At BlizzCon 2016, Blizzard announced that the original Diablo will be recreated in Diablo 3. The original game is considered a classic — one of the most popular, critically acclaimed, and influential role-playing games of all time. It’s fantastic that 20 years after its release, Diablo will get to be enjoyed and appreciated by a whole new generation of gamers. For those that were around for the original, the reimagined version is certain to be a glorious stroll down memory lane. Whether you’re a veteran of the series or a newcomer, this is a fitting tribute to a legendary game.
Here’s some of what Blizzard has promised for the upcoming remake.
- 20th Anniversary Dungeon: The original Diablo labyrinth is back in Diablo III form.
- Nostalgia Can Be Deadly: Recreated the events, monsters, and levels from the original Diablo.
- Fresh(ened up) Meat: Original Diablo, The Butcher, Skeleton King, and Lazarus return as epic boss fights.
- Presented in Glorious RetroVision™: Special ‘90s-inspired audio and visual filters for that “classic” look.
The remake will have 16 levels and all four original bosses. It’s purported to be a blend of old and new. While it’s powered by Diablo 3, Blizzard has assured fans that the reimagined version will be an old-school experience.
Ok, let’s get this out of the way. When Blizzard first made this announcement, the first thing I thought of was Xzibit. I’m sure thousands, possibly millions, of other people had the same exact thought. Naturally, I had to generate an Xzibit meme to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary and the announcement of its remake.
More seriously, as a longtime gamer (translation: old), I was completely jazzed by the announcement. The original game was groundbreaking at the time and has influenced so many games that I’ve enjoyed since its release. Hell, I’ve dated girls that weren’t alive when the original game was released. While I’m looking forward to reliving the original powered by a modern graphics engine, I’m even more excited to see how the remake is received by players that have never played it. There are going to be a ton of interesting conversations generated by the Diablo remake and I’m greatly looking forward to participating in them. When you have a chance, please tell me how excited (or not) you are for the remake and check out the screens below.
This kind of makes me think of the recent MW remaster packaged into the Infinite Warfare game. Why Diablo 1? I get it. It’s easy and less content. However I feel that this game hasn’t aged all that well. The mechanics will seem too simple, stat allocations will be too limited, and if you are anything except a bookworm warrior it might get miserable. Like the MW remaster it will feel too limited compared to the later games. Initially D2 felt like the epitome of action rpgs but D3 made good changes and in a lot of places beats even D2. (skill trees are the best and should be mandatory though!)
My opinion will change if they let you do the exploits that were popular in D1 such as duping and having crazy pieces of gear such as Godly Plate of the Whale, or putting the Demonspike Coat onto a ring. Maybe a King’s Sword of Haste for good measure? :P