Dungeon Hunter 2

The PC kids have been waiting for an eternity for Diablo 3 to arrive, fingers poised to click their way to dungeon crawling nirvana.

Meanwhile, sensible Android gamers are already hacking and slashing their way through Gameloft’s second tribute to the classic series.

The original might have been a mostly successful test run to see if the Diablo template of the ‘90s could be translated to touchscreens, but the sequel is a confident swipe at the PC swagger of modern hits like Torchlight.

With luscious visuals, hours of screen-mashing combat, and an intuitive control system, Dungeon Hunter 2 is a treasure chest of creature slaying every Android owner should bust open.

While the main storyline, which pitches one immortal hero against his corrupt brother, is hardly going to trouble the estate of Tolkien, the game’s linear plot does a solid job of leading you from dungeon to dungeon.

You start the game by choosing whether to play as a Warrior, Rogue, or Mage to carve your way through the randomly created dungeons, with melee attacks being the provision of the former and a variety of spells the latter.

Controls come in virtual joystick or tap-to-attack flavours, while spells and special attacks are quickly accessible via icons surrounding the 'attack' button.

Mastering these skills is vital, as even some early levels are punishing for those who simply jab thoughtlessly at enemies.

New weapons and armour used to beat back the armies of darkness are drip fed throughout the game, each with their own buffs and stats, and you can either painstakingly hand pick each piece of equipment or use a quicker 'auto equip' button.

Solo players are joined by a glowing fairy, who guides the hero and doles out magic buffs that can be upgraded by completing special missions.

More sociable types can hook up with up to three other players via Gameloft Live! or Bluetooth to help them plunder the levels for loot and beast skulls.

Disappointingly, however, those with HTC handsets won’t be able to access this portion of the game.

Even played solo, Dungeon Hunter 2 doesn’t disappoint.

With a diverse series of environments to explore – from snow-covered mountain sides to haunted forests and massive castles – Dungeon Hunter 2’s random levels offer more variety than even its more revered PC forebears.

The sprites and backgrounds are gorgeously detailed, too, with smooth animations and dazzling contrasts between light and dark.

Sadly, the same can’t be said for the ugly cut-scenes, where character faces look like Picasso cast offs. Thankfully, these are rare.

Better looking than the original, and crucially smoother to play, Dungeon Hunter 2 is a derivative but deliciously addictive experience for every wannabe Android-toting hero.