Reviving a beloved classic is not easy. We’ve witnessed this time and again in the film industry with remakes and reimagining’s changing the formula of fan favourite franchises resulting in box office bombs which have bankrupt even established studios.
Blizzard, however, are known for being meticulous and precise. And Diablo II Resurrected is a perfect show of that. With the team working hard to bring everything to the new version that made the game a favourite amongst so many gamers.
In such a way Diablo II: Resurrected is best regarded as a remaster, not a remake. As it tries to change as little as possible, keeping the formula the same.
That said, there are some notable changes which fans of the original game from way back in 2000 (feel old yet?) will certainly notice.
Sound and Vision
Being a sweet 21 years old, it’s fair to say the aesthetics of Diablo II were a little dated. Meaning that the visuals have seen incredible overhauls. Given, the original game doesn’t actually look half bad, thanks to its strong art direction and deeply engrained aesthetics, but this new version is like looking at what fans were imagining all the way back in the 2000s.
The new 3D models have a crisp, modern sheen to them, with plenty of environmental effects working wonders. While gameplay effects, from blood to spellcasting have all harboured the power of modern tech to bring them into the current generation.
And, finally, those animations are far more detailed letting meaning that spotting those loop points will be a thing of the past.
But if the 2020s sheen is too much, or you just want to experience the game as it was back in the 2000s, there’s a neat options switch allowing you to toggle between the new and old graphical styles. A factor which makes it crystal clear that the game’s content and design are all pinpoint-accurate to the original title.
While some modern remakes leave cutscenes in their original state, the team at Blizzard and Vicarious Visions took the refreshed design as an excuse to re-render all of the original cutscenes from scratch. This brings a new lease of life to those characters, again, realising what was in the imaginations of players back when the game first released.
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But it’s not only the visuals. The sound has also seen an incredible revamp—one which old and new players will be far more thankful for. As was the case with many games of yesteryear, sound certainly took a back seat with audio clips often being poorly recorded with incredibly little variance.
These audio updates and tweaks means that players will be hearing a whole host of variance the original lacked, with plenty of others being brought up to modern standards. Meanwhile, some iconic sounds remain the same, offering up another ounce of nostalgia for long-time fans.
Perfecting Play
Being a remake, the gameplay is intended to feel virtually indistinguishable from the 20-year-old original. While the developers stuck firmly to this vision, they made sure to bring the game up to speed with modern gaming.
First off, those using Windows 10 will be delighted that the new version simply works without any tampering, as the original Diablo II was, understandably, a nightmare to get working on modern operating systems.
But more noticeable for all players will be the newly added shared stash, which allows players to easily transfer items between characters and classes without the hassle of the original game. Back in the day, players would be forced to create burner characters just to pass items between characters, or to hoard extra loot. Given that this feature is already present in Diablo 3, it’s no surprise to have it here. And while loyalists may have some nostalgia about the original time-consuming process of transferring items, I think we can all agree getting rid of this time-wasting element of the game is a great move.
Another fundamental change is the update to the game’s frame rate. Previously capped at 25 frames, we now have a crisp unwavering 60 FPS.
Blizzard also took the step to introduce cross-play between platforms, utilising their platform of Battle.net. This will allow players to keep their progress across different consoles. However, to take full advantage of this players will need to purchase the game multiple times, something that is sure to frustrate those who feel Blizzard could do more for their players.
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With the game virtually unchanged, with a new coat of paint, new sounds and a bunch of quality-of-life changes, Diablo 2: Resurrected is the perfect way to experience the glory of the original game without the 2000s drawbacks. That means whether you’ve never played it, or whether it’s your favourite of all time, now is the time to boot up Diablo 2 in order to see it in its true glory.
If you’re jumping back into Diablo 2, you may not want to faff around with low-level grinding. Thus, it may be a great idea to get your Diablo 2 Resurrected account ahead with some extra gold, items or boosting. Head on over to Eldorado.gg to get your edge ahead.
