T H E G A M E S P O T N E T W O R K
The GameSpot Network presents Computer Gaming World's Speak of the Devil
by Elliott Chin
Diablo's Back and He's Mad as Hell!
Get the Scoop on His Next Reign of Terror

Diablo's gothic images of perdition masterfully condemned gamers to its dark, rich mythological world.
Diablo II
Developer:
Blizzard North

Publisher:
Blizzard

Target Release Date:
Q3 1999

CGW
They gladly "sold their souls" to the tune of more than a million copies. Both Computer Gaming World and GameSpot even named it Game of the Year in 1996.

Yet, there were those who weighed this rare game in the balance and found it wanting. Some claimed it to be a dumbed-down role-playing game. Others dismissed it as a mere sophisticated action game, a new Rogue or Gauntlet. Though it reinvigorated the role-playing market, many criticized it for not being a true RPG. Others objected to Blizzard's lack of foresight regarding cheating on Battle.net.

screenshot
As seen in the February issue of Computer Gaming World
To the multiplayer fans, Blizzard has promised to fix the cheating problem in Diablo II. To those who complain about Diablo's lack of RPG purity, the design team offers no quarter. Says Blizzard's David Brevik, "We didn't make an RPG; we made Diablo."

For the sequel, the Blizzard team hopes to keep Diablo's fun hack-and-slash experience while expanding and improving the game. It doesn't want to appease hard-core RPG fans by adding artificial NPC interactions - it wants to maintain the flavor of the original - but it also doesn't want Diablo II to be just more of the same.

After talking to the Blizzard team, it's clear that it's determined to create a more immersive experience with new characters, monsters, spells, and locations, while producing a true sequel with a twist.

Next: The story in the game >>>