Diablo 2
Rating:  -
I have recently had the amazing world of Diablo 2 revealed to me. I played the original Diablo, but after reaching about the sixteenth level, i got really tired of it, as fun as it was. Now, playing Diablo 2 with its vast environments, i feel like im in heaven. Diablo 2 is not just a cool game, but a well made one too. The gameplay is slick and fast, but so fast that you feel overrun. The storyline is amazing, the environments are interesting, new, and occasionally quite creepy, and the inventory system is wel thought out. The new addition of your "private stash" immensly aids the gameplay. Other additions, like the gems, ethereal items, and mercenaries make the game even more enjoyable. My only real complaint is how poor the graphics are. They pretty much just are plain old bad. They could have made them much better.
All this said, I think that Diablo 2 is one of the best RPG's i have played in a long time, worthy of being compared to modern hits such as Elder Scroll 3: Morrowind and Baldur's Gate. Even with its poor graphics, its still one of the greatest games ever, and it should be played by every PC gamer out there
Rating: -
The thing about diablo 2 is that it is one of the best, and most addictive, games ever. You can say all you want about how it is all hack and slash and repeats and the bad graphics, but when it comes down to the enjoyment of the gamer, this is the game. I recieved this game 3 years ago, and today, I still play it over new games that have been very highly rated. I recently recieved Tony Hawk Underground, Return of the King, Eye Toy, and NBA Street vol. 2, and yet this was the game which I was playing the next day, trying to get better. Diablo has kept my attention so long for many reasons. First is the incredibly addictve gameplay No matter how good you are, you can always get better, and this creates a constent need to get better. Whether it's stats, skills, or weapons, there is always an improvment to get. The quests are simply a side thought, but they are still helpful. And the hacking just adds on to the fun, because even though it is fun to not cheat, sometimes you just want to go out and destroy all those characters that are giving you so much trouble in the real game. Overall, great game, so don't get it if you want to (your loss), but if you do consider it, stop looking at all the technical stuff and just buy it. The technical stuff tells you nothing, but just playing this game is as fun as a videogame will get.
Rating:  -
First things first. This game IS fun, and it got two stars for that only.
Diablo 2 was fun for a while. Not a long while like Neverwinter Nights, but a little while. I didn't make it too far into the game because I lost track of the plot, and the game itself was far too repetitive. Every battle seemed to be the same, and it was all too easy. The battel system was just point and click, and there was no strategy to it at all. I know, this is just supposed to be a hack and slash, but it fails even at that.
The graphics are moderately good, they are not bad but not real good either. The sound is good, probably one of the best parts of the game.
If you want a hack and slash to be addicted to for less than a week, this is the way to go. You'll be back. If you want a hack and slash to play for a while, may I reccomend any of the Icewind Dale's. If you want a hack and slash with a real good plot, try Neverwinter Nights.
I do reccomend this game, but don't go wasting your money on it right now, wait until it is in the bargain bin, so's you don't get mad when you end up geting the game and becoming sick of it in three days.
Rating: -
At first it is rather amusing to beat swarms of bad guys into piles of pulp, but after the 10,573rd kill, one realizes that there seems to be little more to the game than pointing and clicking really fast. There's lots of bad guys out there, each of which gives you the most infitinesmal amount of experience.
I get the idea that evil has taken a hold on these lands. After you've fought corrupted porcupines, corrupted crows, corrupted supermodels(that you regrettably have to slaughter by the bushel), corrupted fly swarms, corrupted blacksmiths, corrupted vultures... After awhile one can't but ask if the evil corrupted CHAIR is next.
After awhile of playing, the small things get you. How can you resurrect a human skeleton from a porcupine corpse? How can you attack a swarm of bugs with a sword? Why does this 'special' corrupted bug swarm have an individual name and how does it drop magic items when you kill it? Why does that 9'7 550 pound guy pop like a water balloon filled with red paint if you hit him once or twice? This is nitpicking, but most game designs have at least some attention to detail.
And one would think the highest aspiration in the game is to kill the very lords of hell. No! The greatest challenge is to take on the ferocious halberd wielding cows in the 'secret' cow level! That's when I decided to put in an end in my assault on the demonic forces. No matter what my little character does, he has to get corrupted at the end so there can be a sequel.
Rating:  -
Blizzard's "Diablo" certainly made waves in the gaming industry when it was released in 1997. Its strange mix of action and roleplaying kept many glued to their chairs for months on end, and spawned nearly as many imitators as the legendary "Doom." In 1997, the formula worked splendidly - but it's the new millennium now that "Diablo II" has come to store shelves, and it just feels a little long in the tooth. That hasn't kept it from becoming one of the most overwhelmingly critically praised games of 2000, though. One PC Gamer reviewer went so far as to call it "the best game ever" at the time. Apparently he enjoyed the minimal story, the pithy roleplaying elements, and the repetitive click-fest that is "Diablo II" - or maybe he just needs to play more games, because this one remains tremendously overrated. I really want to stress how gratingly easy critics were on this game, just because it had the Blizzard logo on the box. Much better games have taken critical beatings, and justice dictates that "Diablo II" is put in its proper place. Even so, it's certainly not a bad game, and can become very engrossing despite its lack of depth and dearth of variety.
Though the "Diablo" games can often be found in the roleplaying section, there is little actual roleplaying to be done. You are offered five character options at the beginning of the game, and you pick one of them as your avatar - it's that simple. It should be noted, though, that each character plays quite differently, and all have unique and impressive skills (or spells) that they can employ when things get rough. Of course, you will also tweak your character's stats to your liking as you gain levels, which is why this is considered roleplaying at all.
In reality, though, "Diablo II" is a top-down isometric action game, and that's just fine. Wading through hordes of demonic baddies is certainly an enjoyable experience - though I myself couldn't help but wish there was more to the game. Combat only ceases when you're in one of the game's three cities (one city per episode), and you really only visit these cities when you need weapons or other items, or perhaps when you're ready to receive your next quest. Quests are extremely linear as well. While playing through the game, I didn't encounter a single quest that was designed to boost experience and was not somehow related to finishing the game's main storyline. I enjoy linearity, personally, but the inability to do your own thing, even just a little bit, keeps "Diablo II" from maintaining its freshness. It all boils down to hacking and slashing, leveling up, and repeating that process until the credits roll. It's certainly fun at times, but it's not enough for the game to stay compelling for long periods. Great games transport you to another reality, but "Diablo II" will never allow you to forget that you're just staring at your monitor and constantly clicking on things with your mouse. Even the outdoor environments just feel like the spruced up tabletops upon which you are playing with your fantasy-themed action figures.
Oh, yes, and I can't forget to mention that "Diablo II" has a truly awful save system that would be more at home in "Everquest." In other words, there's an autosave, and that's about it. It makes casual sittings with the game become more frustrating than they should ever have been, since when you die you'll lose key items in your inventory (like your primary weapons), and you'll have to find your body to recover them. To make matters worse, enemies respawn like rodents when your back is turned, and it's just so bloody aggravating!
In the end, I have been focusing more on the game's faults than its virtues, since I feel that its faults have been least touched upon in the press - but it really is a good game. It is far from achieving the greatness others have claimed, but it's good. If you're one of the few people with a PC and a penchant for gaming on planet earth who hasn't yet picked up a copy, you could be well-served if you're in the mood for some lightweight action. Don't put too much stock in those editorial reviews you've read, though, and take note that games like "Icewind Dale," "Baldur's Gate," "Divine Divinity," and "Nox" have all done this isometric roleplaying thing considerably better than "Diablo II." They actually offer depth as well as frenetic combat. (Well, all except "Nox," but it was just so bloody fun!) It's inevitable that Blizzard will eventually begin working on "Diablo III," and though it will certainly make plenty of money for the company, if it's to attain true success it had better acknowledge its peers and offer more than its shallow predecessor.
Final Score: C+
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