Diablo II Expansion Set Preview
We take a look at the expansion pack's two new characters and six new quests.
Who likes to leave a job incomplete? Diablo, the Lord of Terror, apparently wasn't yet down for the count when we dispatched him at the end of the original 1996 game. So we waited four years for Blizzard North to release a sequel and then pursued the horned devil through four new environments in order to more conclusively smite the Prime Evil. But even though we eventually accomplished that task, we let one of Diablo's companions, Baal, escape our righteous wrath. The upcoming Diablo II expansion pack will finally let us remedy that omission and complete our purge of the demonic upstarts by sending us back to the world of Sanctuary for one final adventure.
The expansion pack will add one final act to Diablo II's storyline as well as a couple of new character classes and dozens of new items. A lot more thought has gone into the creation of this expansion pack than the one published for the original Diablo game. Defunct development house Synergistic Software produced the expansion pack for the original Diablo; as a result, the additional areas and creatures didn't integrate well with those in the original game. That won't be a problem this time around, as Blizzard is internally developing the add-on for the sequel. While some expansion packs are hastily assembled to capitalize on the commercial success of a title, Blizzard contemporaneously plotted the expansion pack while developing Diablo II and always intended to use the add-on to complete the tale.
Unlike the abbreviated final Act in Diablo II, the expansion pack will feature six full quests and should add a significant amount of gameplay. Reflecting the ascension of Baal after the events depicted in Diablo II, the expansion pack was originally going to be simply dubbed the "Diablo II Expansion: Lord of Destruction," but that name will likely change because Blizzard encountered problems when it tried to copyright the title. The expansion pack storyline commences several months after Diablo II's conclusion, specifically after Baal has begun the conquest of the Northern Steppes, the homeland of the barbarians.
Instead of starting characters off in a relatively tranquil setting, the add-on immediately challenges you to confront a siege initiated by Baal's forces. The two initial areas of the add-on are the somewhat scorched barbarian town of Harrogath and the battlefields of the nearby Arreat Foothills. Blizzard's development team is aiming to create a much more dynamic feel to the game's new areas by stocking them with friendly nonplayer characters that'll assist you in fighting Baal's forces. NPCs in Diablo II were just available for recruitment in civilized areas, but these NPCs will be encountered out in the wilderness, already locked in battle with creatures. You won't have to bribe these NPCs into joining your cause, and they won't be dependent upon direction from the player characters. Rallying against Baal's assault, the barbarian hordes have launched a full-scale counterattack against the Lord of Destruction's forces, and the developer wants you to feel more as if your characters were part of a larger struggle against Baal. It's a design decision that the developer hopes to implement in the other new add-on territories as well so that the gaming world doesn't seem so dependent upon your heroic actions.
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Quick Links
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- Blizzard Entertainment
- Blizzard North
- Action Role-Playing
- Release: Jun 27, 2001 »
- ESRB: Mature
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