Blizzard entertainment wasn't always what it is today. In the late '90s and early 2000s, the company was well respected and a shining beacon of hope in the gaming industry.
Back then, the company was the king of the real-time strategy game genre with games like the first two Warcraft games. This stellar reputation for creating and releasing well-developed games persisted into the 2000s; when you hear that a game is from Blizzard Entertainment back then, you know it will be worth playing.
One of these games is Diablo 2, the sequel to Blizzard's first Diablo game in the Diablo series.
Diablo 2: History, Plot, and Gameplay
Diablo 2 is an action role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for Windows PCs and Macs in late June 2000, per Diablo 2's Fandom page.
The game takes place sometime after the events of the first Diablo game, in which a hero tried to control the soul of Diablo, the Lord of Terror, within their body to keep him from escaping. The player can control one of the five available character classes to rid the invading forces of the Burning Hells from conquering the world known as Sanctuary.
Other people can also join a player's game through online multiplayer, wherein they can form a party and beat the game together.
Diablo 2's gameplay handles the same as its predecessor, with it still having the same combat-focused mechanics as the first Diablo game. The game is played in real-time, meaning players and the computer don't have to take turns to play. The game also generates maps and monster properties to keep players on their toes and make things fresh.
There are some additions to the winning formula, however. Players can now hire a computer-controlled mercenary to fight by their side, and enemies now respawn after being killed rather than staying dead. Common and boss enemies respawn after the player re-enters the game after closing it.
The game also lets players play through its progressively harder difficulties with their equipment from the previous difficulty setting cleared. They are also able to switch difficulty settings at any time.
Finally, the game also features a permadeath mechanic wherein a player has to start a new game if their player character dies while in Hardcore mode.
What Made the Game Stand The Test Of Time
Despite the game being almost 22 years old by now, Diablo 2 is still being heralded as one of the best games to be released of all time.
According to Diablo 2 HD and Windows Central, The game is still fun to play due to its story, immersive sound design, graphics, soundtrack, scaling difficulty levels, and infinite replayability.
Each playthrough, regardless of difficulty, is still rewarding thanks to its randomized loot system, map generation, and customization options where you can enhance your character's equipment to match your playstyle.
With the game allowing you to play the game however you want, the only endgame to Diablo 2 is the one you want for yourself, whether that means completing an item set or completing the game in Hardcore mode without dying.
Diablo 2 got a remastered version in the form of Diablo 2: Resurrected for current-gen and last-gen consoles as well as PC. However, despite the updated graphics, increased player character options, and instant loading times, the remastered version's always-online digital rights management and no local co-op hurt the game's potential, per Game Rant.
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