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Everything under the hood works as it did in 2000 but with modern efficiency and a beautiful update to the visuals. Overall, Diablo 2: Resurrected is a modern-looking retro game. Situations with minimal enemies and spells would sometimes slow the frame rate into a choppy mess. The online nature could also account for some of the surprising frame rate drops. This was a multiplayer technical test, so those issues could be down to connection as offline lobbies were not available. Most notable was some rubber banding as enemies, and sometimes the player character would pop to a different part of the screen. Some bugs reared their heads, but this is a technical test, so they will likely be patched out. Menu screens such as traders and skills can still be manipulated with a cursor, but several shortcuts allow for speedy use of the various screens. Targeting an enemy, hitting them with a bash, then looting their corpse for a potion can be done on joysticks as easily as with a mouse. Some abilities require specific targets, and the game intuitively determines what is most likely being aimed at based on the input. To help with visual clarity, health bars are placed over enemies heads instead of at the top of the screen allowing console players to identify which target they should focus on quickly. Attacking targets feels easy to direct, and loot is selected based on what players are closest to, so picking up a healing potion when you need it most is easily done. As such, a lot more work had to be done to bring the controls in line with expectations, and Vicarious Visions has greatly succeeded. Vicarious Visions has also brought Diablo 2 to consoles, and while Diablo 3 has been ported previously, Diablo 2 is a much more mouse-focused game. Exploration is also player motivated with the choice to progress or grind in the player’s hand. Character builds can be far more varied depending on stat distribution and gear choices leading to far more options for players to pursue. However, the ideological differences go both ways, with Diablo 2 providing a far more open and experimental experience than its predecessor. Those used to looting everything in sight and making choices later will have to adjust to the changes. This can be seen with the inventory system being a relatively small grid that causes choices to be made with every looted object. Diablo 2’s progression system isn’t well explained, and mistakes can be costly. While both are about killing and looting, Diablo 3 was much more approachable for players who didn’t want to learn by trial. Diablo 3 plays with a different ideology to Diablo 2. Those who have arrived at the series with Diablo 3 may have a less enjoyable time. The test only contained acts one and two, but both come with completely remastered cutscenes that will please fans old and new and show promise for the acts available on release. Absolute purists may have some problems with updates to things like stash sizes, but the positives should far outweigh their complaints. A few options like the minimap can be tweaked, but otherwise, the gameplay is near identical to the original, with all its obscurity and difficulty intact. Being dropped into a world with no real direction or encouragement to progress other than your own will to explore is a refreshing throwback in a gaming landscape of tutorials, waypoints and – not recommended due to COVID – handholding.įor those returning to the game with their bundles of nostalgia hoping to relive the original experience, then they’re in luck- Diablo 2: Resurrected changes very little from the original iteration. Mechanics can feel arcane thanks to modern sensibilities, but really they add to the charm. Spells, attacks, and abilities all look gorgeous while maintaining the feeling of the retro game they are built upon. The new character models are well detailed, along with every item they equip. This time overhauled visuals, animation and performance allow for an unparalleled experience – if the experience you are after is Diablo 2. The multiplayer test this week allows players to dip into Diablo 2 once again.
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