Diablo II: Resurrected is something of a magic trick, the new visuals not only draw on the latest bits of 2021 3D rendering technology, they amplify and improve the original in ways that are hard to quantify. Remaining faithful is one thing, and Diablo II: Resurrected is very much a modern-day take on the original 2D sprite-based presentation. But when this level of care is put into the little details, the result becomes truly impressive.

Every location, every character, every demonic foe you come across adds to the atmosphere, adds to the gothic tone. One dark and gloomy dungeon at a time. The iconic look and feel that drew in players back in the day feels almost filled in here. With all of the detail seemingly ripped from the collective 2000-era consciousness of those that dialled into Battle.net for the first time.

It adds to the simple yet powerful story, the built-from-the-ground-up cinematics enhance the narrative without ever straying from the source. Taken as a faithful recreation of a classic, this might just be the most impressive remaster to date.


Underneath the new visuals, the classic Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction combo remain relatively untouched. And strangely, by staying true to the original Diablo II: Resurrected feels like an artifact. An immortalised and updated version of one of the greatest slices of genre defining game-design. As something that debuted back in the Year of the Y2K Bug there are of course aspects that feel dated, even clunky. There’s certainly a case to be made for a few more modern touches here and there, the ability to properly map Skills on the keyboard being one. Other things like being able to stack gems or potions in your stash.

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The iconic look and feel that drew in players back in the day feels almost filled in here. With all of the detail seemingly ripped from the collective 2000-era consciousness of those that dialled into Battle.net for the first time.

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Mostly though, it’s stuff that looks beyond the silly idea that Diablo 2 needs to give players a bigger inventory or make the experience easier somehow. A recipe book or in-game encyclopedia to track discoveries and keep tabs on the figure-it-out for-yourself crafting? Yeah, that would have been wonderful. Play enough Diablo 2: Resurrected though, and you’ll begin to realise why Blizzard was careful when it approached making big changes. There’s genius almost everywhere you turn, and a sort of fine-tuned balance that hasn’t waned in twenty years.


That said, the new auto-gold pickup and the larger personal stash size and shared stash tabs fix a couple of the original game’s biggest flaws -- the ability to store items and run multiple characters. There’s subtle stuff that also adds to the enjoyment, from UI customisation to a more readable mini-map. And unsurprisingly, playing Diablo 2 with a controller feels great. Getting to experience the game on console is remarkable, because it works. As a style of game often viewed as PC-only, as we saw with Diablo 3’s transition to the TV-bound gaming boxes of the world, the result here is smooth, intuitive, and just about the best way to play Diablo in 2021.

Incredible new visuals aside, quality of life improvements too, there’s a reason why Diablo 2 is so beloved. And why so many of the action-RPGs we see today carry its legacy forward. Or at least draw on its groundbreaking design for inspiration. From the indie hit and traditionally isometric Path of Exile, right through to the online shooter action of Bungie’s Destiny 2. And all of the Destiny-likes we’ve seen in recent years.

There’s a bit of Diablo in many of the games we play. Sure, you’ve got pen-and-paper role-playing that defines the modern western videogame RPG, but it’s Diablo 2’s focus on action, distilled into its purest aspirational form, that still feels like the gold standard. Twenty years later. Diablo II: Resurrected reminds us of what makes this style of experience so special. Setting aside the dark and horrific story, the iconic score, the memorable characters, the even more memorable demons, Diablo 2’s design is one that takes time to uncover its nuance and detail.


In the pick-up-and-play stakes it’s still something you can play over a single weekend, have fun with the simple controls and powerful items and skills at your disposal. Growing more powerful, and taking on tougher seemingly impossible challenges. For many that’s enough to move on, that moment or two after firing their last Inferno or Meteor spell at Baal’s many limbs.

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Unsurprisingly, playing Diablo 2 with a controller feels great. Getting to experience the game on console is remarkable, because it works. As a style of game often viewed as PC-only, as we saw with Diablo 3’s transition to the TV-bound gaming boxes of the world, the result here is smooth, intuitive, and just about the best way to play Diablo in 2021.

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Diablo 2’s action is still as immediate and satisfying as it ever was -- and it doesn’t take long before you’re moving from one environment to the next, clearing hordes of monsters. That might even sound like an easy thing to pull off; to create for the lack of a better term, a Diablo clone. The whole bash at enemies to pick up their loot thing is so straightforward, you could map out a game just like it on a napkin or two. But it won't be Diablo 2, not even close. So much so that many action-RPGs, including the popular ‘looter shooter’ style games we see today, fail to sustain interest outside of a single-play through. Chasing manufactured rewards in systems within systems built on equally manufactured complexity and depth.

Diablo 2 has no ‘endgame’, at least not anything like what you’d find today. Even though that’s a term that didn’t exist back during the game’s heyday, the Lord of Destruction expansion added mechanics, most of which are for the better, but it was still a traditional PC expansion with the focus on the next chapter, Act V, to play through.


Instead, once you complete the game you’re presented with the next difficulty level where you’ll find an increased challenge and better rewards. It’s simple, almost bare-bones. But, in keeping up with the modern-day comparison, you won't even consider the idea of a post-launch content roadmap on the account of the depth you’ll find where it counts.

Where Diablo excels is with the mix between powerful skills to discover and builds to create and the interplay between items, crafting, and playing with others. Although it’s the sort of word found mostly at business seminars and other places where trust falls are performed and power brunches are served, Diablo 2’s synergy across all of these elements is just about peerless. Skills, items, gems, runes, attribute points, elemental effects, buffs, debuffs, co-op players, AI companions. One informs the next, builds on top of the other, adds a new dimension, and increases your understanding of the rules and mechanics underpinning the outcome of each click. Most of all it outlines a real roadmap, one that leads towards becoming an all-powerful hero. Ready to dispatch demons in ways you couldn’t imagine.


This a key part of the action-RPG as we know it, and something that resonates long after you figure out item rarities, what Unique stats to look for. And on that note Diablo 2 is still one of the greatest superhero games ever made. It doesn’t balance items and gear specifically for PVP encounters for this reason. It doesn’t introduce a new progression system or activity based setup on the account of re-spawning all enemies, including bosses, each and every time you load-up a new game.

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There’s genius almost everywhere you turn, and a sort of fine-tuned balance that hasn’t waned in twenty years

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Diablo II: Resurrected presents the very best version of an all-timer, and benefits from all of the patches and updates it received from Blizzard in the early part of this century. Stuff that helped fine tune an already great game, turning it into something that stands the test of time.