D
DArtagnan
Guest
I completely agree. I've written op-ed pieces long in the past that argue most hack'n'slash RPGs completely miss some of the core components of Diablo 2's success - namely a surface accessibility that belies the depth of the skill tree system. There's a reason so many people have played D2 for so long and the ability to build different, complex builds is part of it.
But that doesn't change the fact that D2 had a different atmosphere and immersion factor for me, so I'm at a loss to understand why I have to be excited about D3 according to Steel_Wind.
Naturally, there will always be people who're not excited by one thing or another. I think Steel_Wind's post was another example of lost objectivity.
I think D3 looks great, but I don't fail to recognise a change of atmosphere apparent in the videos. While I think D2 also had a cartoonish approach to the characters and mobs, I think the world was darker and more mature in style.
However, I think the actual design of the world - judging from the videos - seems A LOT more interesting and I'd love to explore such places - rather than the endless random dungeons of Diablo 2. That said, I'm sure there will be randomly generated dungeons, I just think they'll have a more hand-made flavor about them.
Would I have preferred the less colorful and vibrant style in D2? Probably. But I suffer no illusion about Blizzard wanting to limit their exposure. As long as they improve upon the D2 formula in terms of gameplay, I think I can deal with the new style just fine.
However, we shouldn't forget that D2 was primarily done by Blizzard North - from which most key people left for Flagship Studios. I don't implicitly trust Blizzard to understand the quality of D2 in-depth, and I do worry slightly that they'll somehow dumb it down - which IS quite possible despite what people are saying here.
If you look at Hellgate London, you'll find that - whatever you may think of the game - the core mechanics are actually an evolution of Diabo 2. Unfortunately, it lacks the style, atmosphere, and polish of a Blizzard game. There's also no story or cool cutscenes. But the actual core gameplay is pretty brilliant - if you ask me - and I somehow doubt I can expect a similar evolution in D3. In fact, I haven't seen anything truly great from Blizzard since the Blizzard North happening. I'm very disappointed by the development of World of Warcraft since it was released - though I think the core design is brilliant - and I'm not really sure they're still as good as they once were.
But I have no doubt they know how to make a game that appeals to the masses and sells extremely well.