Torchlight has a lot to offer, but arguably the most impressive aspect of the series is the pets. Pets keep you company as you clear dungeons and ease the burden of inventory management, and while they return in Torchlight 3, co-lead developer Tyler Thompson doesn't seem to like pets at all.

The biggest challenge in ARPGs is not clearing dungeons or defeating bosses. Limited inventory space is a hallmark of the genre, and Runic Games, the developer of "Torchlight," has managed to subvert that with friendly creatures.

"Torchlight" and its sequels still placed restrictions on adventurers, but instead of forcing players to return to town with everything they had illegally acquired, they could send their pets instead. While they would still need to manage their inventory and determine when to return their pets to the store, they would not have to interrupt their adventures.

Now Torchlight has a new caretaker: Echtra Games, a company co-founded by Diablo designer Tyler Thompson and Torchlight co-creator Max Schaefer. In an interview with Eurogamer, Thompson admitted that he hates the courier creature.

"I hate that feature! It breaks the tempo. Sending a pet to town is like fast-forwarding through a commercial."

The criticism is understandable. The trip back to the traditional town gives the player room to relax, shop, take quests, and do many other things that don't involve slaughtering monsters. It is an essential element of the rhythm of this genre. Despite this, I never miss it. Fortunately for me and those who love their pet companions, they will not be cut in "Torchlight 3" and will continue to lend a helping hand.

"You can't have a Torchlight game without pets. I'm not a fan of the game," Thompson said. But I still hate it.

Since originally released as Torchlight Frontiers, the third game is more like its predecessor. It was initially a free-to-play shared world RPG with individual areas, each with its own progression and gear. Testers didn't like it, and the developers didn't think so either. According to Thompson, "It was awful."

However, Torchlight 3 still does some unique things. For example, the world is still shared, and players can create forts throughout their accounts and customize them with decorative and utilitarian items given by quests, contracts, and crafting. So while the game is much closer to the first two, it still retains its own identity.

Echtra Games has not yet announced a release date, but you can expect to be out exploring dungeons with your pet later this year.