A good game for 1996
Set in the fictional Kingdom of Khanduras (located in the Diablo series fantasy world of Sanctuary), Diablo has the player take control of a lone hero as he or she battles to rid the world of the eponymous Lord of Terror. Beneath the town of Tristram, the player journeys through sixteen dungeon levels to ultimately come face to face with Diablo and his demon minions.
The story of Diablo is based on the premise of a war between Heaven and Hell. The town of Tristram has come under attack by demons, and the player must save the town and, in effect, the world, by ridding it of the Lord of Terror. As the player delves into the underworld, some of the history behind the war between Heaven and Hell, as well as knowledge about Diablo himself, are revealed through large tomes that are found throughout the levels.
Diablo is one of the most well-known examples of the action-RPG subgenre. Although players level up, choose character classes, and manage a variety of spells and equipment as in a typical RPG, all actions are done in real time, as in an action game. Diablo in many ways resembles roguelike games, the main differences being more realistic graphics and the fact the game is in real time, rather than turn-based. Diablo was influenced by Moria and Angband.[1]
Diablo is highly replayable thanks to its randomly generated levels, with every map that the player encounters being unique compared to the last. This randomness extends to the monster population as well, though they are generated from a group appropriate for that level. In addition, in single player mode there are only three core quests as the rest of them are drawn from several pools, making it impossible to complete every quest in one playthrough of the game. Either way, only the last two quests are compulsory (although it is necessary to complete the voluntary missions to gain experience and items, and to learn more of the backstory). Given this arrangement, no two playthroughs of the game are ever exactly alike.
There are sixteen levels of the dungeon, divided into four areas. Each area has a different appearance, architecture, light level, monster mix, and musical soundtrack. The first level of each of these areas (levels 1, 5, 9, and 13) each have an additional exit leading back up to the town of Tristram. In single player, these entrances are blocked until the character opens them from the dungeon side. For example, the entrance from level 13 to town is not visible at first. When the character reaches level 13 from level 12, and then finds the stairs to town, they may go up, and the entrance (a glowing crevice) opens and is available for two-way travel from then on. In multiplayer, the entrances to town all start in their "open" position, but with a level requirement to access them from town. A character that does not meet this level requirement will have to either gain more levels, or reach that area by completing the preceding area.
Levels 1–4 are set in the Cathedral, with a fairly straightforward layout, large rooms of regular size connected by wide corridors and frequent doors and grates. Levels 5–8 consist of the Catacombs, which are very dark, and have a convoluted and confusing room layout. Levels 9–12 are the Caves, which contain powerful and magic-immune monsters, and a very complex layout, with rivers of lava and fences blocking the character's path in many places. Levels 13–16 are set in Hell, infested with the most powerful monsters in the game; the layout is straightforward, but doors and grates do not exist, preventing the character from easily controlling his enemies' movement. The 16th level of the dungeon, lair of Diablo himself, is the last level.
The three character classes of Diablo are the warrior, rogue, and sorcerer. Each character, following typical role-playing conventions, has his or her own particular traits. The warrior possesses physical strength, the rogue has high dexterity, and the sorcerer is oriented towards magic.
Warrior: The warrior is a powerful melee fighter, master of weapons of war and capable of enduring more damage than any of the other classes. This character also gains a slight increase in the rate of strike with a melee weapon. The background of the character states that they range from barbarians from the northern highlands to noble paladins.
Rogue: The rogues who appear in Diablo are master archers. They can have a higher level of magic than warriors and thus are able to make better use of magic in their battles, although not nearly as well as sorcerers. This character also gains a slight increase in the rate of fire from bows. The rogues belong to a group called the Sisters of the Sightless Eye, and are the best archers in the world of Sanctuary.
Sorcerer: A powerful master of the arcane arts, the sorcerer is the hero that is able to achieve the greatest heights of magic, so that he doesn't have need of physical weapons. This character also gains a slight increase in speed of casting a spell. In the game story, sorcerers belong to Vizjerei mage clan, and have come to Tristram seeking to discover long lost tomes of magic knowledge under the cathedral.
A warrior engages in combat with a ghoul enemy. A "Level Up" button indicates the character has attribute points available to distribute.Unlike other games that strictly differentiate between classes, a character's abilities are not unique; a warrior can use the same spells as a sorcerer, while a sorcerer can use weapons such as axes. All three classes require the same amount of experience to level up, and there are no class-based requirements for equipping items or using spells. However, different classes have different starting attributes.
In terms of game mechanics, the different characters also each have different maximum possible levels for their attributes, and gain different amounts of life and mana per level. As a result, some classes may have difficulty attaining the attribute levels required to equip or use high level items/spells. Also, the characters have hidden differences in their in-game performance, including chance to hit and block, different rates of fire and slower or swifter cast rate.
All in all,Diablo is a great game for the PS and for 1996.