Looking for Action RPG/Dungeon Crawler recommendations - any platform!

[Canadianpsycho]

I have a severe hankering for some Diablo-like hack-n-slash action RPG dungeon crawling action. So bad that I'm considering buying Arkadian Warriors on XBLA.

I'm hoping someone can suggest me some titles. 360, PS3, DS preferred. If you know of any Xbox titles that are back compatible that's good also. PC is also an option but I'm really getting away from PC gaming. I'm also considering buying a PSP (going to Europe next month, can take it on the flight) or PS2 (I have a 40gb PS3 :() so if you folks can throw out any of those suggestions that would be awesome.

I liked:

-Diablo/Diablo II
-D&D Heroes
-Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance (I'm tempted to just try and track these down)

I did not like:

-Titan Quest (I really tried to like it but found it boring and the classes do nothing for me)
-Dungeon Siege

I keep hearing about Champions of Norrath, but that requires buying a PS2 which I am debating. I'm really regretting not picking up a 60/80 GB PS3.

[mahdi]

I kinda liked dungeon siege: throne of agony for the psp.

BTW, is it me or was that game FREAKISHLY similar to world of warcraft in terms of their loot?

Blue for rare
purple for epic
orange for super epic

Actually having been a wow'er for 2 years of my life, kinda made my heart jump when I got a purpley item when I was like level 5 lol.

Back to the OP's question:

What about the God of War series?

[CougChaos]

Guild Wars... :)

[Canadianpsycho]

Guild Wars... :)

Forgot to mention that, played Guild Wars. It was OK.

[rfdghost]

Do Not Buy Arkadian Warriors!!!!

[Phr3sh]

Just start playing D2 again...thats what I do when I get the itch. I'm also quite confident that no game is going to satisfy that itch until D3 comes out...I've just been let down too many times with games claiming to be the next diablo.

[skewed]

Mass Effect for X360 is pretty good. Doesn't have a huge RPG depth to it but the combat action is great. It is semi-non-linear considering you get to choose some paths on how you beat the game.

I'm a big fan of MMORPGs however I hate how they become a time sink. I'll have to give either Warhammer Online and Age of Conan a try once they are released. I have my doubts whether or not they can compete with Blizzard but we'll see.

[TripleQ]

I think you pretty much covered them all except for Sacred. I enjoyed it but I also liked Titan Quest and Dungeon Siege (and Dungeon Siege 2) FWIW.

Waiting for Space Siege but that's not for awhile.

[sleepyguy]

You should give Titan Quest another go... it's quite a good game. That being said Champions of Norath and Returns to Arms should fit your bill good. Tough to find and ebay prices are ridiculous.

[Ryus]

Check out Phantasy Star Universe for the Xbox 360. You can download the demo and play online for the demo stage. This game is like a hack/slash/mmorpg

If you like the game, it's an extra $10 a month.

I was really addicted to the predecessor, Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast.

[Canadianpsycho]

You should give Titan Quest another go... it's quite a good game. That being said Champions of Norath and Returns to Arms should fit your bill good. Tough to find and ebay prices are ridiculous.

I really wanted to like TQ... I just found it slow paced and when I finally got to the class selections and skill trees nothing jumped out at me. Shame to hear about Champions' price... Although I think the wife would murder me if I bought another game console.


I think you pretty much covered them all except for Sacred. I enjoyed it but I also liked Titan Quest and Dungeon Siege (and Dungeon Siege 2) FWIW.

Waiting for Space Siege but that's not for awhile.

I'll look up Sacred. Prefer console titles though. The appeal of gaming on my 50" TV heavily outweighs the pain of ugrading every 6 months and sitting at a desk to game.


Mass Effect for X360 is pretty good. Doesn't have a huge RPG depth to it but the combat action is great. It is semi-non-linear considering you get to choose some paths on how you beat the game.

I'm a big fan of MMORPGs however I hate how they become a time sink. I'll have to give either Warhammer Online and Age of Conan a try once they are released. I have my doubts whether or not they can compete with Blizzard but we'll see.

I don't think ME fits into the genre I'm looking for. I'm looking for something a little more dumbed down and even more action focused. I did enjoy ME though and plan on playing through it again for the DLC.


Do Not Buy Arkadian Warriors!!!!

Heh, yeah, I keep telling myself its not worth it. maybe for half the price.


Check out Phantasy Star Universe for the Xbox 360. You can download the demo and play online for the demo stage. This game is like a hack/slash/mmorpg

If you like the game, it's an extra $10 a month.

I was really addicted to the predecessor, Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast.

PSU was horrible. I actually played the entire single player campaign... Way too long (20+ hours to get 1000/1000) and the players use the same damn move over and over and over and over again. A lot of fans of the previous games complain about how bad the newer version is. never tried online because of this.

[mrelusive]

I can't really think of any other dungeon crawlers than the ones you have listed (well, good ones anyway). I'll just post this list (all PC), though they aren't really dumbed down or hack n' slash focused:

The Witcher - can play in the traditional isometric view if you want, though I found the combat system a bit iffy
Baldur's Gate II - the polar-opposite of Diablo 2, but there's a fair amount of dungeon crawling when you consider all the game content
Neverwinter Nights Diamond - Given the crap-load of user content for this game, there has to be something out there that fills your appetite

[Vertigo]

I figure Hellgate London would fit what you're looking for, but it's only on PC... It might (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/01/19/hellgate-london-bound-for-360/) be coming to the 360 in the future.

Aside from that, I second the suggestion of picking up D2 again. I haven't yet been able to find a game that satisfies the dungeon crawl itch quite like D2 does... which leads me to hardly play dungeon crawlers at all. ^^;

[Marlek]

Nothing like a good dungeon crawler...

Well, although it doesn't contain a fantasy backdrop, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is actually a very fun action / RPG. It plays a great deal like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Also another vote for Mass Effect - it's not really a true dungeon crawler in that it plays out from a first person perspective, but it's a really excellent game. Great story, and great characters although if you don't like dialog in your RPG's it might not be your cup of tea.

In terms of slighter older stuff there's also:

- Fable
- Jade Empire
- X-men Legends / Legends II
- Freedom Force / Freedom Force II

Good hunting.

[SomeGuyGG]

Neverwinter Nights / Neverwinter Nights 2.

Star Wars: Kights of the Old Republic 1 & 2.

Basically any BioWare RPG :D

[coriolis]

http://lunia.12foottall.com/


Its free and pure hack and slash combo'ing.

:p

[mdc]

Another vote for Jade Empire ... I really enjoyed it

It isn't really about getting bigger and better loot, but it is a really well done action RPG

I played Hellgate:London for a couple of months. It was a lot of fun, butit can get a little repetitive. I hear it is getting better every month as they add more content

[drdrma]

Another vote for Jade Empire ... I really enjoyed it

It isn't really about getting bigger and better loot, but it is a really well done action RPG

I played Hellgate:London for a couple of months. It was a lot of fun, butit can get a little repetitive. I hear it is getting better every month as they add more content

I found jade empire very linear and boring.

I doubt anybody here will play these even though they are much more complex and challenging. They are also free.

http://www.t-o-m-e.net/
http://slashem.sourceforge.net/

[sfu_lifer]

Dragon Quest Swords for the Wii. You really are hacking and slashing. I'm having fun with it.

[BYan]

If you're just looking for a lot of shooting/fighting and character progression, maybe even give Crackdown a shot? It's not an RPG per say, but basically you blow stuff up and collect orbs to level up your character until you can parkour on rooftops and drive cars up walls.

Failing that, the only real RPG I can think of that fits your needs is either Too Human or Fable 2. Too human is basically Diablo next-gen with 4 player co-op, tons of loot, and replayability lies purely in the acquiring of said loot over repeated playthroughs. Fable 2 is going to be an open ended RPG, so if you like being able to do your own thing and carving out your own path in the world, that one is going to be for you too.

Hope this helps man.

[r00ster]

Marvel Ultimate Alliance. While it isn't swords and sorcery, the combat is great, as is the item collection and character levelling. Just make sure to keep your team down to 2 characters at a time... as having 3 or 4 onscreen makes it too easy, and they tend to block doorways. Unless you're playing with 3 other human controlled characters.

EDIT: Just noticed Marlek suggested MUA already... so, seconded!

[Canadianpsycho]

I think this is going to be hard as I've played most suggestions.

I'm not looking for a strightfoward RPG like KOTOR or Fable. I'm thinking more along the lines of MUA (played 3 times), X-Men Legends, Dark Alliance, Demonstone, etc. Action games with RPG elements. No brainpower required. Jade Empire was boring.

I also refuse to buy a Wii. I was on the fence for a long time but their only gimmick is the controllers. I don't want a 300 dollar console with broken online (friend codes are quite possibly the most ******** idea in online gaming ever) and Gamecube 1.5 gfx.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, however I've played pretty much all of them. Well except Fable 2 and Too Human for obvious reasons. Naming any 360 game is pretty much a lost cause. I've had once since launch and have 60k+ gamerscore.

I'm giving Titan Quest another shot, but its just not grabbing me. Still need to check out Sacred. I won't be touching Hellgate.

[skewed]

I'm interested in giving Titan Quest a shot too. Read up on it and seems pretty good. I'm looking for hack and slash games with a bit of depth as well. I've played Diablo2 countless times but I heard Sacred was pretty good as well.

I agree with you in regards to the Wii...so gimmicky. A few of my friends have it and it's only good when you are playing with friends (2+). Other than that, 97% of the time when I play consoles alone...it wouldn't satisfy me.

[sleepyguy]

I found Fable a terrible bore, I think the iso perspective ruined me from these 'rear' view 3rd person games. Oblivion is kinda a hack/slash now as well as they made it to cater to a wider audience (wicked on the 360).

Not exactly hack/slash but i'd recommend you give these a go.

Oblivion GOTY 360
Titan Quest + Expansion
Dungeon Seige 1+2+Exp+user_mods
NWN + NWN2 + Exp
Baldurs Gate 1+2+Exp

I was like you before as well... nothing but Action 'RPG'... I gave Baldurs Gate and Planescape Torment a try and it really opened my eyes to what a 'real' RPG should really be. -sg

[Marlek]

I'm with you on Titan Quest exactly. Something about the character progression seemed quite boring. It took far too long to actually get skills that seemed useful.

Well, on the PC front there is a slightly older game that plays out like Diablo with better graphics. It's called "Fate". You can get it here:

http://games.wildtangent.com/fate/playgame.html

Also on the PC is a decent game called "Dungeon Runners". It plays out like a hybrid between WoW and Diablo.

http://www.dungeonrunners.com/

Both games are free to download and try, with expanded options if you buy.

[theprodigy]

PS2 Dark Cloud 2...it's a pretty heavy dungeon crawler, but not my kind of game. Got really good reviews though. I have one up on BST if you're interested.

[AloneInACrowd]

I know you said you didn't like Dungeon Siege, and I'm not sure if you wanted PSP in the equation, but the one for PSP is pretty good. It doesn't play like the PC version at all, and feels more like Baulder's Gate Dark Alliance. I was really addicted to it, and I hated Dungeon Siege for PC...completely different game.

[Canadianpsycho]

Not exactly hack/slash but i'd recommend you give these a go.

Oblivion GOTY 360
Titan Quest + Expansion
Dungeon Seige 1+2+Exp+user_mods
NWN + NWN2 + Exp
Baldurs Gate 1+2+Exp

I was like you before as well... nothing but Action 'RPG'... I gave Baldurs Gate and Planescape Torment a try and it really opened my eyes to what a 'real' RPG should really be. -sg

Played Oblivion, trying TQ again, might retry DS, Played NWN, Played some of BG2. With a 2 year old its hard for me nowadays to commit to lengthy titles like BG or Torment. The start of Torment bugged me. I had a hard time getting used to BG2's "real-time" combat at first and it turned me off. Used to it now obviously. Most of these titles are true to form RPGs though. Not much hack-n-slash going on. Good titles nonetheless. Tried to reinstall a copy of Torment I had and it didn't work :(


I know you said you didn't like Dungeon Siege, and I'm not sure if you wanted PSP in the equation, but the one for PSP is pretty good. It doesn't play like the PC version at all, and feels more like Baulder's Gate Dark Alliance. I was really addicted to it, and I hated Dungeon Siege for PC...completely different game.

Sounds good... I'm seriously debating picking up a PSP with my tax refund, I'll keep that title in mind, thanks.


PS2 Dark Cloud 2...it's a pretty heavy dungeon crawler, but not my kind of game. Got really good reviews though. I have one up on BST if you're interested.

I'll take note of that also, thanks.

[GateGuardian]

Does Titan Quest still have that protection that crashes randomly if you're not playing the retail copy?

[djnorm112]

chronotrigger snes!
the witcher
oblivion
marvel ultimate alliance
jade empire
bioshock

[andrew505]

Pretty tough, you seem to have played the best of them. I would really suggest looking into Too Human, if you haven't yet. It looks great, and is a action dungeon crawler, that lets you play with players online to beat harder dungeons and get loot. Some of the better "dungeon crawling" games you would find these would be mmorpgs that do the whole instance thing. But i think i read somewhere about you not wanting to sink too much time into it, and that would rule out almost every mmorpg.

[BlazinTrini]

I have a 2 year old as well and it is hard to play games nowadays with him around

I think I might give Witcher a try as well

[skewed]

I gave Titan's Quest a shot this weekend. It didn't do anything for me. The graphics are very good however the gameplay is so damn simple in a bad way. A true Diablo 1 rip off with a pretty 3D spartan theme to it. I usually don't like calling games rip offs but these guys didn't even bother trying to change anything.

[Canadianpsycho]

Does Titan Quest still have that protection that crashes randomly if you're not playing the retail copy?

I never experienced any crashes.


chronotrigger snes!
the witcher
oblivion
marvel ultimate alliance
jade empire
bioshock

You obviously didn't read the thread.


Pretty tough, you seem to have played the best of them. I would really suggest looking into Too Human, if you haven't yet. It looks great, and is a action dungeon crawler, that lets you play with players online to beat harder dungeons and get loot. Some of the better "dungeon crawling" games you would find these would be mmorpgs that do the whole instance thing. But i think i read somewhere about you not wanting to sink too much time into it, and that would rule out almost every mmorpg.

No disrespect, but Too Human is now scheduled for August. I was looking for current stuff.


I have a 2 year old as well and it is hard to play games nowadays with him around

I think I might give Witcher a try as well

From what I've heard, I wouldn't play The Witcher around your kids.


I gave Titan's Quest a shot this weekend. It didn't do anything for me. The graphics are very good however the gameplay is so damn simple in a bad way. A true Diablo 1 rip off with a pretty 3D spartan theme to it. I usually don't like calling games rip offs but these guys didn't even bother trying to change anything.

I gave up on TQ.

Just to update this thread, I ended up picking up a PSP. I've been fooling around with the first Untold Legends and Dungeon Explorer. Neither titles are phenomenal but they do fill that urge I was having.