Diablo 2: Resurrected - Doesn't the remaster go far enough?

Diablo 2: Resurrected - Doesn't the remaster go far enough?

Diablo 2

The rumors have come true again: Blizzard is actually working on a new edition of Diablo 2, and has been for a long time. The elaborate remaster is already well advanced, because Blizzard has limited a release period at the Blizzcon (more than atypical): Diablo 2: Resurrected is to appear this year, for the first time not only for PC, but also for all current consoles. This means that Blizzard currently has three major Diablo projects in development: While Diablo Immortal is still waiting for its official starting shot and Diablo 4 will start in 2022 at the earliest, Diablo 2: Resurrected could meanwhile pick up exactly those fans who were disappointed with Diablo 3 - and who have long wanted a "Diablo 2 HD".

Table of Contents

1. Diablo 2: Resurrected - All information about the remaster 2. Chic 3D graphics, new cut scenes and retro Feeling 3. Improvements: Interface, loot chest and ladder 4. For consoles and with crossplay 5. Opinion of Felix Schütz: Does the remaster go far enough? 6. What do you think? However, this is not a complete remake or reinvention of the classic action RPG. Diablo 2: Resurrected is a remaster, it will get chic graphics, detailed improvements and modern online features, but remains under the hood the same cult game that Diablo fans know and love to this day. Blizzard will undoubtedly be successful with this, although (or perhaps because!) They don't even try to make every player happy with it. Here we clarify why.


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Diablo 2: Resurrected - All information about the remaster

Diablo 2: Resurrected includes the main game plus the add-on Lord of Destruction. You can pre-order the PC version for 40 euros, and there is also a collection with Diablo 3: Eternal Collection for 60 euros. As already suspected, the remaster is being developed by Blizzard and Vicarious Visions, who recently demonstrated with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 how to lovingly bring classics into the modern age. According to a report, Vicarious Visions is now an integral part of the Blizzard family.

You can already pre-register for a technical alpha of Diablo 2: Resurrected on the official website.

The dark style from Diablo 2 is also retained in the remaster. Source: Blizzard Entertainment

Chic 3D graphics, new cut scenes and a retro feeling

The new edition does not simply reproduce the old original game in high resolution, but is based on a fresh 3D engine, for which all graphics, textures and effects have been completely redesigned. Resolutions of up to 4K are possible, there is also a chic light calculation and atmospheric gadgets such as reflections in puddles, fog, smoke and much more. The first game scenes not only look amazing, they also capture the dark mood of the original game perfectly. Because the 20-year-old classic "runs" under the 3D graphics, you can switch to the old 2D graphics at any time as in Starcraft Remastered and enjoy the original look of Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction. The downside of the coin: The animations of the characters and opponents look much smoother in 3D, but still seem visibly choppy compared to modern hack and slays. But there's at least something for your ears: If you have the appropriate hardware, you can even experience the newly mixed sound in Dolby Surround 7.1.

The fire effects are absolutely impressive. Source: Blizzard Entertainment

The 27 minutes of rendered cutscenes are recreated frame by frame, according to Blizzard, but should retain the style of the original game. How exactly this should look is still unclear, unfortunately there is no video example. That's a shame because Blizzard had leaned too far out of the window in the past, of all things, when it came to cut scenes. The Warcraft 3: Reforged debacle was just a year ago - and has been hushed up by Blizzard ever since.

Improvements: Interface, loot chest and ladder

The original Diablo 2 is now 21 Years under its belt, that's why Blizzard has carefully modernized the user interface. So there is now more detailed information in the character sheet and tool tips in the inventory compare the values ​​of equipment. In addition, groups of players can be formed automatically on request, up to eight players can start together.

The loot chest is also getting an upgrade: It has been expanded from 6x8 fields to 10x10 fields and now also contains a shared stash compartment for all characters within a Battle.net account. That means, like in Diablo 3, you can easily transfer loot between your own characters and no longer have to use figures as pack donkeys.

The loot box has been expanded and now contains a compartment for all characters on an account. Source: Blizzard Entertainment Diablo 2: Resurrected will come with full Battle.net support, while Blizzard also wants to offer a revised ranking system including seasons.

For consoles and with crossplay

In addition to the PC -The new edition is also available for PS4 and PS5</a>, Xbox One, Xbox Series S / X and Nintendo Switch. The announced crossplay feature, thanks to which you can play together on all platforms via Battle.net, sounds particularly exciting. However, if you want to play on multiple platforms, for example to switch between PC and Switch, you also have to buy both versions individually.

The interface on consoles (below in the picture) has been slightly adapted. Source: Blizzard Entertainment The interface has been adjusted for the console versions, as a first screenshot (see above) reveals. Here, as in Diablo 3, several skills can be distributed to the action buttons, and the digicross has been assigned the four potion slots.

Incidentally, Blizzard has not announced any new game content, nor has anything been revealed about balance adjustments.

Opinion of Felix Schütz: Does the remaster go far enough?

No question about it: At first glance, Blizzard is doing everything right. Fans wanted their old Diablo 2 back, and that's what they get. I think the new graphics not only look surprisingly great, they also keep the spirit of the original. Playfully you get the experience from back then, only with a few small improvements. Anyone who loved Diablo 2 - like me - 20 years ago and is primarily expecting a nostalgic return to the blissful times of monster clovers can rub their hands together!

You can play with up to seven other players , even across all platforms via crossplay. Source: Blizzard Entertainment

But what about those who didn't play Diablo 2 back then, who are now experiencing it for the first time? Or those who wanted a more modern gameplay? After all, a lot has happened in the genre since Diablo 2, with games like Grim Dawn, Path of Exile or Diablo 3, many features have been improved, concepts purged and old braids cut off. This is exactly where Diablo 2: Resurrected could stumble: Yes, the game was groundbreaking at the time and I personally still enjoy it today. But it just hasn't aged well on some points. There are features such as the unnecessary stamina bar or the useless throwing weapons that drag themselves through the adventure like ballast. Identification and the Town Portal are still carried out using scrolls that are in turn stuck in volumes that clog the inventory that is already too small - I found that impractical 20 years ago. As in the original game, potions must be sorted into a belt with four slots. And the Horadrim cube is still not a menu item, but sits as thick and wide in the inventory as I remember it.

Diablo 2 was not perfect

Yes, all of these are quirky peculiarities that influenced the feel of Diablo 2. But even then they didn't do it better. You can also argue about the long-term fun, because Diablo 2 comes from an era in which you hardly thought about something like "endgame". No question about it, three levels of difficulty plus seven classes offer a lot of playing time! But in the end it will probably come down to one Baal Run after the next - and games like Path of Exile are just a few light years away. Were Baal Runs That Bad? Not necessarily, no. But they were mainly played because there was simply no alternative at the time.

Blizzard had recognized at least one weak point many years ago: The rigid talent trees were only patched with the re-patched synergy system and much later by a small response Function significantly enhanced. However, here too, the question arises why Blizzard doesn't go one step further this time and make the redistribution of talent points a little more accessible. Other games like Grim Dawn, where you can buy back points for gold, have benefited from this. And how will runes be handled in the future? Do you still have to read runic words on the internet before screwing up your socket? Or does Diablo 2: Resurrected suit the player a bit?

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Playing it safe

Obviously, Blizzard doesn't want to mess with the fans anymore. No wonder, after all the excitement about Diablo Immortal or the messed up Warcraft 3: Reforged. Nevertheless, the question must be allowed why certain features are not simply made optional. Just take the inventory as an example. Would Diablo fans really get annoyed if tomes, spells and Horadrim cubes disappear from the tight backpack and are replaced by menu items? Would a voluntary sorting function that intercepts the inventory tris a little too much of a good thing? Or would there really be an outcry if the inventory - like the box - simply gained a few more spaces? Many a design carver may be remembered as an endearing quirk - but there are also those who were simply awkward. Long-established fans who want to feel 20 years younger might not care. The new generation of players, who are used to more comfort, may be bothered by this.

Diablo 2: Resurrected will be released in 2021 for PC and consoles Source: Blizzard Entertainment But you have to be fair: For the players, them Diablo 2 is just too musty these days, there are still Diablo Immortal and Diablo 4. Cutting-edge games with fundamentally different approaches that clearly stand out from the old Diablo 2. Even if you will never please everyone, you cannot blame Blizzard for a lack of commitment: There is really enough Diablo for everyone now.

What do you think?

Do you like Blizzard's approach to the remake? Is the price justified? Did you hope for more or is that exactly the Diablo 2 you want it to be? Write us your opinion!

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