Diablo II: Resurrected

Genre: Top-Down Action-RPG

Players: 1-4 Co-Op (Online)

Game Company Bad Behavior Profile Page: Activision Blizzard

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in the Diablo Prime Evil Collection along with Diablo III: Eternal Collection.)

Diablo II first released on PC in 2000, where it was celebrated as a triumph of the Action-RPG genre, giving players a thrilling gameplay loop of fighting hordes of enemies, snatching up their loot, and either equipping it or selling it off to acquire even better equipment to fight even bigger baddies. It expanded on the great gameplay of the first game, and is unquestionably a game that has attained an almost untouchable status as a masterpiece on the PC platform.

When Diablo III came along in 2012, while critics generally praised the game, at least some of the series fans were vocal in their disappointment. They complained about the changes in the game’s visual style, about the new auction house that wreaked havoc with that simple gameplay loop, and after a 12-year wait, I think it would be fair to say that many saw it as a disappointing follow-up to a legend with a long shadow, and many swore that Diablo III simply wasn’t as good as the previous game in the series.

Here’s the thing, though – Diablo III got better. Its flaws largely got smoothed out or removed in updates, and its positive qualities continued to shine strongly as the years passed. While its launch may have garnered some mixed reactions, by the time it came to Nintendo Switch with its subsequent expansion content packed-in in 2018’s Diablo III: Eternal Collection, I think it would be fair to say it was not only a new high watermark for the genre, but a game that was perfect for the pick up and play nature of the Nintendo Switch. In fact, I pretty much did say as much.

I take this detour into talking about Diablo III, because the roles seem to have been somewhat reversed this time around – with Diablo II receiving a remastered “Resurrected” re-release in 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, it’s only natural to look at this game and compare it to its successor, already available on the Nintendo Switch. And although Diablo II: Resurrected is indeed an improvement over the original version of this legendary game, it is a game that nevertheless remains rooted in its original 2000 release. And without the benefit of the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, and with Diablo III making use of nearly a decade of updates and improvements, it’s hard to see how anyone could have considered Diablo II to be the superior game.

Graphically, Diablo II: Resurrected has some decent character models and detailed textures that surpass the game’s original release, with an improved overall resolution. However, the animations are often stiff, and the scenery feels particularly flat and dull compared to… well, you know. The voice acting is still good, and the music is still fittingly atmospheric, but even with this fresh new coat of paint, the graphics have become so antiquated that it’s hard to still feel the grand atmosphere the game wants to deliver.

However, the problems here are not just with the visuals. The gameplay has also aged somewhat poorly. Inventory management is a hassle, and it’s honestly surprising how quickly your inventory will fill up, either forcing frequent trips back to town, or simply passing up on picking up items. Quality-of-life improvements like displaying an items stats when you walk over it, also seem to be gone here. Combat feels clunky and the game often directs your melee attacks to enemies you didn’t intend them for.

I expect some of the issues here are due to a poor transition to gamepad controls for the console. Players don’t use the right stick to aim projectile attacks, and pressing a melee attack button seems to have players often target a nearby enemy regardless of the direction they’re facing, as if they mouse-clicked on it. And menus are even worse here – many of them have players controlling an on-screen cursor simulating a mouse instead of selecting options directly. I get that this is a game that was designed with a mouse and keyboard in mind, but this still feels really sloppy. Unfortunately, these control issues are not fixed by the Nintendo Switch’s touchscreen either, because that feature is not used on the Nintendo Switch.

There is another problem, and that has to do with the way this genre has grown over the years, thanks in part to Diablo III. That problem is, Diablo II: Resurrected features absolutely zero local co-op play. The co-op multiplayer gameplay here is strictly online-only. And while I will credit this game’s creators for giving this game cross-save compatibility so players can, say, take their characters back and forth between their Nintendo Switch and PC, the inability to play this game with a friend or two sitting on your couch with you seems like a huge omission.

None of this is to say that Diablo II: Resurrected is a bad game. The game at the core of this experience is still good… but it is a game that has aged poorly, in a lackluster port to consoles that fails to properly adapt the experience to the platform, and even with the improvements this version received, it can’t hold a candle to Diablo III. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of Diablo II looking to take that game on the go, you’ll get your wish here, but don’t be surprised if you find your nostalgia glasses slipping off in the process.

tl;dr – Diablo II: Resurrected is a remastered version of the classic Action-RPG from 2000. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to this game, nor has the port to consoles, and neither has the fact that the sequel, Diablo III, has been available on the Nintendo Switch for years now and is a much better game. While there is still some fun to be had in Diablo II, only those with nostalgia for this game’s original release would find this game worth playing when they can just play more Diablo III instead.

Grade: C

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2021 Game Awards:

Winner:

Most Disappointing – I consider Diablo III to be a top-tier Nintendo Switch game, and Diablo II is often celebrated as the high point in the series. So imagine my disappointment when I find that Diablo II is not only horrendously dated, but that its port to Nintendo Switch is woefully inadequate, featuring terrible controls, making zero use of the Nintendo Switch’s touchscreen, and not including local multiplayer. Why would anyone play this game when Diablo III is sitting right there? “Nostalgia” seems the only answer that will suffice, but even nostalgia can only go so far.

Runner-Up: Most Overrated, Worst Port/Remake

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