Devastating Treachery to Original Masterpiece
The most critical difference between two games is related to darkness and atmosphere. The former has all the qualities of exploration of unknown evil, its power, intentions, and story from the beginning to an end. This is achieved firstly by convincing a player to the victimization of Tristram folk. They are still images but reveal their desperation with stories of recent past. It has tragic events from a King's going madness to townspeople dragged to be killed. Church is at the center of all these hairy happenings announcing the desperateness more and more by situating the so-called moral center as the center of the evil. And the hero comes and ventures deep into the labyrinth at the heart of the church. Throughout each stage story continues with new additions, quests, and illuminations. Music excellently accompanies and provide addiction to the game. As I said, words are not enough and whatever one says remains naive. The sequel lacks all these qualities. In fact, story of awaken Diablo seems enough to develop the whole game but lack of darkness is a critical mistake that makes everything cheap and intolerable. To support myself, I have to say that the most exciting component of the game is its cinematics that are dark and artistic. The former game's darkness is additionally achieved by texts and their vocalization. They are situated inside whole of the screen, written with original Gothic letters, and vocalized with ambition. The sequel changes this as well. Place of the dialogue texts and sounds are incredibly bad.
One of the other major differences between these two games is about running and walking. The sequel adds a running ability for the character that seemed to be an original idea but ruins everything at the end. Naturally a human or any living hesitates to enter to the dangerous places and slows down. When the issue is about the devil, one hesitates more and more. In the former game, walking is a stable rhythm to face with and experience unknown while the sequel's hero gets into everything in full speed. Surely, one may choose to walk but this time it is completely unbearable to pass all these vast lands. Short maps are the major criticism against the first game but after seeing them I must say shortness is a virtue. Thus, no one practically chooses to walk in Diablo 2 and embraces with enemy creatures suddenly which are also comic and very far away from frightening. Running decreases the tension of the game which is already very low and contradicts with the reality of facing with the unknown and dangerous.
Issue with the reality gets much more serious with the last difference I choose to state between these two games. This is the difference related to sorcery. In original Diablo, spells are the same for all characters but their applicability varies as a consequence of character type. Diablo 2 seems to invent a new way and attributes all new abilities for new characters. That means all characters have unique abilities or skills and one will not be able to see and use, for instance Amazon's abilities in Paladin game. It is said that this has increased the replay value much. This is very probably true. This truth is, however, gained in the expense of reality once more. One common book of sorcery connotes a shared common world. Issue of the hero in the original game is about reaching and learning already existing hidden knowledge that is somehow open to anyone who has courage to get into the adventure. Ancient and hidden rule lies behind the worldly machine is fantastic. This is, therefore, a real character development based on an interaction with shared world. The sequel, however, ruins this shared base and narrates different worlds and different types of sorcery. I am not even sure that this is about sorcery anymore but genetic characteristics somehow emerging as adventure continues. Knowledge hidden in tomes, shrines, gardens, etc. comes with sophistication in real world religions and magics as well as in Diablo 1. Diablo 2 has a fallacy; I think, in loosing common sophistication and wisdom.
To conclude, I strongly believe that Diablo 2 is prepared by those who do not comprehend the spirit of the original Diablo. All possible sequels that will come out to the market, I hope, turn back to it.