nostalgia. I never played it before, but now with the remastered version I finally did. And man... none other ARPG can top this one. The feeling and the atmosphere is just unmatched.
Honestly, as a D2 player from pretty much day 1, that is so great to hear. I still think D2 is best in class when it comes to storyline, music, atmosphere AND gameplay, but sometimes I'm not sure how much of that can be chalked up to nostalgia.
Following Marius from Act to Act was unbelievably creepy. The writers absolutely nailed what an Eternal Conflict between Heaven and Hell would look like. I still love watching the cut scenes.
@@Hrodholf I thought the same. Nothing can top D2 for me. It is the game that made me a gamer and I wondered if it was just because I grew up with but his comment made realize I’m not delusional. It’s truly the masterpiece I am witnessing every time I boot the game 🙏
While Diablo 2 was and is a great game, and certainly the apex of ARPGs or about as close to it as you can get without getting blinded, it definitely is not as good today as it was at the time. Whether or not a game that is head and shoulders above it will ever be released is anybody's guess, and depends on whether you consider visual polish important. However with all the knowledge we have gained from the past 25 years or so, it isn't at all impossible to create something that is (today) better than diablo 2 is (today.) Whether it has the same impact in the scene or not is another story entirely. Gaming's landscape has changed significantly since that time.
D2 came out between high school and middle school for me. I played it so much that summer. When I went to college, my fraternity would have LAN parties where the primary game was D2. Even before D2R, I'd still go back and play every so often.
Torchlight 2 had a fantastic feel, but was also very content barren and woefully, woefully unfinished. SynergiesMod fixed a lot of issues I had with it and added great new content but it's definitely not a Top 5 arpg vanilla. It is fun af, though.
Diablo II has the full package. A gripping storyline, an epic journey through an atmospheric world, incredible music, impactful combat and topped of by the best itemization ever (yes, better than the bloated itemization of Path of Exile). I bought this game back in 2000 when I had just turned 14 and have kept coming back pretty much every year or so since.
As a kid I grew up in a VERY rural area, where the nearest videogame store was like 2-1/2 hour away.. So I didnt get to buy computer games often. I picked up D2 one day at EB games, (Gamestop in Canada years ago) based soley on its front and back box art. I was 9 years old when I bought the game, im almost 32 now and I STILL get sucked back into a D2 phase where I might play 2-3..even 4+ hours some nights.. for months! It is EASILY the greatest ARPG ever made, and its one of my favorite games period. Id probably put it #2 behind StarCraft BW, but ive always had a hard time picking one over the other.
Awesome video Rhykker. For me no game will ever replace that feeling I had back in the day playing D2 LOD. Will forever hold a special place in my heart.
Grim Dawn is easily my favorite game of all time. I clocked the most hours into it but the real riot was the online character creator where I easily spent another thousand. So far this is the only game where I experienced the 'I could make an entire new character around this one item which just dropped' feeling. I'm waiting for the expansion right now with high hopes and 2 weeks of paid leave.
Just checking in to see if D2 was at the top,. Good list Rhykker. I think mine would be 1. D2 (Gold standard) 2. Grim Dawn (Underrated? Great game with lots of content, builds and variety, love playing it on the Steam Deck too) 3. PoE (Set new standards for modern ARPGs, very complex with tons of depth) 4. Diablo (The OG) 5. Titan Quest (the best of the d2 clones and right up my alley with Greek mythology setting)
Rhykker, thanks for the nod to the past. D2 will always be a special memory for me. I remember all my friends went out for dinner one night, and when we finished, we all couldn't wait to get home to our computers and fire up D2. We'd play till the morning light, then play some more. Fun times.
Good to see Grim Dawn make the list! The Grim Dawn Community League season 6 is currently running by the way, it's basically a community-made mod that adds leaderboards, challenges and new content to the game.
I feel like Diablo IV is operating after learning the lesson from Last Epoch + Path of Exile. Which is trusting the iterative process over time, building up the game, and taking more seriously player feedback. So maybe they started with a more bareboned project in order to build the game WITH the players. That's the impression D4 gave me from the start. I think the devs had already planned to start slow, and iterate with player feedback. So I'm very optimistic that D4 will be an overwhelmingly amazing game in so many ways in due time. I don't even know in what ways it'll be amazing, but I trust the process.
Personally: 1: Post reaper D3, nothing else made me come back for multiple seasons like it did. 2: D2 for nostalgic reasons. 3: PoE - circles, also made me fall asleep all the time. 4: Last Epoch, which was fun at first, however endgame and gearing didn't prove enticing. 5?: D4 - depending on how itemization rework turns out, could very well take over 2 or even 1.
POE is my number 1. But D2 realy got the ball going, and I have a big amount of nostalgia for this game. It was epic! Still not surpassed in the feel of the game in t he genre, especially because of the sounds and soundtrack.
I might be a weird case as Diablo IV was actually my introduction to ARPGs, but since then I've played D3 couch co-op with my friends and I've been grinding Last Epoch solo and I love both. I'll try out the other games on your list for sure.
I remember buying LE based on a Rhykker video back in November 2019, I've played off and on for at least 400 hours since. I have 100% trust and faith in the dev team with whatever they implement because imo their track record is almost perfect. Everything from tweaking crafting mechanics, adding dungeons, adding legendary crafting, adding new uniques, buffs and nerfs, polling their player base and answering questions on reddit. Having never played PoE and playing a lot of D2 back in the day (and a little in recent times), they are the pinnacle of the genre, no questions about it.
I thought D3 was great at launch. I didn't want the game to be my life, just played it as far as I could into Inferno and then put it away and it was an excellent gaming experience. Modern D3 became fantastic also.
Grim Dawn got an update that imo fixed most of the jank feel with the added evade button. I still prefer Titan Quest for its atmosphere, but GD is objectively the better game.
Great list. Playing D2 on battlenet back in the day was like a glimpse of the future of multiplayer gaming. So many studios tried to get a cut from the D2 pie you had no time to play all of the arpgs released those years
They are getting a small update with the current patch they're testing. Some updates to spear animations coming along with a major rebalancing of the defensive stats and the way pets work. And of course, the FoA expansion with a new Mastery (class, in the dual-class system) coming in late 2024 or early 2025. When they make the new patch official, I'll probably dump another 20+ hours into it =)
@@kma3647 I hope that they don't go overboard with the graphics. One of the things that turns me off about LE and the last 2 Diablo games is the visual noise. I can get lost in the explosions spam that would give Michael Bay an erection. One of the LE content creators that I watch uses a third party program to change his mouse cursor just so he can see it in the midst of all of the chaos. I like Grim Dawn because it's got an old ARPG vibe. I don't want them to turn it into a visual mess.
Diablo 2 is the building block and you have to honor it as such. It's like being there when WoW launched. Diablo 2 built off of D1 just like WoW built off of Asheron's Call, Everquest and Ultima Online.
@@donaz2371 - I missed the first month because I didn't have a computer that met the specs. I quickly got one built and, no matter how impressive a game like World of Warcraft is, nothing will ever match that sense of wonder when I stepped out of the training dungeon into this huge world and a random passerby stopped, talked to me, and gave me tips and some gear. They tried to bring it back a few years ago, but I guess there were rights issues. I played on a private server, but it was 99% bots camping the high xp zones.
Amazing list, I love all ARPGs I feel they all bring something good and could each learn from each other. also I like the new hair, it looks good on you!
my top 5 diablo-likes in no order: 1)Grim Dawn 2) Diablo 2 3) PoE 4) Titan Quest 5) Diablo 4 (I think it's already MUCH better than Diablo 3, and it successfully merged online only open world ARPG with diablo-like ARPG) Honorable mention: Torchlight 2.
PoE being behind Diablo 2 is criminal. Nostalgia aside, PoE is a far superior game these days. I'll always love D2 for being my intro to the genre, but come on now... The only edge D2 has over PoE is simplicity, so I guess it depends on which type of player you are as to which you prefer.
100% agree, PoE surpassed D2 at some point. Dont forget, that the PoE team basically were ex-D2 devs, that were unhappy with the direction of D3 and Blizzard as a whole. D2 still deveres the second spot, its been genredefining for a long time.
You are dismissing "simplicity" as a minor factor, while its the main and big downside of PoE for a lot of players. And on top of that most of game mechanics are not even explained properly. Most of those I know, who tried PoE, butchered their build to the point of being unable to progress beyond act 5 and with no way to fix their build. And response to that complain is "just follow someone's build", which many don't consider enjoyable experience. That being said, I deeply respect GGG for standing their ground on current game design and not changing PoE to appeal those, who did not like it. The only thing it'll led is alienating current fans.
@@Torets13 I agree - regardless of what someone's individual opinion on complexity vs simplicity... being told "that's because you didn't follow a guide" when you are a FIRST TIME payer is a slap in the face. No one should be required to follow a guide in order to enjoy a game. At least it's free.
Grim Dawn is the most enjoyable game of this lot. They nailed the itemization part. Mods add another level to the fun part.
7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3
For whatever reason, D2 never grabbed my attention as much as D1 did and even Last Epoch or PoE afterwards. I never understood the hype it got and always attributed the success of D2 to the timing of the release with PCs becoming more common in every household and all that.
I have to agree with the games chosen. The order though. It's a tough one. For me Grim Dawn is number 1 and there's no question. It's not only the best ARPG but one of the best games ever made, period. D2, Last Epoch, PoE in that order and FUCK Diablo 3 because Titan Quest deserves that spot.
@@matthuck378you're just splitting hairs. Yes, any RPG with action would he an ARPG. Which would basically be any video game RPG really. But when people talking about ARPGs, they're talking about top down looters. Because Diablo redefined what an ARPG was.
@@hoofhearted4 I just don't think Diablo was "new" or genre-creating. Japanese game companies made the ARPG first. Diablo did randomized loot first, I suppose...But that's about it.
Thanks Rhykker, tough video to make I guess. Very happy to see Grim Dawn making the list! I would also have included Sacred 2 at number 4, had a great time playing that. Cheers!
Dungeon Siege, Diablo 1, Marvel Heroes, Torchlight, all of these are far better than Diablo 3. I can't even believe you mentioned D3. I know that a large portion of your career has been spent on D3 but dude, it was never even close to 1 or 2 and failed miserably in story, implementation, itemization, end game, and introduced pay to win into the genre for the first time. Diablo 3 only started to get better after RoS and even then it was pretty much a miss. The game literally forces you into 3 or 4 builds (at best) per class for the end game and any deviation from that is not even possible post T10. The only thing that kept the game alive was the devs constantly tweaking the meta and the tiny seasonal updates to keep people barely hanging on till D4 launched.
Marvel Heroes > all Then Diablo 1 atmosphere and we are not Godly, there is real danger. Then Sacred 2 brought world world exploration for the first time with very original classes and skill system.
I agree with your courage to speak your mind and support it for a game that has received so so so much hate ☹️ it's also one of my top 10 (if not top 5)....😍=>Diablo 3.....!
I wouldn't say it was an amazing game, but I have very fond memories of Nox. I was on dial-up at the time, and wanted to do the multiplayer/Nox Quest modes more, but my connection severely limited that.
Je respecte tes choix; parcontre en ce qui me concerne Grim Dawn n'a même pas fait un petit bleep dans mon radar de arpg, j'ai joué peut-étre 20 heures et je n'ai pas aimé. Diablo 2 a été important en ce sens que dès ce moment là je devenais addicte aux arpgs, mais si je compare les heures de pures jouissances c'est vraiment à Path of Exile que la couronne revient. Si j'ai joué 2500 heures à Diablo 2, je dois en avoir joué plus de 20,000 heures à Path of Exile. Je déjeunne, dinne et soupe presque tous les jours en pensant à Path of Exile, depuis les 7-8 dernières années. Last Epoch a un potentiel gigantesque, vraiment hâte de voir le futur de jeu!
I played D3 before 2 so I have never seen the issues people have with it… I did jump in after reaper of souls before than I had only seen D2 on pc way back in the day at my neighbors. Stuck with me. I still love Diablo 3
I regularly tend to get back to Grim Dawn (as well as to Titan Quest), have been for years now, it's always installed on my computer. Last Epoch is also a staple, every since mid-beta. Diablo II is historically the most important ARPG, it's also always installed on my computer, but tbh I think it's time for us to recognize that it's mostly nostalgia at this point, and that PoE is THE ARPG, it has been for years now, and I have little doubt that PoE II will take No. 1 spot in not so distant future.
Don't agree.. im already bored by the grindy nature last epoch has. This is something I feel many modern arpgs suffer from. They have to many layers for simple things. To farm this boss you need to do this, to slam this item you need to do that, reputation grinds here and reputation grinds there, corruption grind here, unlock the right nodes there. The arpgs become repetetive controlling chores instead of the slotmachines they should be.
Happy to see that Grim Dawn is still making it onto these lists. The people who love it don't ever stop, and infinite build possibilities make it almost impossible not to come back. Cannot wait for Fangs to drop.
Rhykker! You are rocking that sweater almost as hard as you rocked this list!! I love to see Grim Dawn making it into the top 5. It will be interesting to see what the new expansion does for the game when it releases!
5) Titan Quest 4) Diablo 4 - despite what others say I've had a blast playing it this past year 3) Last Epoch 2) D2/D2R 1) D3 I know Diablo is far from a perfect franchise but it has been the game I have played most consistently my whole life. I started playing the Diablo games like 1/2 years prior to 3 and I was only like 11 so naturally D2 was hard for me to pick up. Then D3 came out and I have more hours in that game than any other game I have ever played. Eventually as I got older and more experienced I was able to appreciate what D2 has to offer but for the memories I have of D3 with important people in my life D2 just can't beat those memories.
I've never heard of Grim Dawn, and I'm going to buy it ASAP. No online dependencies? Mods? F**k YEAH! Take my money! Loved Diablo 3. Not much at all the original prior to the expansion, but once the expansion was released it was a great casual game you could always return to and have a blast with. Lacked depth but damn if it didn't have instant uptime and funfactor in spades. Last Epoch, the last time I checked was still in early access, and after playing and getting burned on Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, which looked great early on, I decided to wait until Last Epoch was out of early access... This game I will get as soon as I'm done with Grim Dawn. Path of Exile is the most boring, hokey game I've ever played that people thought was a best in genre game. Truly just a pointless and uninteresting game. You can totally tell it exists only because the hardest of hardcore fans in a niche genre want to nerd out over its complexities. The story is non-existent, and progression is a nightmare of dull unrewarding microsteps. The game is kind of fun once you reach endgame, but it's just not worth getting there and it's definitely not as fun as Diablo 3 or 2. I had more fun with the Dungeon Siege series. Diablo 2 is great, but honestly? After about season 10 or so of D3, I ended up putting more time alltime in D3 than D2. D2 is archaic with that stupid stamina system, and rune words were great, but charms were just annoying and got in the way. Also skill point resets didn't get added until way after I had moved on to other games and the life cycle was long over for most people. I don't mind seeing this game as number 1 because of all it did and set us up for in the future and for how long it remained the pinnacle not just of the genre but even for Western RPGs in general. But really, it's not the best game out today. The remake breathed life into it, it's good, but man I've put hundreds and hundreds of hours into that game. I'm just done. Compare that to Skyrim where I've also put hundreds and hundreds of hours and I'm anxiously awaiting mod releases like Skyblivion and all the Beyond Skyrim world expansions so that I can hop right back in and play it like it's all-new again. Literally the reason I'm so excited to hear about Grim Dawn. As a side note, Diablo 4 makes me want to cry. Why couldn't it have just taken the best of both D2 and D3 and put them together? This is the game that made me accept that Blizzard, like BioWare is just an empty husk of its former untouchable glory. RIP Blizzard.
I started playing Diablo in 1997 and have been a fan and committed player of the games ever since. I agree on Grim Dawn too - played it for hundreds of hours. I think it's pretty hard to have a 'Top 5' of almost anything without treading on some toes, but good job Rhykker.
Last epoch just releases, and end in Rhykker's top 5 aRPGs. Speak a lot about the dedication, and passion of EHG as developers to deliver a great and fun game. Can't wait for the next cycle :)
Grim Dawn being single-player is the main reason WHY it is so great.
Grim dawn has coop.
@@apollodingo3583 He probably means offline. Even Co-Op creates local server with local saves
Played all of the rest, but not Grim Dawn. Might have to give it a try.
Sadly it's not the 90s anymore and 99% of the world has internet access 24/7 😂
@@ZoobleZi Absolutely not true. Even in the US, internet is spotty in rural areas and a lot of people don't have a good enough connection to play online games like this. Heck, I live in NYC and my internet connection isn't 100%.
Also, most of the world cannot afford internet access at home or a gaming PC. Most access it via wifi and a smartphone when out and about.
Rhykker out here looking like an extra in Baldur's Gate 3.
I want to like this comment but it has 69 (nice) likes already
Man got hangry, yet relaxed with this vid lol
someone stole rhykkers hat
He will get a new one as a unique drop.
😂😂😂😂@@gnb_2476
He's crafting a new one, with hair
its on his head, you dont see it ? its [ Rhykker hat of invisibility ]
He is looking darn good.
I have all the above. But Grim Dawn is easily my favourite.
Multiplayer in ARPGs rarely means anything other than seeing other players and a trade hub.
I much prefer solo play in all games. I have a full work, social, family and sports life. I game to get away from people. Always have.
Grim Dawn is easy top ARPG out.
Grim dawn is AMAZING, but nothing will ever beat day 1 of a PoE season. Starting fresh will all my friends is just such a fun time. It's honestly the closest thing to playing games as a kid.
@@maulyew I'm waiting for POE2 to come out before I deep dive into it but none of my friends are playing it :( Sadge.
Grim Dawn is absolutely fantastic though, and I convinced many of my friends to try it and they all loved it.
Playing community season 6 right now. The only arpg where I play hardcore. I have 5k hours on poe but this league sucks and grim dawn just feels good to play.
same
Honorable mention, Titan Quest.
yeap without TQ grim Dawn wont exist
Titan's Revenge
Yes! Awesome game I still periodically play.
titan quest was great, it would have been in the top if it wasnt as clunky to play
Only an honorable mention? 😂 it should be number 1 😂
I started playing D2 24 years ago and still play it in 2024. This game is for me a phenomenon which I cannot truly explain. It's a masterpiece.
My juvenile brain got hooked on that slotmashine very bad too.
Played the past few weeks and what can I say..its still better than D3 and D4 Season4 combined.
Me too i have many of my best hours at action RPG playing and fantastic experiences and also it was the first game that made a debut at my youtube channel with no commentary (in the future my videos will have commentary) conclusion : it was the most obvious choice for being my first video would be uploaded 😎😊🙂
You might be acoustic I would get that checked out
The thing that I find confusing is that D2 is the best ARPG ever made. Grim Dawn is dated. Nobody plays Grim Dawn. Grim Dawn is an upgraded version of D2. Better graphics, more stash space, better class and talent system. I loved D2 when it came out, but Grim Dawn IMO is a superior game in every way, and for the same reasons that people love D2, they hate Grim Dawn. I don't get it. Is nostalgia really that strong?
@@Davivd2 Yes, it is. Nostalgia is quite the beast. D2 is great, but it was much better during its time period when we didn't know as much as we do now and hadn't experienced as much as we have now.
Also, Grim Dawn is my favorite ARPG of all time and that's as a lifelong D2 enthusiast.
If Grim Dawn 2 comes out during my lifetime I will be able to die happy. Such a dope story and such good itemization.
D2 is the first game I bought with my own money. It has a special place in my heart
same :)
Same... 😢
D3 at the end of it's lifecycle deserves this spot, they did improve the game A LOT. It was fun
i pray this happens with D4 overtime too.. im still salty first 3 seasons were so bad :/
Diablo LoD. Best summer of my life. Not gonna lie.
you can have another great summer with diablo 2 resurrected...
summers*
What if D2R got an expansion and is in 2d I'm playing Soul Knight Prequel.
thats kinda sad ngl
Knowing that there are also games like Titan Quest and Torchlight out there - this genre is niche but filled with really, really good games.
Grim Dawn was a spiritual successor to Titan Quest if I remember correctly. I'm excited for Titan Quest 2 and I hope it is really good.
Titan Quest is my #1!
Titan Quest was better than Grim Dawn to me. Period.
@@Vigoszz What do prefer about it? I felt like Grim Dawn had everything TQ had, but more stuff on top of that. The one thing I prefer about Titan Quest was the world/setting, but otherwise I think Grim Dawn is the better game. In any case, I really enjoyed playing both of them and I'm very much looking forward to TQ2
@@FzNd I know a good amount of people that like the setting over other games. Just plowing through monsters of mythology in a not super dark setting was - and is I suppose - quite refreshing.
Personally like the relative simplicity of the game itself. It's juuuuust deep enough to be fun and still have meaningful yet varied build options. I have to acknowedge that not everything has aged well but the last addon with its 6 or 7 major patches did a lot of things right.
D3 combat is by far the most fluid i have ever experienced. Keeps me coming back every 2nd ir 3rd season to blast.
I wish they were still producing new content for seasons in D3.
Despite the negativity, Diablo 3 is undoubtedly one of the greatest ARPG ever created.
It is like ACTION-rpg, instead of ARPG. That is fine for me. :)
the fact that we could stack thousands of hits per second on 100+ enemies at the same time with the game not freezing was and is still extremely inpressive
Lol, it sucks!
I still like Diablo 1 best overall. The mood/setting and deep dungeon diving were fantastic. Plus you weren't in God mode destroying rooms of a million plus mobs in a blur of red mist like modern arpgs. The slower pace made this a winner. Just needs a remake with qol and updated graphics
Maybe the first Diablo game was never surpassed by any other game in terms of creepy feeling, atmosphere and immersion until today (2024-May-09)....!!!! 😲😉😎🙂
Only Diablo 1 can have you walk up to the stairs to the next level and make you question your life decisions by going down the stairs. Those moments when you are scared to open a door, or walk around a corner because 50 acid belchers spit at you....yeah. I wish that we had a game that still gives that feeling of danger around every corner.
@@Davivd2 Exactly. Loved the mobs of acid spitters, etc that would just destroy you just when you're starting to get a bit cocky.. the difficulty made you much more cautious and added to the immersion.
Me too... I still play it and enjoy it... time to time... the sounds, ambience... game pace... everything you said I miss even in d2... I hate that GODMODE culture that every modern ARPG has to have to be good... that`s why No Rest for the Wicked which is more of a Soul`s like game got me some hope for the future of isometric ARPGs... Also PoE2 demo... but I think thing will go really crazy on higher lvls...
Maybe POE 2 will bring that back in arpg.
Who here still remembers Dungeon Siege, Throne of Darkness, Revenant? O vaguely remember playing an arpg with a mage (reign of mages!?) and there was also a viking themed arpg but also can't recall the name but i had a lot of fun.
I love Dungeon Siege
Revenant was a great game
Revenant was so sick. Slicing off ogrok heads, impaling spiders in the air and sliding them off the blade with your boot, smashing earth elementals with maces, calling down meteor barrages... A truly incredible game.
The game u do not remember the name was Loki, and it was very good, pity of the cursor click where you had to click precisely on every enemy for every hit to attack them. Dungeon siege too was a very good game.
@@Akitorbenov Thank you! After your comment i looked it up on youtube and YES that is the game. Also looked up the mage one and it's called Rage of Mages which also has a sequel that i didn't know about!
clicked, scrolled to end "You're goddamn right." went back to beginning, proceed.
I saw a comment mention Marvel Heroes and now I'm sad. I miss that game so much!
we all do :(
@@B0uff0s i miss my deadpool. =(
Obviously, Rhyyker never played Marvel Heroes, otherwise it would have been #1 on the list.
Marvel Heroes Omega was amaing, but what about its offline sibling, Marvel Ultimate Alliance1-3? That, to me deserves an honorable mention in the top 5.
@@everettcooper8939i had played Marvel Heroes Online in the past it was fantastic, awesome but unfortunately :
1) i haven't had a good internet connection back then and
2) is no longer available so i can't make any gameplay video to upload at my youtube channel 😞
D3 just got a type of feel to it. The sets were not everyone's cup of tea, but they really did make you feel powerful and they had genuinely novel concepts and playstyles to explore. Not to mention that game may have one of the most unique set of classes. Monk & WD are class themes that don't get explored really at all in most RPG class systems
Titan Quest was soooo goood. I can't wait for second part.
Grim Dawn is horridly underrated. It is fantastic.
agree
I don't think D2 is just nostalgia. I never played it before, but now with the remastered version I finally did. And man... none other ARPG can top this one. The feeling and the atmosphere is just unmatched.
Honestly, as a D2 player from pretty much day 1, that is so great to hear. I still think D2 is best in class when it comes to storyline, music, atmosphere AND gameplay, but sometimes I'm not sure how much of that can be chalked up to nostalgia.
@@Hrodholf Im fairly certain there will never be better ARPG than D2
Following Marius from Act to Act was unbelievably creepy. The writers absolutely nailed what an Eternal Conflict between Heaven and Hell would look like. I still love watching the cut scenes.
@@Hrodholf I thought the same. Nothing can top D2 for me. It is the game that made me a gamer and I wondered if it was just because I grew up with but his comment made realize I’m not delusional. It’s truly the masterpiece I am witnessing every time I boot the game 🙏
While Diablo 2 was and is a great game, and certainly the apex of ARPGs or about as close to it as you can get without getting blinded, it definitely is not as good today as it was at the time. Whether or not a game that is head and shoulders above it will ever be released is anybody's guess, and depends on whether you consider visual polish important. However with all the knowledge we have gained from the past 25 years or so, it isn't at all impossible to create something that is (today) better than diablo 2 is (today.)
Whether it has the same impact in the scene or not is another story entirely. Gaming's landscape has changed significantly since that time.
D2 came out between high school and middle school for me. I played it so much that summer. When I went to college, my fraternity would have LAN parties where the primary game was D2. Even before D2R, I'd still go back and play every so often.
Marvel Heroes was fantastic. It was really blossoming into a good game when the cord got pulled.
Torchlight 2. Easily would go in my top 5. The feel, vibes, it just makes me happy.
I enjoyed it but I wouldn't go that far.
Torchlight 2 had a fantastic feel, but was also very content barren and woefully, woefully unfinished. SynergiesMod fixed a lot of issues I had with it and added great new content but it's definitely not a Top 5 arpg vanilla. It is fun af, though.
I enjoyed torch light 1 & 2 but agree they can't compete with the games Ryker listed
Enjoyed that so much for months but not up there in top 5. It's not a game I would not play for 8 years like poe
garbage game, please get out.
Diablo 2 is a special piece of art
Was a bit surprised to see clips of my videos in the list haha
Hope you don't mind! I can put direct links to your vids in my description if you like, you can message me on discord
@@Rhykker no no i don't mind at all, didn't expect one of my vid to appear on your channel :)
Rhykker was 100% a pirate in his past life
Dude, yes, thank you for including Grim Dawn. It deserves way more recognition!
Diablo II has the full package. A gripping storyline, an epic journey through an atmospheric world, incredible music, impactful combat and topped of by the best itemization ever (yes, better than the bloated itemization of Path of Exile). I bought this game back in 2000 when I had just turned 14 and have kept coming back pretty much every year or so since.
I’m here for Diablo II!!!
Come on! D2 for the win!!!
Are we gonna talk about Rhykker's suddenly fierce sweater game?
As a kid I grew up in a VERY rural area, where the nearest videogame store was like 2-1/2 hour away.. So I didnt get to buy computer games often. I picked up D2 one day at EB games, (Gamestop in Canada years ago) based soley on its front and back box art. I was 9 years old when I bought the game, im almost 32 now and I STILL get sucked back into a D2 phase where I might play 2-3..even 4+ hours some nights.. for months! It is EASILY the greatest ARPG ever made, and its one of my favorite games period. Id probably put it #2 behind StarCraft BW, but ive always had a hard time picking one over the other.
That was my childhood, too...cycling between D2, Starcraft BW, and Warcraft 3 (and Dota). Ah, the memories.
Diablo 2 really defined the genre for me. Diablo 1 was its own thing, and much more of a rogue-lite horror game.
Awesome video Rhykker. For me no game will ever replace that feeling I had back in the day playing D2 LOD. Will forever hold a special place in my heart.
Grim Dawn is easily my favorite game of all time.
I clocked the most hours into it but the real riot was the online character creator where I easily spent another thousand. So far this is the only game where I experienced the 'I could make an entire new character around this one item which just dropped' feeling. I'm waiting for the expansion right now with high hopes and 2 weeks of paid leave.
When diablo 2 came out 3 of my friends all took our computers to one house and played non stop for a weekend. Was awesome!
Just checking in to see if D2 was at the top,. Good list Rhykker. I think mine would be
1. D2 (Gold standard)
2. Grim Dawn (Underrated? Great game with lots of content, builds and variety, love playing it on the Steam Deck too)
3. PoE (Set new standards for modern ARPGs, very complex with tons of depth)
4. Diablo (The OG)
5. Titan Quest (the best of the d2 clones and right up my alley with Greek mythology setting)
I started ARPG with D1, and I played almost all of them. What I love in the genre is the gameplay, that's why my #1 is D3.
Diablo 2 Resurrected if it was released in 2024 would still be F amazing
Diablo 2 Resurrected regardless it was not released in 2024 it's still fucking incredible 😉😎🙂
@@nick_vigerfil read the original comment again. IF IT WAS..... STILL BE
Rhykker, thanks for the nod to the past. D2 will always be a special memory for me. I remember all my friends went out for dinner one night, and when we finished, we all couldn't wait to get home to our computers and fire up D2. We'd play till the morning light, then play some more. Fun times.
Diablo 2 is such a huge game. Easy to learn, truly hard to master (unless hammerdin :D).
Act 2 maggot lair *cough cough*
Good to see Grim Dawn make the list! The Grim Dawn Community League season 6 is currently running by the way, it's basically a community-made mod that adds leaderboards, challenges and new content to the game.
Diablo II: You either agree with me, or you are wrong! LUL
2:56 I watched that 20 minute video like 100 times. It was so inspiring. So hopeful.
Oh yeah, I remember doing that as well. A valuable lesson in not attaching hopes and dreams to unreleased products.
Torchlight II represent via likes, go !
Glad you have Grim Dawn in your top 5. It should be number 1 on everyone's list that know anything about good ARPG's
I feel like Diablo IV is operating after learning the lesson from Last Epoch + Path of Exile. Which is trusting the iterative process over time, building up the game, and taking more seriously player feedback. So maybe they started with a more bareboned project in order to build the game WITH the players. That's the impression D4 gave me from the start. I think the devs had already planned to start slow, and iterate with player feedback.
So I'm very optimistic that D4 will be an overwhelmingly amazing game in so many ways in due time. I don't even know in what ways it'll be amazing, but I trust the process.
Personally:
1: Post reaper D3, nothing else made me come back for multiple seasons like it did.
2: D2 for nostalgic reasons.
3: PoE - circles, also made me fall asleep all the time.
4: Last Epoch, which was fun at first, however endgame and gearing didn't prove enticing.
5?: D4 - depending on how itemization rework turns out, could very well take over 2 or even 1.
POE is my number 1. But D2 realy got the ball going, and I have a big amount of nostalgia for this game. It was epic! Still not surpassed in the feel of the game in t he genre, especially because of the sounds and soundtrack.
Diablo 1 is the game that brought me to gaming back then. That is my number 1 game over anything.
i would have thought torchlight would have a spot
but mostly agree
Soooooo....what's with Champions of Norrath? Close Nr. 6?
ps2 coop game, that was fun but idk if i would rank a console arpg that high...
@@killerbern666 What does the platform has to do with if a game was awesome or not?
I think I prefer dark alliance over champions.
Grim Dawn!!! Grim Dawn!!! Grim Dawn!!!
I might be a weird case as Diablo IV was actually my introduction to ARPGs, but since then I've played D3 couch co-op with my friends and I've been grinding Last Epoch solo and I love both. I'll try out the other games on your list for sure.
I guess I’m weird too lol. I have been playing mostly fps, racing, shooters for last 23 yrs. Diablo 4 got me into the genre.
SACRED ! ! !
I really liked Sacred 2!
@@norscout3031 I thought it was too goofy :/
@@AngryJesus1 heh that's why I liked it
I loved Sacred and Sacred 2. I wish they had gotten a mention, but it would be hard to justify a top-5 spot given all the good games.
@@norscout3031 there's a mod for Sacred Gold called Sacred Reborn, i highly recommend, it's a balance to all skills/items, makes more arts viable
I remember buying LE based on a Rhykker video back in November 2019, I've played off and on for at least 400 hours since. I have 100% trust and faith in the dev team with whatever they implement because imo their track record is almost perfect. Everything from tweaking crafting mechanics, adding dungeons, adding legendary crafting, adding new uniques, buffs and nerfs, polling their player base and answering questions on reddit. Having never played PoE and playing a lot of D2 back in the day (and a little in recent times), they are the pinnacle of the genre, no questions about it.
Honorable mentions: Titan Quest and Dungeon Siege 2
"Venturing into the Blood Moor one more time hero?"
"One more time, until the next time- forever, until the end of my days."
"The sanctity of this place has been fouled" is my jam :)
I thought D3 was great at launch. I didn't want the game to be my life, just played it as far as I could into Inferno and then put it away and it was an excellent gaming experience. Modern D3 became fantastic also.
it was a horible launch....
@@vitoraugusto1085 Yes, the launch itself sucked.
Grim Dawn got an update that imo fixed most of the jank feel with the added evade button. I still prefer Titan Quest for its atmosphere, but GD is objectively the better game.
Glad to see Last Epoch make the list - well deserved!
I'm glad D4 is almost ready to launch.
I didnt love the story decisions in Diablo 3, but the gameplay is solid and it has had plenty of replay.
Diablo 1 was my first ever ARPG, I had it on playstation 1 as a kid and I loved it.
Warcraft 2 and the 1st diablo were the 1st 2 games i played, oh wait and dune 2!
Kinda expected Torchlight 2 to be in there somewhere.
For me Marvel Heroes was the best of all time, followed by Diablo 1 then Sacred 2.
Great list. Playing D2 on battlenet back in the day was like a glimpse of the future of multiplayer gaming. So many studios tried to get a cut from the D2 pie you had no time to play all of the arpgs released those years
It would be so cool if Grim Dawn got an graphical or engine refresh or even dedicated multiplayer servers. That game is incredible
They are getting a small update with the current patch they're testing. Some updates to spear animations coming along with a major rebalancing of the defensive stats and the way pets work. And of course, the FoA expansion with a new Mastery (class, in the dual-class system) coming in late 2024 or early 2025. When they make the new patch official, I'll probably dump another 20+ hours into it =)
@@kma3647 I hope that they don't go overboard with the graphics. One of the things that turns me off about LE and the last 2 Diablo games is the visual noise. I can get lost in the explosions spam that would give Michael Bay an erection. One of the LE content creators that I watch uses a third party program to change his mouse cursor just so he can see it in the midst of all of the chaos. I like Grim Dawn because it's got an old ARPG vibe. I don't want them to turn it into a visual mess.
Diablo 2 is the building block and you have to honor it as such. It's like being there when WoW launched. Diablo 2 built off of D1 just like WoW built off of Asheron's Call, Everquest and Ultima Online.
Asheron's Call. I really miss that game.
@@donaz2371 - I missed the first month because I didn't have a computer that met the specs. I quickly got one built and, no matter how impressive a game like World of Warcraft is, nothing will ever match that sense of wonder when I stepped out of the training dungeon into this huge world and a random passerby stopped, talked to me, and gave me tips and some gear.
They tried to bring it back a few years ago, but I guess there were rights issues. I played on a private server, but it was 99% bots camping the high xp zones.
for a minute you got me scared n1º would be D4 xD
D4 has all the lessons to be learnt and the budget and yet still couldn't crack the top 5. Pretty sadge
really good take - i cant argue with this at all tbh!
For ME personally
1: Grim Dawn
2: D2R
3: PoE
4: TQ
I've tried to play POE so many times, I literally cannot learn it lol.
My list
1- Diablo 1
2 - Diablo 2
3 - Diablo 4
4 - Grim Dawn
5 - Path of Exile
4 and 5 could go any way
Amazing list, I love all ARPGs I feel they all bring something good and could each learn from each other. also I like the new hair, it looks good on you!
Top 5:
1 - Grim Dawn
2 - D2R
3 - Last Epoch
4 - Diablo 1
5 - Dungeon Siege 2
D3 I would not list as a good game, let alone a good ARPG, honestly.
my top 5 diablo-likes in no order:
1)Grim Dawn
2) Diablo 2
3) PoE
4) Titan Quest
5) Diablo 4 (I think it's already MUCH better than Diablo 3, and it successfully merged online only open world ARPG with diablo-like ARPG)
Honorable mention: Torchlight 2.
ARPG* fixed that for you little guy 😂
PoE being behind Diablo 2 is criminal. Nostalgia aside, PoE is a far superior game these days. I'll always love D2 for being my intro to the genre, but come on now...
The only edge D2 has over PoE is simplicity, so I guess it depends on which type of player you are as to which you prefer.
You should be a comedian.
100% agree, PoE surpassed D2 at some point. Dont forget, that the PoE team basically were ex-D2 devs, that were unhappy with the direction of D3 and Blizzard as a whole.
D2 still deveres the second spot, its been genredefining for a long time.
You are dismissing "simplicity" as a minor factor, while its the main and big downside of PoE for a lot of players. And on top of that most of game mechanics are not even explained properly. Most of those I know, who tried PoE, butchered their build to the point of being unable to progress beyond act 5 and with no way to fix their build. And response to that complain is "just follow someone's build", which many don't consider enjoyable experience.
That being said, I deeply respect GGG for standing their ground on current game design and not changing PoE to appeal those, who did not like it. The only thing it'll led is alienating current fans.
@@Torets13 I agree - regardless of what someone's individual opinion on complexity vs simplicity... being told "that's because you didn't follow a guide" when you are a FIRST TIME payer is a slap in the face. No one should be required to follow a guide in order to enjoy a game. At least it's free.
Diablo 2 has setting, a story, lore, and a mood that builds and builds until its crescendo. PoE is written by a child.
Grim Dawn is the most enjoyable game of this lot. They nailed the itemization part. Mods add another level to the fun part.
For whatever reason, D2 never grabbed my attention as much as D1 did and even Last Epoch or PoE afterwards. I never understood the hype it got and always attributed the success of D2 to the timing of the release with PCs becoming more common in every household and all that.
I have to agree with the games chosen. The order though. It's a tough one. For me Grim Dawn is number 1 and there's no question. It's not only the best ARPG but one of the best games ever made, period. D2, Last Epoch, PoE in that order and FUCK Diablo 3 because Titan Quest deserves that spot.
I think ARPGs really started with Legend of Zelda 1 and 2, Castlevania 2, but yeah. Diablo did "create" the subgenre for many.
Thinking of the wrong genre, Arpg was created with Diablo 😂
@@ZoobleZi I don't think you know what an ARPG is. I'm also guessing you're too young to remember games from before 2000 or so.
@@matthuck378you're just splitting hairs. Yes, any RPG with action would he an ARPG. Which would basically be any video game RPG really. But when people talking about ARPGs, they're talking about top down looters. Because Diablo redefined what an ARPG was.
@@hoofhearted4 I just don't think Diablo was "new" or genre-creating. Japanese game companies made the ARPG first.
Diablo did randomized loot first, I suppose...But that's about it.
@@matthuck378 As I said you have no idea what the genre is or what you're talking about and just keep embarrassing yourself for everyone to see 🤭
Thanks Rhykker, tough video to make I guess. Very happy to see Grim Dawn making the list! I would also have included Sacred 2 at number 4, had a great time playing that.
Cheers!
Dungeon Siege, Diablo 1, Marvel Heroes, Torchlight, all of these are far better than Diablo 3. I can't even believe you mentioned D3. I know that a large portion of your career has been spent on D3 but dude, it was never even close to 1 or 2 and failed miserably in story, implementation, itemization, end game, and introduced pay to win into the genre for the first time. Diablo 3 only started to get better after RoS and even then it was pretty much a miss. The game literally forces you into 3 or 4 builds (at best) per class for the end game and any deviation from that is not even possible post T10. The only thing that kept the game alive was the devs constantly tweaking the meta and the tiny seasonal updates to keep people barely hanging on till D4 launched.
D3 is awesome. See, for every opinion there's a counter opinion. D2 died for me the moment D3 found its stride.
Marvel Heroes > all
Then Diablo 1 atmosphere and we are not Godly, there is real danger.
Then Sacred 2 brought world world exploration for the first time with very original classes and skill system.
We may have our differences with many games, but here we all come together to love D2.
D3 is my #1. I dont care what anyone says. im glad ou werent afraid to add it to the list man
I agree with your courage to speak your mind and support it for a game that has received so so so much hate ☹️ it's also one of my top 10 (if not top 5)....😍=>Diablo 3.....!
I wouldn't say it was an amazing game, but I have very fond memories of Nox. I was on dial-up at the time, and wanted to do the multiplayer/Nox Quest modes more, but my connection severely limited that.
Last Epoch in front of D3 RoS? idk about that..
D3 may have more enjoyable combat, but LE is easily ahead in terms of itemization and a very fun build-making process with great skill customization.
@@DaveedRL Le, looks and plays like shit. I would put D3 ROS ahead of it as well.
Je respecte tes choix; parcontre en ce qui me concerne Grim Dawn n'a même pas fait un petit bleep dans mon radar de arpg, j'ai joué peut-étre 20 heures et je n'ai pas aimé. Diablo 2 a été important en ce sens que dès ce moment là je devenais addicte aux arpgs, mais si je compare les heures de pures jouissances c'est vraiment à Path of Exile que la couronne revient. Si j'ai joué 2500 heures à Diablo 2, je dois en avoir joué plus de 20,000 heures à Path of Exile. Je déjeunne, dinne et soupe presque tous les jours en pensant à Path of Exile, depuis les 7-8 dernières années. Last Epoch a un potentiel gigantesque, vraiment hâte de voir le futur de jeu!
I played D3 before 2 so I have never seen the issues people have with it… I did jump in after reaper of souls before than I had only seen D2 on pc way back in the day at my neighbors. Stuck with me. I still love Diablo 3
I regularly tend to get back to Grim Dawn (as well as to Titan Quest), have been for years now, it's always installed on my computer. Last Epoch is also a staple, every since mid-beta. Diablo II is historically the most important ARPG, it's also always installed on my computer, but tbh I think it's time for us to recognize that it's mostly nostalgia at this point, and that PoE is THE ARPG, it has been for years now, and I have little doubt that PoE II will take No. 1 spot in not so distant future.
Don't agree.. im already bored by the grindy nature last epoch has. This is something I feel many modern arpgs suffer from. They have to many layers for simple things. To farm this boss you need to do this, to slam this item you need to do that, reputation grinds here and reputation grinds there, corruption grind here, unlock the right nodes there. The arpgs become repetetive controlling chores instead of the slotmachines they should be.
Had only watched a few seconds of the video and was already forming a comment in my head about how Grim Dawn should have made the list. Awesome game.
Happy to see that Grim Dawn is still making it onto these lists. The people who love it don't ever stop, and infinite build possibilities make it almost impossible not to come back. Cannot wait for Fangs to drop.
Rhykker! You are rocking that sweater almost as hard as you rocked this list!!
I love to see Grim Dawn making it into the top 5. It will be interesting to see what the new expansion does for the game when it releases!
Rhykker looking Good today.
Perfect list sir, totally agree with all 5 !!!
5) Titan Quest
4) Diablo 4 - despite what others say I've had a blast playing it this past year
3) Last Epoch
2) D2/D2R
1) D3
I know Diablo is far from a perfect franchise but it has been the game I have played most consistently my whole life. I started playing the Diablo games like 1/2 years prior to 3 and I was only like 11 so naturally D2 was hard for me to pick up. Then D3 came out and I have more hours in that game than any other game I have ever played. Eventually as I got older and more experienced I was able to appreciate what D2 has to offer but for the memories I have of D3 with important people in my life D2 just can't beat those memories.
I didn't start playing d2 until d2r and i still ended up playing hundreds of hrs so no way its just nostalgia.
I've never heard of Grim Dawn, and I'm going to buy it ASAP. No online dependencies? Mods? F**k YEAH! Take my money!
Loved Diablo 3. Not much at all the original prior to the expansion, but once the expansion was released it was a great casual game you could always return to and have a blast with. Lacked depth but damn if it didn't have instant uptime and funfactor in spades.
Last Epoch, the last time I checked was still in early access, and after playing and getting burned on Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, which looked great early on, I decided to wait until Last Epoch was out of early access... This game I will get as soon as I'm done with Grim Dawn.
Path of Exile is the most boring, hokey game I've ever played that people thought was a best in genre game. Truly just a pointless and uninteresting game. You can totally tell it exists only because the hardest of hardcore fans in a niche genre want to nerd out over its complexities. The story is non-existent, and progression is a nightmare of dull unrewarding microsteps. The game is kind of fun once you reach endgame, but it's just not worth getting there and it's definitely not as fun as Diablo 3 or 2. I had more fun with the Dungeon Siege series.
Diablo 2 is great, but honestly? After about season 10 or so of D3, I ended up putting more time alltime in D3 than D2. D2 is archaic with that stupid stamina system, and rune words were great, but charms were just annoying and got in the way. Also skill point resets didn't get added until way after I had moved on to other games and the life cycle was long over for most people. I don't mind seeing this game as number 1 because of all it did and set us up for in the future and for how long it remained the pinnacle not just of the genre but even for Western RPGs in general. But really, it's not the best game out today. The remake breathed life into it, it's good, but man I've put hundreds and hundreds of hours into that game. I'm just done. Compare that to Skyrim where I've also put hundreds and hundreds of hours and I'm anxiously awaiting mod releases like Skyblivion and all the Beyond Skyrim world expansions so that I can hop right back in and play it like it's all-new again. Literally the reason I'm so excited to hear about Grim Dawn.
As a side note, Diablo 4 makes me want to cry. Why couldn't it have just taken the best of both D2 and D3 and put them together? This is the game that made me accept that Blizzard, like BioWare is just an empty husk of its former untouchable glory. RIP Blizzard.
I started playing Diablo in 1997 and have been a fan and committed player of the games ever since. I agree on Grim Dawn too - played it for hundreds of hours. I think it's pretty hard to have a 'Top 5' of almost anything without treading on some toes, but good job Rhykker.
Last epoch just releases, and end in Rhykker's top 5 aRPGs. Speak a lot about the dedication, and passion of EHG as developers to deliver a great and fun game. Can't wait for the next cycle :)