With two amazing isometric games coming out in the form of Project Eternity and Path of Exile 2013, it looks like the visual format might be making a return from the old SNES days. Isometric games are ones that use floor tiles at a ratio different than 1:1, with their horizontal width being greater than their vertical width. In other words, they look like diamonds. With the advent of 3D, isometric games have weakened in popularity. Here are five games who used an isometric visual style despite alternatives. Although they’re beautiful, Project Eternity and Path of Exile have been omitted since they have not been published yet.
5) Sacred Gold
Sacred Gold combines all three of the expansions in the Sacred series into one game that trumps them all. The graphics are the most traditional isometric layout on the list, as well as the lowest-resolution game on the list, but they still manage to shine. In Sacred, you can play as several different species each with their own set of skills. You must protect the world from a demon that was incorrectly summoned by a necromancer, along the way accomplishing character-oriented goals that make replaying fun.
4) Final Fantasy Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift
Final Fantasy Tactics was one of the first games in the Ivalice Alliance along with one of the first games to popularize isometric gameplay. There are plenty of other isometric games in the series, but this one takes the cake for its highly detailed sprites and 2.5D battle systems. In the game, you clean up the library early on and find a half-written book. You write your name in the center and the book transports you to the world of Ivalice.
3) Diablo 3
Despite a rocky launch, Diablo 3 is one of the best dungeon crawlers and isometric engines on the market. If waves of enemies and constant looting are your thing, Diablo 3 offers the best experience for you. You can also create your own items and sell them for real-world money, so there’s that. It incorporates many 3D effects and models, making the game appear to be fully 3D.
2) Torchlight 2
Made using the free OGRE game engine, Torchlight 2 is an incredible indie game that allows you to play with other players and modify the game to your liking. You must chase after a familiar face across wide geographic regions in order to stop them from destroying the world. Like Diablo 3, Torchlight 2 incorporates 3D figures into its tiles.
1) Bastion
Bastion is the best isometric game currently on the market, well-priced and well worth a play. Out of this entire list, it follows all the right rules for isometric gameplay and also improves on the concept by making each tile animated. The gameplay is incredibly fun, giving you two types of weapons and several spirits to boost your powers in battle. You have to recover the pieces of your world one bit at a time and just hope your loved ones are alright in the meantime.
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