"Great expansion for an already great game."

Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction is an excellent expansion pack for Diablo 2. Blizzard proves that its line of games are truly top of the line.

Gameplay-10/10
The gameplay is GREAT. Blizzard added a new act and two new classes so you can experiment even more with a total of seven different characters. The gameplay is basically the same as the original Diablo 2. The stat and skills system is great and Blizzard just added a new synergy patch to buff up the skills. The gameplay is very fun and addicting. The single player is good, but Battle.net is where this game really shines. You can play with up to 8 people in a game, trade items, duel, and chat with friends. The combat system is innovative is even better with all the skills you can unleash on your enemies. The battle system is very simple and is easy to understand, making this game fun for new and veteran gamers. The game has a different taste depending on what character you select and you must focus your stats on what your specific characters excels at, which adds a strategic element to the game. The HUMONGOUS selection of items creates billions of possibilities to beef up your character. The updates are great. There are 2 new characters, thousands of new items, new enemies, new skills, and a new act.

Story-9/10
Blizzard is known for its great stories. Diablo 2 LOD is no exception. In this expansion you must now hunt down Diablo's brother, Baal and destroy the World Stone, which is in the Barbarian lands. You still have the original story with your quest to kill Mephisto and Diablo.This new story provides a whole new act and background to fight your enemies. The story will have you enthralled.

Graphics/Sound-9/10
Great Graphics. Great Sound. The graphics in this game shine especially if you turn the game on its highest quality. The variety of backgrounds and lighting provide a pleasurable experience to play in. All the enemies and the bosses look exceptional. The sound is very realistic and the music is low so it doesn't overwhelm the game. You can hear the shield clanging when you block an attack and you can here the thud and rip of the enemy's hide when you strike them. The sound effects of the spells are awesome and so are the visuals. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal talk a little, and there demonic voice adds a nice touch to the game. The cinematics are really great. The lighting and shadow effects make the game look extremely realistic.

Controls-10/10
The controls span from the mouse to the whole keyboard. Although this is a large area, once you know what all the shortcuts and buttons are, you will be executing commands very fast. Blizzard also allows you to assign "hotkeys" to your skills for easy transitions suited to each individual. You can easily switch between skills, use potion and still attack your enemy with ease. Everything is custom, so you can change it to fit your playing style better.

Play time/Replayability-10/10
This is a LONG game. The single player mode takes a long time to beat because you must level up your character enough to be able to take out the last boss. You may think the multi-player mode will be very short, but Blizzard compensates. The more people in a game, the stronger the monsters. The replayability is literally INSANE. I have been playing this game for over 3 years and I'm still not tired of it. This game is longer than your favorite RPG. With 7 different classes to play with, your options are unlimited. This game is just excellent. You will find yourself trying so hard to find great items in order to trade for that legendary item that everyone is looking for.

Overall-10/10
A true pleasure to play this game. Great gameplay, controls, story, graphics, and replayability. The problems in Diablo 2 were all fixed in this expansion. The only problem I found was in Battle.net. There are a lot of hackers that try to scam you and there are a lot of spammers. The recent 1.10 patch cut out a great deal of this though. Buy this if you haven't already. This game will keep you busy for hours. The Battle.net is simply superb. This game is game of the year material and it is a Blizzard classic. Thanks for reading. I hope this review helped.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/15/04