Diablo II

"This game lived up to the hype, and more. However..."

DIABLO II

After playing the original Diablo and the hellfire expansion pack, I was anxiously awaiting the release of this very hyped up game. Did it live up to the hype? YOU AIN’T JUST WHISTLING DIXIE!

After a wait that seemed like a decade (and it was, about 3 years), this game came into stores. To put it simply, this game is exquisite. You will have incredible fun gaining the skills for your characters and taking part in the quests and sub-quests in this huge adventure sequel. There are 5 characters to choose from this time, and if you have played the original Diablo, you will notice the changes to the updated characters. In this game you can play as 5 characters, each with their own unique abilities, which makes no one character better than the other. You can play as the:
Amazon: She is a master of the bow and arrow, as well as throwing items at enemies.
Necromancer: He is a dark priest that can revive dead enemies, create skeletons and golems, and cast spells on groups of enemies to hinder their abilities and stats.
Barbarian: He is one of the classic hack and slash characters. His main skills include being able to equip a two-handed sword in one hand and a shield in another, or he can equip TWO two-handed swords.
Sorceress: She can cast many powerful and different spells to demolish her enemies with her numerous powers.
Paladin: He is a natural leader with a sword and shield. He can cast holy spells at his enemies, and heal his entire party and aid them in battle.

The Highlights

This game has about Ten times more good things than bad, and they are precisely what makes this game worth the money, and what made it worth the wait.
The first thing you notice about this game is how the game is like the first, not so much like the first game so that it seems like an expansion pack, but with just enough changes to make you feel like you are playing a whole new game.
In the original Diablo, your character tried to contain the evils contained inside the Demon gem, but instead it has overwhelmed him and took control of his body. Your quest this time is to find this person and kill him. However, you must go through MANY more quests to get to him this time, and you have four acts to go through, each progressively harder as you go along.
There is the usual weapon system, with a new twist. You can now add gems to weapons with sockets to give them special powers. For example, if you put a topaz gem into a bow, it will also attack with ice damage in addition to its usual attack.
The spell and ability system has changed. Instead of using books to upgrade and learn spells, you gain Skill Points when you level up, and have an ability tree to learn the numerous skills available for your character. Your spells consist of attacking spells, defensive spells, and enhancing spells which increase your character’s stats in one way or another.
The Inventory system is mostly unchanged, with the difference of you being able to wear different Belts with larger amounts of spaces for potions and scrolls. The scrolls are also stored differently in this game, instead of having one scroll per square; you can now carry many scrolls in a book taking up just two squares.
Another high point of this game, is that most of it is staged in different places, rather than in the original, where you were limited to one dungeon. Also, you will need to play this game for a much longer time to beat it, but when you finish a quest you feel the accomplishment, thus making you want to carry on with the game.
But saving the best for last is the graphics in this game, which simply are just beautiful compared to the original; you get to see the great effects of the spells, which add to the overall greatness of the game. In addition, the multiplayer game is excellent. When you play with your friends, games are undeniably more fun than usual.

The Flaws

There are so few bad parts in this game that this section should be the smallest one you read. First, some parts of the game are too hard for the level you should be at that time, but that only adds to the challenge so it isn’t too bad. Also, when playing the great multiplayer, there is quite a bit of lag at times, but I am sure this problem will soon be sorted out. Lastly, sometimes the enemies you have to fight to get through, are worthless, because enemies, even bosses, reappear after you save, exit, and reappear. Also, There is only music when you are in a town and not when wandering over the landscape, and that makes me a little mad, because there should be music to entertain you.

The Standings

Graphics: This game has some very beautiful graphics for an overhead view game on the PC. One can greatly appreciate the effort put in by blizzard into this wondrous game. This combined with stunning CG makes for awesome visuals -10/10

Game play: This game is extremely fun to play, and the multiplayer is the most excellent part of the game, and is the most fun. The single player is a real gem too. -10/10

Sound: Not really much in the sound department, but the hits sound good and the grunts are a nice touch, along with the sound of bodies hitting the ground, but nothing special here. Also, there is little or no music for most of the game, and that disappoints me because music is generally somewhat important. -8/10

Value: This game is worth the 50 bucks you have to pay for it. You won’t need to replay it, but you will want to level up, and will play the multiplayer for hours on end. The time flies by when playing it, so watch out. -11/10

Overall: This game is a real beauty. No one can deny the appeal of this game, and many people will enjoy it. Hope everyone that buys this game loves it as much as I do. -9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/14/00, Updated 07/14/00