If you miss the straightforward action RPGs of the past, try the generous demo for Darkstone Restoration

Before action RPGs relied on seasonal ladders and DLC treadmills there was Darkstone, a 1999 hack and slash where you clicked on things until they died and liked it. It had some interesting ideas, like the companion mode that lets you switch between two player-characters, the other controlled by the CPU while you took the lead, but it remained true to the basics of a genre I got into precisely because it was basic.

Now it’s back, with a remaster in early access that improves the UI and controls (you can move characters with WASD now, or play with a controller), and the graphics (though I had to turn off volumetric fog and procedural grass for the sake of my poor framerate).

It’s got a demo too, which lets you make characters from any of its eight classes and explore the early-game dungeons, letting you play three of its quests, which are selected at random each time you start a new game.

It’s just nice to start up an action RPG without having to worry about which build I’m going to pursue, or look at a massive node full of future skill unlocks, or wonder if I should start a seasonal character or whether I’m missing out by not buying the latest DLC. Darkstone is just Darkstone, a game of clicking on skeletons and goblins until they die, and as that annoying guy who though the first Diablo was the best Diablo it’s really scratching the itch.

I want an action RPG that understands these are games I play when I need a break from thinky puzzly heavy games and want something light and, you know, more action-packed. I’ll get back into them later, right now I really want to fight some giant wasps in a hole in the ground. Darkstone Restoration is perfect for that.

The only notable thing missing from the early access build is online multiplayer, though it does have couch co-op. A permadeath mode is also in the works. You can download the demo on Steam.