Diablo 2

Other products by Blizzard Entertainment

Product Details

• Our recommended age: 17 - 20 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 0 months and up
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004W1B2
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8 x 1.8 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: July 25, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,773 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

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  Video Games > Mac Games > Role-Playing

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Mac | Edition: Standard

Amazon.com Review
Everything that made the original Diablo great--nonstop action, wicked monsters, dark Gothic atmosphere, and fantastic magic items--has returned. But new enhancements such as the class skill system and cheater-proof multiplayer competition make Diablo 2 even better than the original.

The millions of gamers who fought their way through the horror of Tristram's catacombs in the original Diablo realized that all was not well after their hero destroyed the demon's physical body. Diablo 2 opens with a vivid animated vision of that mad, doomed hero, who unwittingly spreads chaos as he moves toward a fate of Diablo's choosing. With the original character classes gone, players choose from a new cadre of champions: the Barbarian (can wield two two-handed swords at once, one in each hand), the Necromancer (raises the dead to fight his battles), the Amazon (master of bow and spear), Paladin (holy crusader), and Sorceress (wielder of elemental magic). These warriors follow a diabolical plot through four acts, and each act is roughly as big as the original Diablo.

Diablo 2 looks and behaves very much like Diablo. Players are assigned quests by nonplayer characters and adventure through dark catacombs and crypts. Hordes of vile monsters assail the hero, who survives by force of arms, powerful spells, and through the use of varied and exotic magic items. Randomly generated dungeons guarantee fresh adventure each time a new game is started. But unlike the original game, characters must fight their way through the above-ground wilderness before entering a dungeon. Fortunately, some of the frustrations of adventuring have been lessened in Diablo 2, thanks to the new ability to run and the clever implementation of "waypoints" that let your character quickly travel to and from the safety of town.

Along with the new character classes comes a new character skill system. As in the original game, players improve their character's ability scores as they kill monsters and gain experience. But unlike the original game, players get to add specific skills, spells, and powers each time they advance. For example, after gaining a level you could choose between taking a skill that improves your attack speed or a skill that allows you to scatter your foes with a mighty shout. With this customized advancement system it is unlikely that two high-level characters, even characters of the same class, will be alike. Instead of progressing along a set path, you can choose skills and powers that complement your own particular playing style. Interestingly, this new customizable class system closely parallels the changes made in the new edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

Other enhancements include a method for creating and customizing magic items, 3-D accelerated spell effects, anticheat multiplayer code, and a place to safely store excess money and equipment. But even without these tweaks, even without the sophisticated story line and all the cool new features, Diablo 2 is just a great game. The sound, music, and graphics combine to create a tantalizingly eerie setting. Players will willingly let their game-playing hours slip well past reasonable bedtimes, suffering bleary-eyed classes and meetings in exchange for "just one more" magic item, dungeon level, or character skill.

Diablo is back. Say hello to the game that will once again dominate gamers' computers, and say good-bye to your free time. --Michael Fehlauer.

Pros:

• Diabolical, engrossing story line told through brilliant cutscenes
• All five of the new classes are distinct and fun
• Fantastic music and sound effects
• Random dungeons allow unlimited replayability
• Millions of magic items, including rare items and sets of unique magical equipment

Cons:

• Addictive gameplay may cause loss of sleep, significant other, job
• Virtually no improvement in graphics

Amazon.com Product Description
In Diablo 2, players return to a world of dark fantasy. As one of five distinct character types, players explore the world of Diablo 2, journey across distant lands, fight new villains, discover new treasures, and uncover ancient mysteries. Since the beginning of time, the forces of order and chaos have been engaged in an eternal struggle to decide the fate of all creation. That struggle has now come to the mortal realm, and neither man, demon, nor angel will be left unscathed. Diablo, lord of terror and youngest of the three prime evils, awakes from his long sleep beneath the dark earth. Setting in motion a grand scheme to free his exiled brothers, Mephisto and Baal, Diablo takes control of the small western kingdom of Khanduras. Working from deep within the ancient catacombs beneath the town of Tristram, Diablo grips the entire populace in a blanket of fear and paranoia. Ultimately, as even Khanduras's good King Leoric falls under Diablo's wicked power, a lone hero arises to challenge the darkness that engulfs the land. After plumbing the hellish depths of the labyrinth under Tristram, the nameless hero finally confronts the lord of terror himself. Knowing full well that Diablo's spirit can never be truly destroyed, the hero makes the noblest sacrifice of all--casting his soul and his very sanity aside, he takes the spirit of Diablo into himself, hoping that his own strength of will can contain the demon within. The hero doesn't realize that his selfless act will not only ensure Diablo's victory, but will also irrevocably damn his soul for all time.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the wait, July 24, 2000

By	"aquinaswi" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

After the long anxious wait, I finally have Diablo 2, and having completed the first Act, I am blown away by the depth and vast improvements this game holds over its predecessor. The original game had the magic of being somewhat simple in its scope (hack and slash your way, level by level) yet being completely addictive and plain fun. They haven't veered from that at all with Diablo 2, yet they've added so many new elements to it. The new character classes all have their own skills and abilities, far more so than the original 3. You can specialize in various offensive and defense skills and magic as you progress up the ranks. There are countless new weapons and items to find, and much more diversity in their types.

The graphics aren't leaps and bounds ahead of the original, but they nonetheless are beautiful. The second Act, in a Middle-Eastern type desert region, is breathtaking.

If you enjoyed Diablo, it's a no-brainer that you'll love the sequel. It's a clean, well-designed product with great graphics and complex yet easy-to-understand gameplay.

Without a doubt, it was well worth the 3 year wait.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the best Mac Game I have ever played. . ., July 17, 2001

By A Customer

First, let me say that I have been with the Macintosh since the late eighties. I always yearned to have access to the best games that my PC friends could play. Then, I happened on Diablo II. I love this game.

With this type of game, the person usually tires of it after one time through. Not with D2. I've played it three times completely through with three different characters. I still have more characters to go.

I had zero problems installing it on my G4. It wants some hard drive space and memory, but nothing out of the ordinary for this type of a game. Installation was not a problem.

If you want a thinking person's game, go elsewhere. This is pretty much a shoot anything that moves type of game and, in my opinion, the best in its class for the Mac. Hands down.

In fact, I like it SO much, I'm heading over to buy the expansion pack as soon as I sign off this review. Buy it. If you like fantasy games, you'll love this.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect!, July 28, 2000

By	"mackeyser" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This game is as close as a game can get at this time to "the holy grail of gaming" where newbies find it accessible and hardcore gamers find it challenging. Part time gamers have very good access to it, (though not perfect, see some of the respawning complaints for further details) and marathon gamers can follow the singular, linear story line for days, not hours, at a time.

A warning though, this is not a game to play on your lunch hour (though I wish that I actually had a "thorns" aura on a previous job) as you will either play well past the end of your lunchtime or find that the first person you see after you quit the game you'll want to beat into unconsciousness to see how much gold pops out. Not good (no really, you can't play Diablo II in jail). Either way, this is one of the only games you will buy in your lifetime that you will be actively playing 3 YEARS from now! How can I make this claim. I actively played it's predecessor for 3 years and it was nowhere as rich in detail nor story. Some may wish for a Diablo III (which WILL happen. You don't sell 2 Million copies in the first month and NOT have a sequel of some kind) to be out by Christmas. Not me. I am happy to wait for several years so that I have the time to fully explore the rich and vast world of Diablo II. It is the only game I am currently recommending (except for a reluctant nod to Unreal Tournament for those first-person junkies, God love 'em).

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