Diablo II: Lord of Destruction

Diablo II took the concept and gameplay of Diablo, and built on it to turn a simple gameplay concept into a remarkably deep product. It's more than just a glitzy rehash - Diablo II and its expansion pack, Lord of Destruction, also continue the story of Diablo to the end.

Diablo II gives you five (seven in the expansion) character classes to choose from. Each has its own niche, its own strategies, its own weaknesses. Add an amazing range of equipment and class-specific growth opportunities, and you've got a game varied enough to please almost any action RPG fan.

What the deeper story of Diablo didn't include in the game, Diablo II goes by. The hero of Diablo, after defeating the Lord of Terror, shoves the shard of the demon's soulstone into his own forehead. Though he does this with the intent of keeping the evil at bay, he is eventually overcome by the spirit of Diablo; now the wanderer possessed by Diablo roams eastward, to release his brothers Mephisto and Baal, the other two Prime Evils of Hell. Once all three are released, they mean to reclaim Hell and let loose its terrible forces upon the mortal realm. A new breed of heroes must step forth to stop this horror.

Diablo II's gameplay improves upon that of its predecessor in ways unimaginable. Where there was once a single multi-leveled dungeon, D2 has four acts (a fifth in the expansion), each with a number of quests and a greater number of dungeons and areas filled with experience-yielding monsters, concluded by a powerful demonic boss. All of these areas, even between acts, are connected by a system of waypoints, granting easy access to almost anywhere in the game. Each of the game's character classes - Amazon, Assassin (LoD), Barbarian, Druid (LoD), Necromancer, Paladin, and Sorceress - has its own individual skill tree, into which a player pumps skill points from quests and from leveling up (using the classic "kill things for experience for levels" formula). In addition to the normal, magic, and unique items of Diablo, there are randomly generated rare items, set items which work in combination with each other, socketed items for magical gems, and other new attribute types. There are even brand new items, like boots, gloves, and belts (bigger belts can store more hotkey-accessible potions and scrolls). D2 also solves Diablo's inventory problem of being overloaded by gold and scrolls with a high-capacity invisible wallet, and scroll-holding tomes. With a wide array of enemies in diverse environments, and too many skills to possibly master even with a fully-built character, the game has plenty to offer.

Diablo II's graphics are an improvement upon Diablo's, and everything from items to environments to characters are very well-designed. Sound effects are nicely done, and the ambient music, as with Diablo's, creates a feel that goes very well with whatever area you happen to be in.

With randomly generated dungeon levels, a virtually infinite number of items, seven character classes, tons of skills to learn, and a lengthy (for an action RPG), detailed story with cinematic interludes, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction is a massive game with amazing growth potential. You can even play online, with or against up to eight people on Battle.net. Enough to keep you busy for a few lifetimes.

If you're not already sick of hack-n-slashing games, give Diablo II a look. It's famous for a reason.

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