Why Diablo 2 Resurrected players dislike Diablo 3

Diablo 2 Resurrected and Diablo 3 were worlds apart in terms of  reception (Image by Blizzard)
Diablo 2 Resurrected and Diablo 3 were worlds apart in terms of reception (Image by Blizzard)

Diablo 2 Resurrected brings the classic game back with updated visuals and mechanics for modern PC and consoles.

Diablo is one of the most well-known action RPG dungeon crawler games by Blizzard. In many ways, the original Diablo defined the genre when it was released in 1997.

Diablo 2 and its expansion, Lord of Destruction, builds upon its predecessor and is regarded as one of the must-play classic games from the early 2000s. Following Diablo 2, the franchise went into a break for about a decade and didn’t see a mainline entry before 2012’s Diablo 3.

However, Diablo 3 failed to capture the fanbase and is generally considered a lesser game than Diablo 2. With Diablo 2 Resurrected bringing the classic game to the modern generation of platforms, here’s take a look at some reasons why Diablo 2 and Diablo 2 Resurrected players dislike Diablo 3.

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Diablo 3 missing what makes Diablo 2 Resurrected great

Diablo 3 was released almost 12 years after Diablo 2, when technology has made a massive leap, reflected in the game. From visual style to gameplay structure, there was a significant change between the two games.

Here’s a look at some major reasons behind Diablo 3 failing to live up to the bar set by Diablo 2.


Visual changes affecting the tonal shift

One of the first things players noticed was the change in visual style. With the improvement in technology, Diablo 3, of course, had much-improved graphics, but there was a significant change in the art style.

Diablo 1 and 2 had a distinct medieval dark tone, which Diablo 3 traded in for a far more fantasy-focused design.

Players compared Diablo 3’s art style with Blizzard’s other popular series, Warcraft, especially the MMORPG game, World of Warcraft. While the graphical improvements were expected, these drastic changes in visual style made it harder for Diablo 2 players to connect with Diablo 3.


Changes to the character progression to make it more simplified

Diablo 2 had a vast character progression from distinct runes to proper skill trees. While the changes to the system made it relatively streamlined and applied to a mainstream audience, it felt far too alienated for Diablo 2 players.

Attribute points in Diablo 2 allow for an additional layer of customization. If players want a more attack-focused build, they will put more points in strength. Alternatively, they would put more points in dexterity for a more defensive build.

The removal of attribute points in Diablo 3 did not offer gamers the wide range of customization seen in Diablo 2.


Unbalanced loot makes it less rewarding

As a dungeon crawler looter series, Diablo has a significant focus on loot and its rarity. Better items have a higher rating and are quite rare to be found in the game.

While the launch of Diablo 3 had a relatively balanced loot drop rate, it has since been changed. Legendary items have become quite prevalent, making them less rewarding.

As such, the rush of finding a Legendary item is missing from Diablo 3, making it less rewarding than Diablo 2.

There are quite a few issues regarding Diablo 3, and perhaps it is not the best offering in the franchise. However, the title is still a solid game worth giving a try.

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