The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Diablo II Expansion Set: 
Lord of Destruction
Keith Nallawalla

When I first tried this game I didn't know what to expect because I had never played the original Diablo or the normal Diablo II game or even Warcraft or Starcraft games, which are all made by Blizzard Entertainment.

The Diablo Series consists of two role-playing games set in medieval times. You set off on a quest to defeat hordes of evil creatures unleashed by the Diablo, Lord of Terror. You can choose to be one of five unique characters in your quest to stop him. Each of the five characters (the Amazon, the Barbarian, the Paladin, the Sorceress and the Necromancer) have varying abilities, powers, strengths and weaknesses based on battle-earned experience and items that you find.

Expansion Set

In the expansion set you get two more characters to choose from (the Assassin and the Druid). The expansion also brings in a fifth Act, a larger private stash for you to keep all of your extra stuff in, more types of enemies and many new weapons and items (mostly for the new characters) and new concepts such as Ethereal items that can't be repaired. These games show some realistic activities such as having to buy and sell items and repair broken or worn items and armour.

My Verdict

I have been playing this game for a couple of months. I am new to PC gaming and can only compare it to Nintendo 64 games such as Paper Mario!
 
This was the first Blizzard game I have played and the first 3rd-person view that wasn't on a Nintendo 64. It was different from what I was used to but it was good and inspired me to get Warcraft II as well.

Once you play the expansion it makes the normal version seem a lot less fun and you would never want to play it again because it seems incomplete. If you get the expansion after you started a file on the normal Diablo II you can upgrade it into an expansion character.


Figure 1. The Druid (transformed into a bear) with some 
of his surviving animals and friends after a battle.


Figure 2. The Assassin talking to a blacksmith.


Figure 3. The new stash in the Expansion Set.


Figure 4. After you have saved and quit, then return to 
the game, you arrive at a camp, which is a safe haven.

With Diablo II you can play over the Internet or LAN connection but expansion characters can't play with normal ones. This game is rated M and is good for people who enjoyed Warcraft and Starcraft games (where you deal with armies) because it has similar controls and graphics.

Good Points

  • Fun to play and has lots to do
  • Has a multiplayer mode
  • Can be very addictive and hard to stop playing
  • Can be challenging at times (especially certain bosses!)
  • Has lots of demonic creatures in it
Bad Points
  • Irritating game-saving procedure
  • Dying can be a traumatic experience for the new player
Overall

Diablo II is a great game for people who like killing monsters with a 3rd-person view and a good challenge. The expansion is a "must have" for anyone who owns a copy of the normal Diablo II game as it improves it by 100 percent.

If you like the sound of this game you can rent it from some video game stores or buy the original Diablo for less than $20. Diablo II Lord of Destruction Expansion set costs $49.95 RRP.

Reprinted from the April 2002 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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