Titan Quest

Originally released in 2006 (oh god, I am but dust), Titan Quest has been re-released and re-mastered about as often as the Star Wars original trilogy. And for good reasons, because it’s just bloody marvelous.

Created by Iron Lore, a studio headed by Age of Empires impresario Brian Sullivan, Titan Quest was designed to be a Diablo-like set in the ancient worlds of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Silk Road. While it absolutely innovated and deviated from the Diablo formula in a few subtle ways, the most striking difference both then and now is that…it’s daylight! You can see!

I was fortunate enough to visit Iron Lore during Titan Quest’s development, and sat and chatted with the game’s creature designer, former Looking Glass developer Rich Sullivan (no relation). Inspired by the work of film maker Ray Harryhausen, he designed all the game’s enemies as clay models, many of which were strewn all over his desk. It’s an inspiration that translates to the game, giving enemies that stop-motion excellence, most especially the game’s skeletons.

Of its many re-releases, 2021’s Legendary Edition is the most recent, compiling all the DLC and expansions into one game, out on Android and iOS. For console and PC, you’ll want 2016’s overhauled Titan Quest: Anniversary Edition. Or wait another couple of years and it’s bound to be released yet again.