Blizzard Announced Release Of ‘Diablo II: Resurrected’
At BlizzCon[line] 2021, we received word that the revolutionary game of our youth is returning. Twenty years after the original Diablo II, and almost ten years after Diablo III, we will finally get Diablo II: Resurrected. With many remastered games coming out recently like Final Fantasy VII and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, why the remaster now? Lead Designer Andre Abrahamian answered that in honor of the game’s twentieth anniversary, the team hoped to “bring the game to current audience, improve it for existing audience, and invite new people to experience it for the first time.”
“This is not a remake,” says Rod Fergusson (known for his work with Gears of War), who had been overseeing the development of the game since 2020. We will still have the same characters, and the same campaigns from Diablo II and its expansion Lord of Destruction. While it is tempting to add more material, Blizzard had decided to concentrate on remastering the game we have come to love. Expect to see an upgrade in 3D graphics with dynamic lighting, a massive improvement on the original's blocky sprites for the current generation of gamers used to 4K graphics. The cutscenes and cinematics are being remade from scratch with modern technology “[It would be the] same performances shot-for-shot," says Fergusson. "If it cut from one scene to another in the original, it’s going to cut at that moment in the remake of those videos.” The sound will be upgraded to Dolby 7.1, immersing players in the atmosphere of the Diablo world. “You can hear the wind blowing through the streets, and the rustling in the jungle,” he adds. The character voices, and the iconic sounds, like putting the skull in your inventory, drinking the healing potion or using the town portal sounds will remain, preserving a sweet sense of nostalgia (or perhaps bringing back nightmares in some cases).
Does this mean that some of us would have to save up for a computer upgrade? Not necessarily. Diablo II: Resurrected will be available for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, XBOX One, and XBOX Series X/S. An improvement to gameplay is the cross-progression feature where you can bring your characters and loot across all supported platforms, allowing players to access the game wherever they are while retaining their progress (although it appeared you would need a separate game purchase for each platform). Furthermore, you will be able to share your inventory stash among your characters (with a couple limitations). Another new feature was a push for a global server. You would be able to play with your friend from the EU even if you are in US West.
Yes, you will see Tyrael again.
Remember playing one class when you were thirteen? You can revisit it again, or you can check out the other six classes.
Here is a quick refresher of the available character classes that you can level up to level 99:
Amazon: uses the bow and the javelin, enhancing physical strength with magical abilities (allowing for flexibility between ranged and melee attacks)
Assassin: sets fire or lightning elemental traps in addition to wielding claw-like weapons in their hands
Necromancer: summons skeletons and golems to assist you as you cast powerful poison and life draining spells
Barbarian: unleashes melee attacks against their enemies as they absorb hits for their allies
Paladin: uses the sword and shield supplemented with both offensive auras against enemies and defensive auras to buff allies
Sorceress: cast area spells against enemies from a distance
Druid: shapeshifts into werewolf and werebear or summon animals and plants to aid you
There is currently no exact release date for Diablo II: Resurrected, but it is set to come out some time this year, 2021. At this time, only the technical alpha test is open for sign up so the final release is still some time away. As Blizzard News states, this has been “a labor of love, developed by passionate fans.” We cannot wait to experience Sanctuary again, and also introduce new gamers to this iconic world.
Source(s): Blizzard, Diablo II: Resurrected Official Website, PC Gamer