Why the hell have I never played this before?
I discovered this morning to my horror that my mum forgot to pay the NTL bill this month, meaning I can’t access the Internet and do all of the regular things I would do to pass the time of day. This has inspired me to write a few more reviews in this time, as I have been slacking over the past couple of months.
As you may or may not know, I am a Mac user. While I do have a PC, which I rarely use, this leaves me with a very limited choice of non-console games to play. A friend (who may or may not read this) recommended a few days ago that I try Diablo 2, and to my surprise I discovered that a Mac version is available, so I procured it as quickly as I could.
I don’t normally play fantasy games of this type, but after playing Loki (also reviewed on this site) and enjoying it, despite it being called a shameless Diablo clone, I decided I’d give this game a go. The first thing I’d like to point out is that the game is not modern, it was made in 2001 and as a result, the graphics aren’t stunning. They are however acceptable, and the game is still easily playable and enjoyable. The graphics in cut scenes however, seem very advanced for the time the game was made, and the soundtrack is suitably minimalist and tense.
The content more than makes up for the technical shortcomings.
Diablo 2 is set in a fictitious land plagued with demons, monsters and the undead. From what I gather, in the first game, the player was tasked with vanquishing Diablo, who is one of 3 great evils, and responsible for the demons and monsters plaguing the land. The hero successfully does this, but with the return of evil to the land, it is apparent that the dark lord has returned. The player is taxed with vanquishing Diablo and his evil minions again, through various quests and with the aid of several helpful characters who offer services and items for a reasonable fee.
The game is described as ‘Hack & Slash’, but it is basically a live action RPG, where the player can equip items and simply click on enemies to attack them, rather than going through arduous turn based combat. The game is seen from a top down perspective, and is vaguely reminiscent of the older final fantasy games, or the newer command & conquer games, but on a slightly larger scale. This combat system works extremely well, and allows the player a slight element of tactics, but places the emphasis on the character’s level, skills, equipment and a small amount of luck.
I got the game with the expansion pack, ‘Lord of Destruction’ already included, which meant I had a choice of 7 character classes: Amazon, Assassin, Necromancer, Barbarian, Paladin, Sorceress & Druid. Each of these character types has particular traits, which make them better suited to different situations, and each has a certain amount of unique weapons & items that only they can use. This gives the game some replay value, as it is possible to play through with several different character types to see their different abilities and powers.
The game’s quests are well thought out, and unlocked in a particular order so that the player is at roughly the right level to be able to complete them. While I found some of the environments to be a little repetitive, there are plenty of different monsters with different attacks to keep the game interesting, and several boss fights in quests, which require a different approach.
One of the only criticisms I have of this game is the lack of weapons & items to buy. After I got about half way through the first act, I had already purchased the best armour I could from the rogue encampment, and a couple of perfectly adequate weapons, and at the time of writing, I have 12000 of whatever the currency is just sitting in my personal stash waiting for something worth buying. I have even resorted to buying better weapons and armour for my companion, who at times seems more of a burden than help.
Overall, Diablo 2 is a very fun game, and despite being 8 years old, it is still enjoyable today. I couldn’t accurately say how long the game will last, but I have played it for several hours and am nearing the end of act 1 of 4. The game’s graphics aren’t exactly excellent, but the game is still very playable, and the content more than makes up for the technical shortcomings. I believe it’s possible to pick this game up for about �5, and if you get the chance, I highly suggest doing so.
The Bad: Can be repetitive at times.
Gold Y Award