Diablo 2 Resurrected Alpha Impressions | Preparation Is Key

Few games hold the amount of reverence as Diablo 2. So when Blizzard announced it would be remastering the classic dungeon crawler in 2021 I was skeptical, especially after how poorly the Warcraft 3 Reforged remaster was handled. 

Diablo 2 Resurrected Alpha Impressions | Preparation Is Key

After spending a hefty amount of time with the technical alpha of Diablo 2 Resurrected, I can confidently say most of my fears have subsided. Mainly because it’s a very safe and faithful remaster. 

Characters, enemies, abilities, and more have received visual updates, along with some major enhancements to the UI which was much needed. 

After playing through the first two acts of the game, I was reminded how Diablo 3 was such a departure from what made Diablo 2 great.

Diablo 2 doesn’t hold your hand, it doesn’t over-explain game systems and tutorial everything. It drops you in a dangerous world with a tiny breadcrumb trail and says “figure it out.” 

I had to retrain my brain to prepare before each adventure out into the world. Before I left the Rogue Encampment I made sure I was stocked with Town Portal Scrolls, Scrolls of Identify, potions, and my gear was repaired.

Preparation was as important as the dungeon crawling itself, and honestly, Diablo 3 has almost none of the former. It makes me wonder how Diablo 4 will shape up and which game it will take more from. Something tells me the safe bet is that it will take more from Diablo 3.

Ditching the sense of mystery and danger for a cinematic campaign and storyline. 

Diablo 2 Resurrected has found itself in a nice middle spot between being a modern take on an old classic, but still retaining everything that makes the old game great. If you’re coming from Diablo 3 get ready for it to feel a bit more obtuse. 

As for the visual and audio, both are touched up for this version and truly add to the experience. You can hit the G key on PC to toggle between the old and new graphics to really see the difference. Honestly, most of my time spent with Resurrected was going to new areas and toggling between settings to see the difference. 

This difference is substantial and it’s no easy feat to be able to add detail to environments while retaining what makes them iconic. 

Classes all felt similar to their original iterations. While the alpha only had Amazon, Barbarian, and Sorceress, it was enough to get a sense of how each play in Resurrected. Outside of cleaned-up visuals and audio, the characters are all the same as their original counterparts.

That being said, all of the original classes from Diablo 2 and Lord of Destruction will be included in the full game. 

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Ultimately, Diablo 2 Resurrected is shaping up to be a highlight of the 2021 lineup of games. I would love to see Diablo 4 pull from the design choices of 2, which I think would make for a more powerful and engaging game.

After playing Resurrected all weekend it left me wanting more. If you have fond memories of playing this game back in the day or even recently, Diablo 2 Resurrected is going to be a nice treat.