Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Expansion Set

by Blizzard Entertainment

Product Features

• In this chapter, we find that Baal, one of Diablo's brothers, escaped your wrath originally, and is now terrorizing the world of Sanctuary
• Travel through the sinister and foreboding wilderness of Sanctuary, rendered beautifully
• Meet with other characters and get them to join you on your quest -- no bribes are needed now, as you have a common cause - the end of Baal's tyranny
• WIth your new allies you'll battle against 15 powerful new enemeies -- Imps, Blood lords, Frozen horrors, and more
• You can now play as 2 new character classes, the Assassin and the Druid.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000098XJQ
• Item Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: May 16, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,150 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #7 in Video Games > Mac Games > Role-Playing
  • #9 in Video Games > Mac Games > Action
  • #82 in Video Games > Mac Games > All Games
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Destruction Awaits...Product Information[Requires Full Version of Diablo II To Play]Expansion to the world's best-selling action RPG!The expansion picks up almost immediately after where Diablo II leftoff and features a fifth and final act in addition to two all-new playablecharacter classes more than ten all-new types of monsters hundreds ofnew items and more.The fifth act takes place around the barbarian town of Harrogath whichis under attack by the forces of hell - or more specifically the forcesof Baal Diablo's brother. Even as you exit the town you'll come underattack from nightmarish siege weapons which look like barbed catapultsthat rain elemental artillery down upon your character. You'll also facedemon imps and demonic minions and their overseers who whip them intoa battle frenzy. You'll battle massive ice creatures called frozen horrorspowerful blood lords and the undead rot walkers who may clamber back totheir feet even after you think you've killed them.The two new character classes the assassin and the druid are bothhybrid fighter-mages that seem to fit very well with the existing fivecharacter classes. The assassin is a female warrior whose skills comprisemartial arts techniques shadow disciplines and trap making. The martialarts techniques make the assassin a powerful melee fighter while her shadowdisciplines give her powerful and versatile magical attacks. Her trapsare also effective as they let the assassin cause widespread damage throughenemy ranks. The Diablo II expansion's lead designer Tyler Thompson describedher as being a more tactical character than the original Diablo II classes- she cannot cause direct melee or magic damage as readily as the barbarianor sorceress but her attacks are ultimately no less powerful. In additionto her martial arts the assassin also specializes in unconventional bladedweapons like claws and katars.The druid is a tall imposing character clad in furs. His skills ares

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than meets the eye, May 31, 2004

By 

Frosty Cold One "earthpigsprotege" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Expansion Set (CD-ROM)

It's simply amazing how character development can go in so many directions with this game. Seven character classes are now offered, and focusing on certain options within any of the 3 different "skill trees" of each class can itself forever change the way in which you relate to the game. Characters can become so specialized that names have been attributed to them (lexicons can be found on the Net); for example, if you choose to play a character from the new Druid class, he can be differentiated into a Shifter, Summoner, Elementist, Botanist, Windbreaker, Bowling Druid, etc. [lingo used by D2:LoD addicts, these aren't terms that the game itself uses]. It could be said that choosing from these different paths renews the playability of the game, as you are forced to figure out new strategies to survive, especially in the Nightmare and Hell difficulty settings.
I've been playing this expansion since its release, and can hardly believe how much I yet have to learn. The Druid class is a clever addition to original 5, and quite different from the others; the new Assassin class I cannot in good faith critique, as I have only developed one character from that class. Act 5 has a much different flavor, and disposing of Baal can be a highly frustrating task, if you don't have a plan [Hint: get his back against the wall on the runway, slow him down, and hit him without a pause]. The addition of charms and class-specific items vastly improves your chances for survival, and the new set items are geared towards the more advanced players. However, other improvements put forth in the expansion balance it out in favor of the enemy (e.g., you can no longer dominate simply by having a Level 25 Fire Wall).
Lately I've discovered several websites devoted to the game, and features of the game that previously made little sense now are revealed as worthwhile to me. If you are getting the impression that this game can create a black hole in your weekly schedule, then I think I have gotten my point across. For example, tonite I am supposed to be reading an article titled "Parenteral Nutrition in Pregnancy," but instead I am researching new strategies to keep my Necromancer alive (can you blame me?)
Finally, there is the adrenaline rush motive. When trying to stay alive during some of the more challenging moments, your heart will be racing and you might even break into a sweat. Warnings written in the other reviews (about how addiction to this game can trash your GPA and cause your girlfriend to seek out someone who has never heard of Diablo or its sequels) should be taken very seriously. As a graduate student I came close to smashing the disc on several occasions with the thought of freeing myself...that would doubtless have been a waste of money, as I would have promptly jogged down to the store to pick up another copy.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A completely addictive experience for obsessive RPG Gamers, July 16, 2003

By 

Greg O'Bergin (Santa Clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Expansion Set (CD-ROM)

This is a truly addictive game, folks. I'm talking heroin for the mind here.
I actually avoided Diablo I altogether and put off playing Diablo II as long as possible. I knew that all my friends and many family members were playing it constantly, but I had better things to do. I have played Role Playing games for decades (in fact, I have one of the original Greyhawk/Blackpool sets somewhere in my attic from my D&D days), so it was not any personal distaste for the genre. I just knew there was some reason I had to avoid it. I played dozens of other Computer RPGs and RTS games in the meantime and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Finally, when the Lord of Destruction Expansion patch came out, I could avoid it no further. All the reviews insisted that it was the most wonderful thing ever, and I decided to give it a shot (literally, as I prefer archer characters that can stand away from the big ugly monsters and not get immediately smashed to the ground). Needless to say, I soon realized why I had been avoiding it. I was completely addicted. So much so, that I am STILL playing it to the exclusion of Elder Scrolls, Neverwinter Nights, Heroes of Might and Magic, Wizardry IX etc. I should note that I actually own and hugely enjoy each of those titles- they just can't compete right now.

It's not that the game itself is all that complicated. It's more the wide variety of ways characters can be developed. The huge assortment of set items, unique weapons and apparel is amazing (and frustratingly difficult to collect). I have a personal goal of collecting every item possible- legitimately, not through some script hack as many other players seem to do- before actually stopping. Now that the latest patch is nearly complete, I now have even more things to collect. Somehow, Blizzard struck a near-perfect balance with a simple game that can be rendered as complex as your personality requires.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diablo 2 LOD, March 21, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Expansion Set (CD-ROM)

I thought this game was excelent. 5 areas, 27 quests, normal, magic, rare, and super rare items, hundreds of differnet monsters, 5 final monster and much more. I never liked Blizzard games, but my brother wanted this since his freind had it. Ever since then DiabloII was on my top 5 list. I recomend you to buy it.