Embark on a quest to destroy the Lord of All Evil, an unknown force that has swept across the land, plunging into civil war and terrorizing the populace. A mad king, his missing son, and mysterious archbishop are all pieces to the puzzle that face you.
Diablo is a fantasy role-playing game that captures the spirit of original face-to-face games like Dungeons and Dragons. With a straightforward story line based on fulfilling quests assigned by nonplayer characters, you equip yourself, venture into a dungeon, and slaughter legions of hideous foes. Along the way, you unearth magical treasure, discover mighty spells, and earn experience that can be used to increase your combat abilities.
Almost all of your time with Diablo is spent underground, exploring and conquering ever-deeper levels of the gloomy dungeon. Combat is fast, brutal, and constant. Whether your weapon of choice is a sword, axe, bow, or spell, all forms of combat employ a simple two-click system, which is elegant without being simplistic.
Replayability and customizability are Diablo's strong points; the incredible number of options and possibilities--and the fun that can be had experimenting with different strategies--keeps players coming back for more. All the dungeon levels are generated anew each time you draw up a new character, and are packed with an entirely different set of textures, features, items, traps, creatures, and quests. While one game may stock the fifth subterranean level with an army of skeleton warriors, the next game may pack that level with hordes of winged gargoyles. Multiplayer options exist for two to four players, so you don't have to take on the world by yourself unless you prefer solo play.
Released in 1997, this game is far simpler than newer titles that have expanded on its original concepts; there are only three character classes and a limited number of ways to truly distinguish your character from others. But sometimes there is no beating a classic. Three years old and with a sequel due in mid-2000, the original Diablo has aged remarkably well. Many of its features will seem familiar to seasoned fantasy gamers, just because so many of them have been incorporated into later RPGs.
Players who yearn for uncluttered adventuring and those with older computers will definitely want to check this one out. --Alyx Dellamonica
Pros:
- Endless replayability
- Fun, classic dungeon hack-and-slash game play
- Cool magic items
- Cooperative or competitive multiplay
Cons: - Magic items tend to define character
- Multiplay is lousy with cheaters
As a Warrior, Rogue, or Sorcerer, you explore a dark, gothic world full of labyrinths, magical treasures, and horrific surprises. The stunning SVGA graphics, lifelike cinematic sequences, and advanced multiplayer capabilities distinguish this game from the rest. (Ages 17 and up)
| Best RPG of its time (which is 1996) | 2008-09-14 | 5 / 5 |
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Amazing work! Till now I play this game and it still sends shivers down my spine. I don't know, but there is an eeriness that Blizzard was unable to replicate in part II and if they go through with part III the way they showed it in the preview, then it'll stray further from its roots. Try it out, but don't expect much from its graphics, though when it was first released, the graphics was considered to be amazing as well.
Enjoy!! |
| Classic awesomeness | 2008-06-17 | 5 / 5 |
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This is really the first RPG that I've really gotten into; I've always been more of a straight-up action gamer, but the farther I got into the game the more addictive it became, until I concurred that it's just awesome as...awesome! You have a choice of playing a Warrior (strongest with weaponry), Rogue (strongest with bow), or a Sorcerer (strongest in magic) and as such you must clear out a 16-floor dungeon of an army of demons, skeleton soldiers, and ultimately Diablo himself! The game is typical hack and slash gameplay in the tradition of old DOS games like 'Rogue' and the shareware game 'Vampyr', though with the (for its time) stellar graphics and an amazing soundtrack it elevates the genre to a whole new level.
Speaking of the soundtrack, it merits mention of its own. It is amazing. Matt Uelmen (composer) outdid himself with the main map theme: the "Tristram" theme that you hear in the main village is so good I had to get an MP3 of it for my IPod. It sounds like Opeth or Agalloch doing music for Age of Empires, and makes me feel like I'm walking through the dark forests of the Tristram village that you see while the music plays. The music during the dungeon parts is more subtle and ambient-ish and is also great. Around Floor 5 a new track plays that features creepy voice samples that give me the creeps every time. This is definitely a game to listen to with headphones if for no other reason than for the music and the ambience.
There are also some humorous moments, mainly from funny dialogue and voice acting like Thief and Far Cry. One thing that always makes me laugh is the way the Warrior yells "I DON'T HAVE A SPELL READY!" belligerently if you try to cast a spell with nothing selected. Good stuff.
In short, phenomenal and recommended. Get the 'Tristram' music somehow, it's amazing. |
| This game has so much going for it, but suffers from one major flaw. | 2008-04-06 | 4 / 5 |
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| Well, some of you may be wondering why I have given this an 8.0 when almost everyone else has given it 9.0-10. There are many things that would make this game superb but one thing that qualifies in my opinion as merely fair, that being the combat. The graphics are good for when they were made. Everything is voice acted, which really adds to the experience and is still a rare thing to have in a game to this day surprisingly enough. The music is perfect and creepy, it really adds to the atmosphere. The dungeons are well mapped out and are littered with evil enemies and disgusting bosses like the butcher. This would all be fantastic except for the combat. It is incredibly repetitive and boring. Sometimes it accomplishes its goal and becomes highly addictive, but overall I would say it is just boring. If you like dungeon crawlers you must play this game, if not, I honestly don't think I would recommend it with so many other great games out there. |
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How can you kill the Devil?
A simple game that caused a landslide...
Did Blizard have any Idea what they started? |
| An Addictive game that you can easily get into. | 2007-08-15 | 5 / 5 |
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| Diablo is a game that can easily entertain you for months on end. It's incredibly addictive, and you'll probably find yourself playing through it many, many, many times. You'll spend a lot of your time working the statistics of your character, seeing which items will help you the most, or what armor will help you take down a certain enemy. All in all, this is an amazing game anybody can get into, almost everyone will love, and it's one of the most addicting game of all time. |
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