Now you see the year 2000, now you don’t
There’s a part of my head, some reptilian part of my brain, that loves to see numbers go up. It takes delight in methodically kiting and taking down enemies, clearing the loot area and moving on to the next; as a looting and plunder farming simulator.
Therefore, Diablo should be right up my alley. And while I enjoyed quite a bit of time with the third installment of the series, I only have the faintest memories of it Diablo II and its extension, Lord of Destruction Diablo II: Resurrected felt like the right opportunity to revisit those distant blobs of memories and better understand the reverence fans hold for this particular dungeon crawler.
On start up, I thought it looked pretty good. There were all the old sights and sounds, a campfire and a ring of adventures around it. I could only choose from three specific characters: the Barbarian, the Amazon or the Sorceress. I clearly chose the one who shoots fireballs from her hands and left.
It didn’t take long before I started using those fireballs too, because Diablo II really lets you fall into the middle of things. After a few short paragraphs of explanatory text, you’re free to wander out of the makeshift camp that has been set up and kill monsters. It may seem sparse by modern standards, but I have a certain respect for this. Diablo II know what you came here for, and it doesn’t take several tutorial missions and guided segments to get you there.
As I wandered the plains outside the camp, shooting down fallen monsters and enraged undead, everything was certainly enjoyable. Most of my points were about improving my Fire Bolt, but that was okay; there’s a lot of fun to be had with the simplicity of early-game Diablo II, just flying around enemies, dancing around attacks and knocking back potions.
It’s easy to see the absence of it Diablo III‘s additions, such as the dodge role. Other parts can feel a bit mysterious, such as playing inventory Tetrisbut they fit – being forced to manage all the stuff I was buying and choosing between a club I could sell for gold or a charm that gives me bonuses when it’s in my backpack is a nice little decision to take in the heat of the moment. Stock space made me realize how easy it was with the console version of Diablo III, and now the older one Diablo gives me a renewed appreciation for a well-managed backpack.
Really, the magic of this remaster is in a single keystroke. I enjoyed it for 30 minutes Diablo II: Resurrected as it is presented. But by pressing the G key, I was able to revert the game to its original look and feel. Until then, I thought Diablo II: Resurrected looked like Diablo II, and then the G key reminded me what Diablo II really looked like in the year 2000.
Good gracious. It’s a magic trick, and a good trick. Other games, such as the excellent one Command & Conquer remaster and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, have offered options that let you switch between the new and original graphics, and it’s just as striking here, if not more so.
The work of Blizzard and Vicarious Visions – developed last year Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remakes – is unbelievable. It may sound cheesy, but Diablo II: Resurrected really looks like you remember Diablo looking. The inequality is easy enough to show in side-by-side comparisons, but seeing it in action is really great.
As I blast through more quests in Act 1, I found myself constantly hitting the G key to see the differences. Territories changed, enemies changed, but it remained structurally similar. It’s the same geography, the same experience, but it looks completely different thanks to this aesthetic overhaul. I almost died a few times just because I saw a named enemy running towards me and I immediately started swapping images instead of running.
Death too! It happens much more often in Diablo IIAside from not having an evasive role, Diablo II: Resurrected just feels a lot more challenging in a good way. Early fights saw me chugging magical concoctions just to keep my Fire Bolt spam going, as I circled a horde that would strike me if I stopped for more than a second. However, it never felt like too much, and once I got more used to the way I should distribute my stats, the fights kept a steady balance of tough-but-fair.
Really, Diablo II: Resurrected feels like a great example of what to change and stick to an old game the same when you master it again. The gameplay that made it Diablo II such a high point remains in the first place, and it is just as compelling as it was two decades ago. Meanwhile, the updated graphics can make it feel completely new, and offering the ability to travel through time to the original look and back adds an extra bit of fun for curious newbies and nostalgic veterans alike.
Diablo II: Resurrected was already on my radar as a means of filling a barely formed hole in my gaming memory. Now, after spending a few hours with the opening zones and experiencing the joy of blowing off fireballs in modern resolutions, I’m even more intrigued. As a historical record, it is a sign of how different gaming has been from 2000 onwards, and what Diablo IV could look like in the future. But for the gameplay that’s a testament Diablo II still stands the test of time.
