- Very good sequel to a classicI played Diablo 2 shortly after playing the first game and was immediately impressed by the improvements. (Note: I played Diablo 2 with the expansion, Lord of Destruction, installed, along with patch 1.10, both of which I highly recommend.) Not only was the expanded choice of characters refreshing, but the ways that you could customize the characters with the skill system was a vast improvement over the first game.
Gameplay: Very similar to the first game--a lot of mouse usage, along with the keyboard for hotkeys. This game is a bit more linear than the first Diablo, since none of its 21 quests are randomly selected (they are the same each game). However, the story is well told through first-rate cut-scenes and dialogue with NPCs. This game is much bigger than the first, and there are four different areas that you adventure in, including a desert, plains, a jungle, and, of course, hell. Most fights are resolved quick and nasty; however, the bosses at the end of each act (there are four acts) are all good fights. Diablo himself is much nastier than he was in the first game. You can hire a NPC to travel and fight with you, which is a nice feature that adds more excitement to the battles. Gameplay is overall quite good for a hack-and-slay action adventure with a sprinkling of roleplaying elements. There are really just two big problems. First, the game places quantity over quality when it comes to encounters with monsters. After you wade through literally hundreds of creatures, you will likely only remember the tough ones which infrequently appear and the end bosses. Although there are dozens of monster types in the game, they all become rather monotonous after you kill 50 or more of each type. The other problem with the game is the save system and what happens to you when you die. As others have said, Blizzard made a big blunder by having a game-save system that does not allow you to save the game where you are. Instead, when you save, you must exit the game. When you play again, you start out in the local town. Also, when you die, you are "resurrected" in the local town, but you must go back to the spot where you died in order to claim your equipment from your corpse. And of course, more likely than not you'll have to fight your murderers to get your stuff back. This system, and the music, are the only things that are inferior in Diablo 2 as compared to the first game.
Graphics: Good in 800x600 resolution (which you can only get with the Lord of Destruction expansion). Monsters, scenary, spell effects, and combat all look convincing. It looks as good as the Baldur's Gate games. The cut-scenes are the best I've ever seen.
Sound: Sound effects are generally well done. Voice acting is okay, although most NPCs don't speak with the kind of urgency you'd think they should have when facing the end of the world. The music is decent, but not as good as the thunderous drums of the first game.
Replay/value: If you liked the first Diablo, you'll probably like this one at least as good or better. And for the current price, it's worth it. It took me about 45 hours to finish everything with a Paladin character. Treasure, monsters, dungeon walls, shrines, and other things are randomly generated. Also, the game can be played over the internet, which should appeal to online gamers. I personally have no desire to go through it again, since none of the quests are random. However, the game is designed to encourage repeat play, especially since each character class is very different and the game has online capability.
Overall, Diablo 2 is a very good game, but not a great game in my opinion. It should offer many hours of gameplay and does have replay appeal. Don't look for the kind of depth that you would find in full-fledge computer roleplaying games such as Baldur's Gate or Morrowind. Diablo is less about acting out a part in a grand story (although there is some of this) and more about the instant satisfaction that comes with arcade-style action.
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