Is ‘Diablo 2: Resurrected’ Worth It in 2024? We Have Returned to the Sanctuary To Check It Out

Remasters are nothing new in the world of gaming. Every once in a while, “greatest hit” gets a new layer of pain over it. Addressing some past issues or simply enhancing the game visually matches the current gaming trends. Some remasters are arguably better than others, and their creators really put in the effort to create a better and more current version of the game. In today’s post, we will discuss one remaster done right, Blizzard’s Diablo 2: Resurrected. This iconic ARGP was re-released back in 2021, and people were delighted. But has this remaster stood the test of time? Let’s see, is Diablo 2: Resurrected worth it in 2024?

Diablo 2: Resurrected polished the game without changing its original look 

One thing that fans are most often excited about when every new remaster gets released is updated visuals. When it comes to the original Diablo 2, the game had a unique dark setting paired with the matching color scheme, effects, and models overall. The game’s visuals were meant to represent the struggling dark world, a hopeless battle between forces of good and evil lasting for ages with no end in sight. With the remaster, this hasn’t been lost by any means. 

The game now supports higher resolutions, which many players will appreciate. This alone improves the smoothness of the game and overall feel. Some areas have been completely redone as well as cutscenes, making the game feel somewhat modern when compared to the original. For players struggling to accept the changes, they can always revert back to the 2D graphics if the new version of the game doesn’t feel as immersive. 

Classes are balanced now 

All original classes present in Diablo 2: Resurrected were kept and improved upon. This is a piece of good news since, let’s face it, some classes received too much attention from the players in the past, and some, due to their shortcomings, received none. The keyword here is balance, and the original identity of classes was not tampered with, only improved. Amazons now how improved melee skills, one thing the class was lacking. Assassins got a boost to their trap skills, which makes the class even more enjoyable and playable since the abilities perfectly match the overall identity of the class. 

If one thing necromancers are known for, it’s summons. The thing is, in the original release of the game, plenty of summons for necromancers went unused. They just weren’t viable. Remaster addressed this issue, and instead of removing the summons, it improved their viability. 

Cross-platform support and cross-play support have been added 

Since Diablo 2 Resurrected was released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. The next natural step was to enable cross-progression. Cross-progression means that you will be able to play the game for a while on your PC, jump back onto your Switch, and continue right where you left off in the first place. It’s that easy. 

However, there is a catch. Naturally, you will have to buy a separate copy of the game for every device, of course. I can’t really put this under “cons” since it mostly goes this way. Rarely a single copy of the game counts for all platforms and devices. More often than not, you need to buy a separate one depending on your platform of choice. 

When it comes to cross-play, I need to make one thing clear it’s not the “true” cross-play that you expect nowadays when you see that a game supports cross-platform play. Diablo 2: Resurrected supports cross-generational play only. This means that players playing on PS5 will be able to play with players on PS4 and vice versa. The same thing goes for Xbox consoles, with players being able to play between Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S but not with players on PlayStation. Nintendo Switch did not get a cross-play functionality. They can, however, play in a party of up to 4 players.

Joining a multiplayer mode has never been easier

Alternating between offline and online modes in the original Diablo has been a hassle. The outdated mechanics simply wouldn’t cut it in this day and age. Multiplayer functionalities have been, for a while now, an integral part of what makes plenty of games successful, and Blizzard needed to up their game in these aspects. 

In the past, you needed to create a separate “online” character if you planned on playing multiplayer. This is no longer needed, as you can join the game mode with your “offline” character. You can use the auto-party feature to create a party made out of people you currently have on your friend list. If you don’t have people on your friend list, you can still take part in multiplayer activities such as PVP and dueling by using the “party finder.”

Summary 

Most of the upgrades added to the game with the remaster are “quality of life” types of upgrades that significantly improve the game’s lifespan. Even though Blizzard’s original release was a hit, it didn’t stand the test of time successfully. With the remaster, the game has received a much-needed polish visually.

The classes have been balanced for a more versatile and enjoyable approach to the game, and several new functionalities, such as cross-platform progression, generational cross-play, and improved multiplayer support, have been added as well. Having said this, Diablo 2: Resurrected is worth playing, and if you missed the original release, you should definitely give it a try.