Diablo 2 Resurrected Review

"Diablo Returns"

Campaign

April 17, 2022 at 6:02pm
By Jason Stettner

The classic dungeon crawling role playing game returns in all its original glory while being given a fresh coat of paint in the process. What’s quite fascinating about this effort is that at any point you can hop back to that original style with the click of a button and play it either way you so choose.

That’s essentially the right way to do this sort of upgrade, to let us see where we’ve come from and it’s quite a difference in visual fidelity. This is a genre defining sequel that has been resurrected for more fun and action.

You will work through various creepy dungeons, crawl alongside hellish landscapes and of course aim to take on the powerful Diablo. It includes the entire package of the original game with the option to play this alone or with others in up to eight player action.

It was quite fun to work through this with another individual, and it’s wild to think about what a full team could really accomplish. That would be particularly helpful for those additional runs where things get more difficult as you aim to get further loot collection going on.

It’s quite an expansive time in terms of how much value you get here, and it does feel slightly varied in how the world is shifted as you go about exploring it each time. It still retains the classic eerie feeling you may have felt decades ago, but with a refreshed aesthetic that I think matches the vision quite well.

Gameplay

You will venture forth picking any of the classic champions you’d like to. The classes include the Amazon; Assassin, Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Paladin and Sorceress. They all play differently in terms of style, and you can do separate runs with each if you’d like to experience the game in a fresh sort of way which is nice. I went with the Paladin, but I witnessed firsthand how powerful that Necromancer can be as companions make a big difference when they’re summoned.

Whatever the case, each class has unique gear that can be collected and then thrown away for better gear over run throughs. This offers such unlimited replay value to the point that it’s insane to think about. You’re trying to become more powerful to tackle more dangerous bosses, enemies and other challenges that lie in wait as you explore various landscapes on your journey to the end point.

There will be dozens of enemies that fill the screens and the fun is chomping them down so that you become powerful enough to take on the more dangerous threats that are always looming over. Some aspects were quite difficult, and you need to find waypoints for checkpoints otherwise you’re going to be walking for awhile.

It would have been nice actually to get slightly more modern checkpoints, but at the same time this is the classic style that’s present here to enjoy. When it comes to multiplayer things were largely smooth, but occasionally you’ll get a weird lag spike that seems random and definitely present. I would have also liked more streamlined matchmaking options as it is rather hard to come across other players in the way it’s done. The game is simply gorgeous on Xbox Series X with a couple visual options.

This includes a quality mode where you get a dynamic 4k resolution at 30fps which does hit the native 4k mark occasionally. This option looks quite visually stunning, really making the improved details come to life. Then there’s the performance mode which provides a dynamic 1440p resolution at 60fps which was my preferred way to go as it just feels better.

There are also some old school visual settings that can be tweaked in regards to how the original looking version you view looks for the game. Whatever the case the game does look hauntingly beautiful and I think they nailed the art direction either way you go. The original version certainly does look timeless but this upgraded one shines as well which is appreciated. I just love how the screen is filled to the brim at times, from enemies to particle effects and so much more that gets jammed onto it.

The Conclusion

Diablo 2 Resurrected is a beautiful upgrade to one of the most classic dungeon crawling games ever created, perhaps the definitive one of the genre one could say. It all runs quite beautifully, it looks great and I love that I can switch between the original or modern versions on the fly.

That’s a truly grand way to enjoy what came before while getting an idea of how far gaming has come over time. It really was an exciting way to get a glimpse into the change of the technology that’s powering games in the modern era.

The battling through mysterious places felt excellent and I loved that I was able to experience this with a pal or some others online. That online component really is appreciated though I do wish they would have made it easier to connect with others and to get matches rolling. That’s one aspect this could have improved upon.

Other than that you get an absolute ton of game time that you can enjoy across the many classes and difficulties to create the ultimate collection of heroes. The replay value here is insane and I can imagine those that enjoyed this in the past would once again get sucked into the endless content that’s present within this one. It’s likely just as magical as it was back then for me to enjoy it today.

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Diablo 2 Resurrected Review on Xbox Series X
Review Code Provided by TriplePoint PR

Rating Overall: 9.0