"It's the PC Game of the Year on the PSX... it's greatest strength, and it's biggest problem."

Well, it's Diablo. Anyone who's online probably has heard of it. Many have played it. It single-handedly (well, ok... Quake helped >:) jump-started the online gaming madness. And now, sans internet, it comes to the Playstation. A true test of how well Diablo actually plays as a game, instead of a social event. And, while it's not too bad, it's no Game of the Year.

Everyhting in the single-player has been recreated faithfully, just in a lower resolution. Besides that, it's still Diablo. Since you're lacking a keyboard, your control over commands is limited, but still fairly fast for what you need. It's still worth playing through once, and it's still not worth it to do even a second time.

Now we talk about the multi-player part, the heart and soul of Diablo. On the PSX, you're limited to two players. Who must remain on the same screen at all times, with the second-player's info also taking some space. No longer is the divide-and-conquer plan an option, and there's little hope of a player avoiding the mage's more destructive spells. There goes an entire class from playability. Ouch...

Then, there's the simple fact you're limited to two players. No longer will you be able to form a dominating team of four and tear through the underworld. Sure, the bickering for treasure is down to two players, but so is your odds for being revived, or getting through some of the nastier obsticles, like the Skeleton King. Diablo on the PC was never much fun with only two. The up point is that you can now, without gathering friends AND computers, can play with a friend and still be able to yell at eachother rather than typing in messages. Or smack your pal in the head for stealing that Godly Plate of the Whale that you wanted for yourself.

Is it still Diablo? Not really. It's there, it's playable, it's still better than Beyond the Beyond, but it's not Diablo anymore. Rental first, 'lest you be dissapointed when you buy.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99