Diablo II: Resurrected, the dark looter RPG game everyone craved has finally been released and puts us again in nostalgic boots against the dark lord. The vibes, the mechanics, the soundtrack, … everything takes us back to the good old days… but maybe a bit too far back. Even though Blizzard manages to get this remastered version to a certain type of level, I can’t shake the feeling that the game has seen better days. Let’s talk.
Blizzard is known for taking a game through a lot of alphas and betas, just to make sure that they’re delivering what they promised. Especially when your community has been hyped up since the day Blizzard released the remastered teaser. Every launch and especially the games that need you to be “online” for the whole time, tend to turn into this disastrous launch where servers can’t handle the heat and couldn’t perform under this high pressure. There have been different reports of game crashes, lost progression, characters disappearing, …etc. You would have thought that Blizzard had prepared for this but it seemed like we were going back to the days when Warcraft III: Reforged was released. Then again, these problems are still fixable, it’s just too bad that the game didn’t get the start it should have had. C’mon Blizzard, get it together! Don’t you dare to bring that devilish error 37 back from the grave…
“I’m still disappointed that this “unfinished” mindset still exists…”
Even though, the “always online” feature has its benefits (especially on PC), you could see these problems through but console players seemed to be the black cattle that’s been left behind. Even though PC players have chats and lobbies, it seems that console players will have to communicate with a technique called telepathy. You can however find friends through the “party finder” and a full party will allow you to voice chat with each other. Also, the biggest feature “ Ladder” seems to be missing and will be added to the game later. I’m still disappointed that this “unfinished” mindset still exists, where’s the time that players actually received a game that’s in its total and has all the things the developers promised… It seems to be a hard task these days. Anyhow, even though I dislike an “unfinished” product, the missing PVP part doesn’t bother me that much because I love playing looter games on my own.
Vicarious Visions, the team behind Diablo 2 Resurrected did promise a whole new look for the game and I totally dig it. The game has been remastered but the developers made it possible to play the game on its original graphical settings but also allows you to switch to the more modern version with just a touch of a button. The modern version captured the whole dark and aery atmosphere from the original and enhanced it into this beautiful remastered world. The game truly looks amazing and still feels nostalgic.
“Story-wise, the game still remains in its same husk.”
The 2D pixelated environment has been turned into a fresh-looking 3D environment full of detail and interesting lighting effects. I get the fact that players buy Diablo 2: Resurrected to play the game in its original state but it would be a bit stupid not to try the remastered graphics, they’re truly keen for the eyes. Also, all of the additional effects feel top-notch: reflecting puddles, enlightening torches, and lightning, the fog, … The battle effects also got their boost and feel even more impactful.
Story-wise, the game still remains in its same husk. However, the cinematics has been redone and I can truly say that the Cinematics team needs the credit they deserve. Everything sounds and looks better and with all of those remastered reworks, the immersion is hard to break. Thanks to the better sound effects and cinematic quality, the story feels a lot more darker and interesting to get sucked in.
It’s great to let this classic game shine through to the clouds of nostalgia and give that same feeling we used to have. The team made it clear that they would stay as loyal as they could to the original and even though the graphical remastering does it job very well, you will feel that the gameplay mechanics are a bit too old to be neglected. Some of the mechanics could have definitely changed just to increase the Quality of Life and reel new players in. Unfortunately, there’s still a stamina bar that depletes very quickly, and being forced to take a break in your “heat of the moment”, just doesn’t feel good. They could also do something about the inventory because the inventory just sucks… It’s a bit too small for my taste and there isn’t a decent option to expand the inventory slots multiple times. This space can be a pain in the ass, especially when your game is depending on the “drinking potions”-system, and hoarding all of these potions can create some weight on your back. Then again, they did program an automatic pick-up system that allows your character to automatically pick up the coins that have been dropped on the ground. Another good thing is the fact that items in your inventory can be compared to the items in your equipment. These are decent changes and I would love to see more of them because I have a feeling they could have done a bit more than what they did.
Conclusion:
Did the opening scene and atmosphere put me back in my 16-year-old adventurous boots? Yes, it did. Did the graphical improvement make me tear up a bit? Maybe more than I would like to admit. Did the game’s mechanics give that satisfactory urge to grind all day? No, it did not and that’s when it hit me. Diablo 2 was a great game, probably a couple of yours ahead of time and I had a blast playing it, a couple of years ago. The graphics and added quality of life changes made the game feel a lot more modern but it will need a lot more before it can suck me back into that rabbit hole of addiction. If you’re late to the party, this is your chance to play a tremendous game. However, if you’re looking for that next big thing on the map and already played the original, dust it off and play it again. There’s nothing groundbreaking to see here.
