Diablo II

When Diablo 2 was released in 2000, it didn't quite live up to most critics initial dizzyingly high expectations. But for me the proof of the games' star quality is in its longevity. Diablo 2 is still very popular almost a decade after its release with a huge following on Blizzard's battle.net. Given the fact that this was the first RPG game I've ever played and that I didn't play it until 2009 I wasn't burdened by high expectations and thoroughly enjoyed this game and spent many happy hours playing Diablo 2. Although Diablo 2 is far from perfect I give it a 10 for its ability to entertain and engage you for many hours.

The addictive hack'n-slash gameplay along with the ability to customize your character to suit your playing style is Diablo's 2 strongest points. You will spend most of your time just clicking on various monsters and your character will do the killing, this simple way of playing is oddly addictive (to most people anyway). The interesting part of the game is building up a character with various skills, strengths and weapons to deal with the progressively stronger monsters you will encounter as you progress in the game.

One of the games other strengths is its very forgiving learning curve, allowing a new player plenty of time to get into the game and build up a strong character before having to face some serious opposition. The game appeals to a casual player like me because you don't have to explore every aspect of the game to complete it, but have enough depth and intricacies for the hardcore players to explore who want to do more than just kill Diablo and watch the end movie.

A few things bothered me about Diablo 2. The one thing (that bothered a lot of other people as well) is the low quality graphics, even for a game released in 2000 it's just not up to scratch. The graphics were improved somewhat with the expansion pack so install the expansion if you want to play Diablo 2. The other is that I found one or 2 of the end-level bosses were disproportionally difficult to kill compared with the rest of the monsters in Diablo 2. There is no way to cheat to get past a difficult boss so you really can get stuck after spending many hours building a character who is just not good enough to get past one particular monster.

Overall, if you for some reason never played Diablo 2, it's still not too late. Pick it up from a bargain bin and give it a try!

If you want an example of what an ideal expansion pack should look like, Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction would probably be it. This expansion overhauled the original so comprehensively it is inconceivable nowadays that someone would play Diablo 2 without installing the expansion pack as well.

For one the pretty ordinary graphics of Diablo 2 is improved to an acceptable level, and secondly Diablo 2 has added a considerable amount of additional content. Another Act is added to the storyline, 2 new characters are added that can be played from the start, numerous additional treasures and weapons were added and finally your character's stash size and weapons that he/she can carry have been increased. Even though all this additions have been made, they all contribute to better the game without changing the essence of what Diablo 2 is all about.

My only critique would be of the personal kind. By the time I installed the expansion, I have had my overdose of the hack-and-slash gameplay that Diablo 2 offers, and the expansion didn't manage to rekindle my flagging interest in Diablo. I just grew tired of killing the same monsters repeatedly just to slowly increase my skills and look for that weapon that's just that little bit better than I already had.

If you are planning to play Diablo 2, don't even bother to install the original without adding the expansion immediately. If you have played the original and liked it, I'm pretty certain you've already tried out & liked the expansion!

After playing Diablo II and the following LoD for months I still love the game. Its great! Thanks to all the people who created it and to the

actresses and actors who gave their voices to the characters and npcs. (Especially to mr Ed Trotta - Greetings!)

Love

This game is definitely the best PC game ever made. If you plan on playing it, make sure you have a lot of time on your hands. If ever you find yourself in a situation where you have to get up really early in the morning and you do not think you will be able to do it, it will not be a problem if you have this game. You can stay up all night playing it and you won't be tired because this game is very exciting. I've never been able to play a game for so long and not get tired of it. The 2 new classes and the added act just add to the thunder of this game. With great game play, storyline, and voice acting. You can't go wrong with the Lord of the Rings of PC games. A must have for all gamers.

The original Diablo came out in 1996, and generated ALOT of hype, some calling it the best PC game of all time. When Blizzard Entertainment announced Diablo II, it was expected to deliver. and it did. In 2000, it burst onto shelves and millions of hard drives. Yet again, the next chapter in the Diablo saga shattered sales records. Not only does it have a compelling Single Player mode, but Blizzard's FREE Battle.Net service, hosting Millions of gamers each and every day, with as many a 600,000 per hour.