Diablo fans rejoiced when Blizzard announced that they were going to remaster Diablo II. Although many were disappointed, as they expected more information about Diablo IV, a huge amount of players were happy with the fact that a “new” Diablo game was going to be released. It was announced in 2021, and it was released later in the same year. Diablo II is considered the best game of the franchise by many people, so making a remastered version of the game was a smart choice.
What’s New
In Diablo II Resurrected, the game received improved graphics and better-looking cutscenes, but there wasn’t only visual changes made, as the game now offers cross-progression between different platforms, so as an example, if you play the game on PC, and you also have it on your Nintendo Switch, by using the same account, you will be able to access the same save file. Sadly, there is no local co-op and no cross-platform online, so you can’t play with friends that play the game on a different platform. However, hopefully, in the future, we might get to see that happen, but if we use Overwatch as an example of how long it will take, sadly it might take a while.
Another new aspect that was implemented in the remastered version, is that now not only can stashes carry 300 items, but they are also shared between all of your characters. This was because, in the original version of the game, players would have to create new characters with the sole purpose of exchanging items. Now just like in Diablo III, dropped items will be picked up automatically. This mechanic has been present for a lot of games recently, and it was no surprise that Diablo II Resurrected would add it to their game.
Multiplayer was one of the best aspects of the original Diablo II, and the Battle.net service that was used back then was amazing, so amazing in fact that the servers are still up and running, and there are still active players. However, the remastered version has Battle.net 2.0, which has a lot of improvements compared to its older version<, and it will guarantee that the game’s online functions will run smoothly since it is one of the biggest aspects of the game. Another cool function that they added to the game, is that players can now toggle between the new and improved graphics to the old graphics.
The developers were extremely careful when remastering the game, and they made sure to not repeat the same error that Warcraft III: Reforged. So instead of adding new things to the game, they focus solely on polishing the great aspects of the original game, and their objective was to improve the graphics and they made sure to hear from the community, and add what they wanted, like improved UI, and a revamped ladder seasons, so that you can climb through the ranks and compete with other players to see who is the best.
Should You Buy It?
After twenty-one long years, Blizzard released the remastered version of Diablo II Resurrected. The announcement took everyone by surprise, a lot of fans were expecting a release date for Diablo IV since it was announced back in 2019, two years prior to when Diablo II Resurrected was announced. What impressed fans, even more, is the fact that the game was to be released the same year it was announced, and it would also include the Lord Of Destruction expansion.
The fact that Diablo II Resurrected came out before Diablo IV was strange, and it can be seen as a way for Blizzard to fill the void of not releasing any games, but also as something to keep the fans occupied while they wait for Diablo IV. Even though the game was released the same year that it was announced, fans were looking forward to playing it, since Diablo II has been a fan favorite for a long time.
The game did not disappoint, and fans were extremely satisfied with the game. However, you can still play the original Diablo II if you wish, and the Battle.net server is still running, so that means that online is still functional. So, is it worth it spending money to play the remastered version, or should you simply keep playing the original? Well, according to the community, if you’re a fan of the original, playing the remastered version is a must for fans of Diablo. At first, you might think that it is just a copy and paste of the original game with better graphics, but it is much more than that.
You can tell that the team behind Diablo II Resurrected did a great job with the game, and they tried their best to allow new players to get into the game, as to give old players the nostalgia of playing the game all over again. Like previously mentioned, the game has many other improvements other than graphics, so it is safe to say that the remastered version did an amazing job of making the old game feel brand new.
Overall, it is safe to say that if you’re a fan of the Diablo games, be it an old or new fan, then you should absolutely give Diablo II Resurrected a shot. You can choose to play the game casually by yourself, or you can join up with seven players to go through the story and share the great feeling of playing Diablo again, or if you’re more into the competitive setting, you can try and climb through the ranks so that you can be amongst the best players out there. You can still choose from all seven different classes, and build your character the way you see fit. Each class offers a different type of gameplay and will offer a completely different experience. Diablo games are also well-known for requiring players to grin for great equipment, so if you’re into that, Diablo II Resurrected is the perfect game for you.