"Once the hero...now the hunted...playing the hunter..."

Diablo II is the epitome of what a dungeon crawling game should be in terms of the amount of items, characters and skills that you can have at your disposal. With a ton of different combinations that you can really sink your teeth into, the differences between this sequel and its predecessor is apparent from the moment you install the game. This game picks up where the original Diablo left off and takes you into the east outside of the city of Lut Gholein. The warrior from the first game is no longer the hero, but rather the carrier and host to the great demon Diablo, who is now on his way to free his brother Baal from the prison in whence he is imprisoned.

Out Of The Blue And Into The Black…

As with the original Diablo game, you will find that most of your time is spent adventuring into hostile territory while rescuing people and killing off numerous demons that get in your way. Through the selection of five different character classes, you’ll have different skills and powers at your disposal that both affect the way the game is played and the way that your character develops. As with most games of this type, the outcome of the game is dependant on your ability to fight and think your way out of numerous situations. More impressive features with this sequel is the fact that you can take computer controlled players with you in an attempt to keep yourself alive just a little longer than normal.

With the addition of extra items and more of a storyline to accompany the series, there is plenty here for anyone who is looking for a taste of the dungeon crawling world. Although you won’t find much of the game to be challenging at first, there are stages even on an easy setting that will tax you later on in the game. The addition of character classes to the game really does give you the ability to be more diverse than a simple warrior who ventures into a dungeon to slaughter demons. In fact, now you can be a more complex warrior that can slaughter numerous demons using weapons and different player skills that set you apart from the rest of the group. Real challenge comes in the form of taking on a difficult quest at a higher difficulty with other gamers who are at your level or lower, either having to stick with them or bail them out of danger.

Battling through the game really doesn’t require too much though and most of what you make of the quests is what you do to your enemies. Different weapons will have different effects, with most of your character actions defined on what you decide to equip. Sword weapons have a melee effect and are more powerful than the missile weapons, but you’ll find that using the missile weapons will keep you alive longer by keeping you out of battle. The better you are with your skills and the more powerful your character, the less you have to worry about getting killed by several different types of hording monster. Items and otherwise can be collected by killing said enemies and if you can’t find a particular weapon someplace, then you can always use your gold to buy one from one of the many shop keepers in the town center.

Control is easy to figure out and most of it is point and click movement. The attacks that you perform are done with the left click of the mouse as is the movement of your character, which means that you simply point your mouse in a direction or over an enemy and then click. Once you’ve learned how to effectively use this interface, you can learn how to use the hotkeys in order to use items and otherwise to keep yourself alive. If you can’t quite get the grasp of the point and click interface, then spend some time in the first couple of dungeons and learn how to effectively use what you have. Menu selection and navigation isn’t hard at all and those who have experience with the point and click games should pick up on this fairly quickly.

A Huge World…

What you will find differently with Diablo II is that the world you travel in is no longer a dark and dreary world. In fact, you’ll be able to fight your way through more than just dark catacombs, and find yourself in worlds that include plenty of daylight to increase your killing pleasure. This is not to say that there is a lack of detail because in fact, you have plenty of things to look at and the detail as well as the design in the locations and enemies changes depending on what type of environment you’re in. For example, you will fight in a desert landscape and therefore the enemies will take on characteristics of the desert in the way of large worms and beetles. Small details such as this and the induction of powerful magical spells will definitely stress your video card if you wish to get the full effect.

Sounds Of War…

One improvement that I found with this sequel is the fact that the music is much more prominent than it was in the previous Diablo. The music changes depending on where you are and the voice acting in this title is first rate in just about every way. You’ll find that the different acts you have at your disposal all have a long and involved story to go along with them and they are enjoyable to hear when they are being told to you. Once you’ve gotten into the groove of the music at hand and the accompanying sounds of battle, then you’ll find that it is almost hypnotic in the way that it comes together. The overall theme and pace of the game is kept constantly and it never repeats between the different acts.

Give Me The Expansion…

Diablo II is a great sequel to an already great dungeon crawling game. With more options on what you can do with your character as well as the addition of computer controlled characters that can fight along side you, there is plenty here that can be seen as improvements. While the expansion pack is little more than an added act and more options, Diablo II is best played after you’ve gotten your character up to a higher level and once you’ve been through a couple of the acts on your own. Experience is key, though the trendy wave of Player Killers has really taken much of the fun out of this title for this particular reviewer.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/03/03, Updated 03/03/03