Diablo 2: Resurrected: The nostalgia of an all-time great game

We're in a pretty weird generation in gaming. Although games are still accessible and just a few decades or so old, they're getting remakes or remasters to make them accessible to today's gamers. The thing is that remasters/remakes are often a hit or miss. When they miss, people are just angry at the lack of effort towards the game. When the game hits, most people point the success towards nostalgia instead of quality.

In 2021, Blizzard surprised everyone with the reveal of Diablo 2: Resurrected. This special game was a complete remake of the 2000 classic that shook the world. It's not surprising that the game was received with critical acclaim once again, but what's really behind the reason why people love it so much?

A Look Back At Diablo 2

Blizzard had its first hand with RPGs when it launched Diablo in 1996. The dark and gritty RPG set the gaming world ablaze and the game was an instant classic. Its simple but addictive gameplay and immersive storytelling were just some of the things that gamers loved so much about it.

Then came a huge hurdle for Blizzard - how were they going to top Diablo, when it was able to set the bar so high? The challenge was huge but within a span of 4 years, Blizzard started to work. 

The next game was once again developed by a dedicated team from Blizzard North. The team was led by game development wizards such as Max Schaefer, Erich Schaefer, and David Brevik. They're now legendary giants in the industry who are looked up to, to this day.

The development process itself was challenging considering the bar of the first game set. The goal was simple - to enhance the game in every way possible while introducing new dimensions to gameplay. The development team might have been talented but the technology at the time was limited, thus making the process itself quite the challenge.

One of the major changes made to Diablo 2 was creating a large and expansive open-world for players to explore. Blizzard wanted to ensure that each area was highly detailed and rich with enough lore to keep players busy for hours on end. The result was vast locales for each of the Acts in the game.

Next up, is the gameplay. The stars of Diablo were the diverse class of characters that players could use and build to their liking. In Diablo 2, they introduced a wider selection of characters, each with their own sets of skills and unique abilities that can better fit players of all playstyles, so that they can enjoy the game in their own way.

One of the early challenges for the developers was fine-tuning and balancing the game in a way that made it challenging, rewarding, and hard to exploit by players. They were able to perfect the loot system that added more depth to progression and made every single hour the player spent productive. 

To round it all up, the developers needed to present a story that builds upon the lore and the world of the original game. They needed to supplement this with an amazing musical score and art direction that's better than most games before it. Everything was going up against the developers but despite this, they did what they could do to further exceed the expectations of fans.

Then in June 2000, Diablo II launched worldwide to critical acclaim. True to the dedication of the developers, the game was highly praised for its art direction, story, gameplay, and so many more. It was really an improvement in every way possible. 

Diablo 2 was released alongside other gaming giants like Final Fantasy IX, Baldur's Gate II, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It went up against these iconic games and was still considered the Game of the Year for 2000. To put it simply, the game was a magnum opus by Blizzard and the RPG genre.

The influence of Diablo 2 was very obvious in the gaming industry. Its enduring legacy cannot be overstated as well. The bar was set so high, that players still played the game years after it was released. It paved the way for an equally amazing expansion with Lord of Destruction - and more Diablo games in the future.

Diablo 2: Resurrected - Nostalgia Goggles Or An Amazing Game As Well?

It's not the first time Blizzard remade a game. The first one was Warcraft 3: Reforged, which was launched in 2020. Despite the critical acclaim that the original title had, Warcraft 3: Reforged was not received well by fans. When news of Diablo 2: Resurrected emerged, fans were every bit concerned, to say the least.

There were lots of concerns regarding Diablo 2: Resurrected. First was that Blizzard could butcher the remake, thus tainting the legacy of the once iconic game. The other concern was that Diablo 2 is a great game in itself already. Is it really worth the risk to remaster the game?

Before we talk about how Diablo 2 was received, let's first talk about the changes that Blizzard put into the remaster.

More Platforms

The first Diablo 2 was launched for the PC only. This locked console gamers behind what was the greatest game of 2000. Thanks to Blizzard, Diablo 2 is now accessible on other platforms, namely, the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. It's also available on the new gen of consoles thanks to backward compatibility.

This larger platform base made the game accessible to more gamers. Now, you don't need a PC to run the game. What's great is that the game was ported well across all platforms so you don't need to worry about performance issues across the board.

Better Performance, Visuals, And Music Direction

It's safe to say that the game has never looked better than it does now with the remake. Of course, it's not as good as Diablo 4 but the changes to the game and its FMV cutscenes are very apparent. If you're a gamer who avoids classics because of how far they look from modern games, you won't be bothered with how Diablo 2: Resurrected looks.

To make the new art and music direction more enjoyable, Blizzard has made sure that the game performs relatively well across the board on all platforms. No lag, framerate drops and so much more. You can go through an entire run without running into any game-breaking bugs.

New Features And Various Quality of Life Improvements

While Diablo 2 was a great game, it lacked a lot of features that would make it as acclaimed today, as it was before. To better suit the modern time of gaming, Blizzard has introduced a lot of new helpful features and various quality-of-life improvements to make the game more enjoyable for everyone. There are so many to mention but here are a few worth noting.

Gameplay:

• Cross-platform progression, allowing players to carry their progress across different platforms.
• Shared stash for transferring items between characters on the same account.
• Auto-gold pick-up to streamline the looting process.
• Toggleable auto-equip for items, making inventory management easier.
• Toggleable mini-map overlay for improved navigation.
• Larger stash for increased storage space.
• Improved multiplayer experience with updated networking and increased player capacity in lobbies.
• Planned ladder seasons for competitive play.
• User Interface (UI) and Quality of Life:

Revamped UI for a more intuitive and modern user experience.

• Drag-and-drop functionality for inventory management.
• Highlighted item comparisons for quick assessment of equipment upgrades.
• Filter options for item comparison and search in vendors, stash, and inventory.
• Enhanced character stat displays for a better understanding of character progress.
• Improved skill and talent interface for easier allocation and viewing of skills.
• Tooltips for item comparisons, displaying stats for quick assessment.

Miscellaneous:

• Option to toggle old-school visuals for a nostalgic experience.
• Updated anti-cheat and security measures for a fair and secure gaming environment.
• Reimagined cinematics with updated graphics and audio.

The Complete Package

The game comes with both the base Diablo 2 game and the Lord of Destruction DLC. It's safe to say that your money will be well spent with Diablo 2: Resurrected. You're looking at literally hundreds of hours in the game if you want to 100% it. Even if you just go through the campaign, you're still looking at spending around 70-80 hours to beat it.

More Replay Value

The original Diablo 2 had seasonal changes too. This game introduces ladders which are basically seasons, like in Diablo 4. What's great about ladders is that it adds a lot of depth to the endgame of Diablo 2. There's a leaderboard to go through, there are new items to collect, it just makes the game more fun than it is.

The endgame of the original Diablo 2 was good but what's added in Diablo 2: Resurrected makes sure that players have more reason to come back. How we wish we could say the same for Diablo 4.

Character Balancing

Oddly enough, the developers of Diablo 2: Resurrected don't have any trouble when it comes to balancing the game. Whereas in Diablo 4, balancing is abysmal and you can often hear of nerfs and buffs almost every time. If you don't like overpowered builds and really want to work hard to make your character strong, the remake is the perfect game for you.

The Verdict

Just looking at the changes made to the original, it's safe to say that there's just a lot to love about Diablo 2: Resurrected. Even if you've spent hundreds of hours in the original game, there's still more reason to come back.

When Diablo 2: Resurrected launched, the game received critical acclaim. Many critics dub it as an improvement of the classic in every way possible. It's a game that serves both those who are looking for a bit of nostalgia, and those who want to try the game for the first time.

All of the improvements made in Diablo 2 make it a perfect fit in modern gaming. Even the new generation of gamers don't have to put up with archaic gameplay mechanics and low-res visuals. This makes the game appealing to people of all groups and that's pretty hard to do for remakes and remasters.

The game is good simply because the developers had a great foundation and they perfected each of the groundwork in every way possible. Loving Diablo 2: Resurrected is possible not because of Nostalgia goggles, but because it's a really great game that rivals today's most advanced titles.

Even if Diablo 2: Resurrected as the new Diablo game and Diablo 2 didn't happen, we have a lot of reasons to believe that it's going to be one of the best games to release in 2021. If you want an immersive experience and an amazing RPG to boot, then you should get this game.

Diablo 2: Resurrected Is A Remake Done Right

Diablo 2: Resurrected is an improvement of the original game in every way possible. It's easy to see why more and more players are coming back to this despite the fact that Diablo 4 is already out there. In fact, gamers are actively jumping back into this classic because of the problematic approach to Diablo 4 and its replayability.

Diablo 4 is considered a failure by fans and critics despite the fact that it got great reviews and made stellar sales. The dwindling player base says a lot about the poor state of the game which is not a good look for a live service title.

Whether you're a newcomer or someone who's played Diablo 2 before, you have a lot of reasons to try out Diablo 2: Resurrected. While remakes and remasters are often dismissed by gamers, this game is proof that with the right developers and a huge amount of dedication, these types of games can result in a completely revitalizing new experience for everyone.