Games PC Diablo II

Diablo II

Written by Toma-kun January 05, 2009 Hits: 443 Favorites

Game Info:

Platform:

Developer:

Blizzard

Publisher:

Blizzard

Players:

1, Online Play

Format:

3 CD-ROMs

Gallery:

PC » Diablo II (9)

Minimum Req.:

233MHz Pentium II or AMD equiv.
64MB RAM
950MB HDD space
8MB DX7 video card
Windows 98/2000/XP

Reviewer's Machine:

Pentium III 933MHz
128MB RAM
20GB HDD
32MB TNT2
Windows 98

Editor review

One hell of a good game

Few games have suffered the constant delays that Diablo II encountered on its long trek from Blizzard's legendary design studios into your CD tray. For years we were tantalized with screenshots and character information, salivating over every little feature and spell... and then one day, very unobtrusively, on one summer day, it was completed and shipped. The epic continuation and perhaps conclusion of the Diablo Legacy.

The story is rich, dark, interesting, and ultimately forgettable. The Lord of Terror, Diablo, the middle brother of the three Prime Evils, has been set loose once more in the world of Sanctuary. Passing East within the soul stone embedded in the brow of the very hero you controlled to trap the creature in Diablo I, he leaves a path of devastation and corruption in his wake. What does that mean for you, a new hero, making your way through the path of evil to confront the Brothers?

You get to cleave some demonic skulls.

Yes, the same brainless yet somehow strategic action has been imported from Diablo I, with a few improvements. Basically, you assign spells and skills (or a simple attack) to the left and right mouse buttons. Then, to perform said attack, click on your enemy. Repeat until you win the game. Does this repetitive, carpal tunnel inducing action sound fun? Well, it is. This simple system, like a violent Legend of Zelda, has some of the most heart pounding excitement this side of Doom. You'll be at the edge of your seat through all four acts (levels), and load times are non-existent. You won't leave the game world at all until you want to, if that ever happens. But don't think this isn't a RPG, because it isn't lacking in depth. You choose one of five characters (the spear and bow mastering Amazon; the brute Barbarian capable of wielding two weapons at once; the holy mage-knight Paladin; the elemental Sorceress; and finally the most unique class, the Necromancer, who can summon golems, raise the dead, and throw curses over the enemy) and build them up by their stats. Also, every level you gain one precious skill point to give to one of your assigned class specific skills, divided into three groups and built into trees. There are 150 skills, 30 unique to each class, such as the Amazon's guided arrow or Sorceress' fireball. Each skill can be built up 20 times, which means if you wanted to perfect a character all the way, you'd have to be level 600. I beat the game at level 40, so specialization is obviously key.

The absolute BEST feature are the items. In no other game, computer or console, will you find such a stunning array of weaponry and armor, each with advantages and disadvantages, as well as rare unique and super rare sets of items which add extra benefits when worn in unison. Some of the most fun I've ever had is searching the wilderness for dropped magic items, bringing them back to town for identification, and making the agonizing decision between 30 AC points and health regeneration for my armor. This is the stuff good gaming is made of, friends.

A game with this dark theme would need a perfectly dark atmosphere to match, right? Well, Diablo II delivers in spades. Evil spades. Some of the spookiest, most atmospheric game music ever to grace your speakers is right here, from the haunting Harem to the chillingly familiar Tristram. The graphics are all dark, often the only light is the faint aura around your player, which can be made larger, or smaller, by your equipment.

Of course, all is not perfect in hell. The graphics are pretty dated, even for its release a few years back. The resolution is a paltry 640X480, and the characters, though animated well, are pretty pixellated. The simple hack 'n' slash gameplay may be too empty for fans of more subtle RPGs, and the story, though well done, isn't going to throw you. Diablo is the big bad guy. You must kill him.

Simple as that. He's not your father, you won't befriend him to fight a common foe, you just hunt him East and into the depths and kill him. But you won't care, because you've been drawn into the most immersive action-RPG ever made. And when you complete your quest, you can jump online and do it all over again with your buddies over the free Battle.net service. Hell has never been such an attractive choice.

Highs:	Primal hack 'n' slash fun, tons of items to collect, immersive
Lows:	May be too simple for some, Battle.net is rife with cheating
Bottom Line:	More addictive than crack. Once you take it, you'll never stop.