by Blizzard Entertainment

Member Reviews: Review Diablo 2 Yourself!

Pros
•  Battle.net remains one of the elite gaming networks
•  one of the easiest RPGs to just pick up and play
•  the use of a henchman really works well
•  several mods like Middle Earth and Harry Potter
•  the LOD expansion added even more to a classic

Cons
•  too linear
•  not much of a community feeling on Battle.net  

The Bottom Line - Hack and slash at its best.

Link: Official Site

Review

When it comes to simplicity mixed with RPG elements, few games are in the same league with either Diablo 1 or 2. For example, a friend of mine does not know about email or how to even surf the Web, but he plays both Diablo 1 and 2 online religiously. Is he just a hardcore gamer who does not care about anything else? Nope, Diablo 1 and 2 are two of the first games he has ever played in his life. That is an extreme example of how simple the game is, but it still says a lot. 

Diablo 2 took the successful ingredients of the original and expanded on them as much as possible with a substantially bigger world,  more monsters, and more items. The Lord of Destruction expansion added 2 more units and one more chapter (making a total of five) to the game. Mod makers have released several quality Diablo 2 mods that bolster this game's already lofty replay value to even greater heights. Besides the two mods mentioned in the Pros section of this review, Diablo 2 gamers could also get a little taste of Baldur's Gate with the mod based on that stellar RPG. 

For those gamers looking to play Diablo 2 online, Battle.net continues to run in full force. When you first enter the game lobby, you immediately get more of a marketplace vibe from the game than a tight-knit community. The trading atmosphere is not necessarily a bad thing once you establish your characters, but it can be a little rough when starting a new one. For example, you can create a game called "Need a Good Sword". In a few seconds to a minute, a player will enter the game and 9 times out of 10 that player will ask what you have to trade for a good sword. If you don't have a rare item, the player will probably leave automatically without saying a word. 

Having players leave your game room on a whim can be a major annoyance, but persistent players can definitely work around it. For the ability to play with thousands of other players and no monthly fees, that sort of the thing should be expected. In the end, Diablo 2 is what it is. Do not be expecting a great roleplaying experience like with Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights, because you wont get it. In addition, don't be expecting a constantly-updated MMORPG with beautiful graphics and helpful players. What you will get is a simple hack and slash RPG with a ton of replay value and free online play. 

Game Ogre's Rating (out of 10):

9.25

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