"Total Addiction, Anyone?"

There are a lot of games out there in this big, wide world, and as someone looking into a game wondering if it is worth it, one of the major questions has got to be lasting appeal. Sure, a game may be fun while it lasts, but will I go back and play it after I have finished it? Will it still seem fresh and enjoyable, or will it be left to cover dust along with countless other games that simply loose their appeal? Well, if this is something that worries you, then fair not! The power of the internet is here, and with it games like Diablo 2 never have to get old again. Indeed, the main area where this game stands above the rest is its crazy addictive-like qualities. This is one of the few games that I have ever been totally encompassed with, and despite its age it still continues to provide much enjoyment. What more could any gamer want?

GAMEPLAY - 10

This is where Diablo 2 rears its ugly head, bursts forth from under the ground and screams out its achievement. While the game has a single-player, offline mode, I have never understood why anyone would play it (unless you had a terrible internet connection). Everything that single player has to offer is mirrored online, and a whole lot more is added.

The controls are terribly basic. This whole game can be played with the mouse alone, though it is often smart to rest your other hand over the number buttons to give yourself a well-timed potion. It's a fine line with simplicity - it can be either brilliant or incredibly dull, all depending on how it is executed. Diablo 2 has the former down as good as it gets. The game acts as an active RPG - for each kill you get a certain number of experience points which add up and eventually result in you gaining a level, and thus growing stronger. It may be a small reward, but you would be amazed how easy it is to keep mindlessly killing monsters just so you will continually nudge closer to that new level.

The game allows you to take the role of one of five characters - a barbarian, a necromancer, a sorceress, a amazon or a paladin. Playing as any of these characters results in a completely different experience, and as thus warrants going through the game with each character a different time. As well as that, the use of skill points and attributes means that each character is high customisable - you can be a barbarian specialising in axes, or swords, or clubs. You can be a sorceress specialising in ice, or fire or lightning. Every character has a wide number of different ways that you can create and develop them, which allows for terrific variety and means that you can continue to go through this game again and again with a degree of freshness always remaining intact.

If you didn't think that allowed enough customisation, well there is even more! Every piece of equipment that you hero/heroin wears is decided upon by you - be it the armour, the headpiece, the belt, the boot, the gloves, even pieces of magical jewelry such as amulets and rings. Every one of these has set attributes, ranging from a simple defensive quality to magical elements that increase your ability to find magical goods or your ability to combat certain kinds of attacks. You can buy any of this stuff in shops, but you will always find the best gear out in the world, being dropped by enemies. This adds another motivation to go out there and fight, as you search for better equipment that will make you even stronger.

The game itself is split into four acts - each act taking place in a totally different location. Within each act is a number of quests. Some need to be completed, others can be skipped or completed at your leisure. As you progress through the game and the enemies (quite suddenly) become much harder, teamwork will become a must, and this is where the online mode really shines. While it is possible to use your character to fight other people, the co-op in this game is excellent fun. There is just something so awesome about teaming up with other, real people to go into these places of great evil and wipe out hundreds upon hundreds of monsters. The only downside is that it renders single player almost unplayable by comparison.

GRAPHICS - 8

The graphics are generally clean and crisp, and the massive over-worlds often look very impressive. The wide variety of baddies look truly menacing while your own characters look believably enough human. While in no ways a feast for the eyes, it really doesn't need to be. The graphics don't distract from the solid gameplay, and that is all that truly matters.

The cutscenes on the other hand are absolutely amazing, and are some of the best of its time, still holding up well enough today.

SOUND - 7

Tunes will loop over in a relaxing manner while you are in town, while the battlefield noise will mainly consist of enemies roaring and spells being cast. The sound is nothing that is going to draw you in, but that is why computers have mute buttons. To be honest, I've taken to muting the computer and listening to some music of my choice while playing this. The sound itself neither adds nor inhibits the game itself, and can be easily turned off. No biggie.

CHALLENGE - 10

Another stand-out of the game. No one can call this game easy. Sure, you can always get your level 90 friend to rush you through the game, but thats not how it was intended to be played. Playing it properly, the game can be quite grueling as you slowly progress through each act. The game gets harder quite quickly and teamwork becomes more and more important. Although the 4 acts will take you awhile to get through alone, the game is not over there as not one but two further difficulty levels remain. Finish the game and the Nightmare difficulty is unlocked, so you play through the full four acts again with considerably harder enemies, even considering your higher level and abilities by then. Finish that and Hell is unlocked, and thats where things get nuts. If you are able to finish Hell without resorting to having a character much stronger than you guiding you through it, then kudos.

At the same time, even though it can be a hard game to finish, this should by no means be daunting. Don't be put off at all, as this simply puts more of a focus on getting into groups and helping each other out, as a result making the game much more fun to play.

CONCLUSION

Diablo 2 is one of the funniest and most absorbing games that I have ever played. The options available in the game mean that you can go back through the game several times and still have a new experience, and with three difficulty levels, the game is both long and challenging even if you only play through it the one time. Diablo 2 shines brightly online, and this is where you will mainly play it. While it may not be the newest game around, it is actually quite cheap to buy nowadays, and there are still a large number of people playing it online. At its now budget price, and with free online play, Diablo 2 represents the best value that you can possibly get out of an online game, and it will keep you coming back for more for years to come.

OVERALL - 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/06