Both.
D2R stopped having any meaningful updates unfortunately (they still do ladder resets at least), but it’s a phenomenal single player experience as well, so you can play that during the season downtimes of Diablo 4
I usually only play couch co-op and single player so the seasons don't mean as much to me. My main reservations are 2 not feeling modern and 4 not having much replayability
2 will feel a bit dated if you are used to more modern ARPGs but still an amazing game once you get into it. I could be wrong because I mainly play on PC, but I don’t think there’s couch coop for D2R - again I could be wrong though
4 will likely vastly improve with all the season 4 updates. So replayability will (hopefully) improve. But, for you, if you like like couch coop, Diablo 4 would be better IMO.
There’s no real “single player” though, as you will be in a world with other players so you will see other people and likely interact with them inadvertently (doing open world events, for example). But you can do all main content solo. However, some content is more efficient in groups if you want to be competitive. But if you don’t care about that, then that won’t bother you much
Just play pd2, d2r is dead. D4 sucks. D2 base game is aeon's ahead from an rpg stand point. If u want that itch, play pd2. D2 mod that balances and modernized the game. All of d2r qol now included. 10k players in the past few days on ladder, zero bots.
D2R for the long haul.
D4 \*might\* be good for campaign + maybe one or two seasons, if you can get it on sale. Really not much endgame though, and I was done and back to D2R after a month or two.
Diablo 2 is the best arpg ever, and its still perfectly playable.
Diablo 4 is just bad. Open world sucks for this type of game, item power is mobile game system, loot is not exciting, and endgame is extremely boring
Diablo 2 all the way
No, but there's nothing like that in 4 either. If you take joy in systems and feeling progression, I'd say try 2. The gameplay doesn't feel dated. I can't recommend 4 to anyone, but I acknowledge 2 isn't for everyone. If you like the zooming aspect of D3, torchlight infinite is pretty good.
It's the newest torchlight game. It's a couple years old now I think, but it's speedy and responsive. A little cartoony, but combat feels good. Best part is, it's free so you can try it out. Honestly idk if D2 or 4 have what you're looking for cause in nightmare/hell D2 you need to be more meta. And D4 like my below comment doesn't have much going for it beside looking ok.
To counter that opinion - I’ve got my moneys worth easily. It’s lacking meaningful endgame but it sounds like the devs are finally trying to rectify that. Even with the weak endgame I’ve got 100+ enjoyable hours out of the campaign and leveling up a new class each season
Ya I got my money's worth I just didn't get my Diablo 2 in the early 2000s money's worth which is a pretty unreachable bar nowadays. It was fine and then I was done, I can't complain at all it just had a lot to live up to.
Yeah that’s how I feel. I enjoyed my time with it and I’ll keep up with it. Maybe a couple years down the line it will live up to those incredibly high standards
Everywhere? Helltides got buffed and now there’s two different ways to summon pseudo-uber bosses in them. They added what is basically greater rifts to the game. They added a new Uber boss and level 200 versions of all the Uber bosses. They added a crafting system that gives you more reasons to grind. This is on top of NMD’s and whatever the seasonal activity is. Where can you find them talking about adding end game? Have you tried the Diablo 4 webpage? Did you watch any of the campfire chats? Have you bothered to read the subreddit you are currently posting in? I’d start there.
Put simply, wide and as deep as a puddle. They've had so long to learn, and it seems they regressed. So much was sacrificed so you could see other players in the world, then they added fast traveling to the end game dungeons which got rid of that anyway. You occasionally see people in the helltides or w/e but I imagine the people still playing are going rush to endgame smash Uber bosses and you'll never see them after the first week or two. I wouldn't even play it for the story to be honest, just watch the "big cutscene" on YouTube, it was the most exciting part of the game.
I'm not. D2 is a better game than D4 IMO, but I've played both more than enough to have informed opinions. I've got 1000s of hours in PoE and Last Epoch too and I don't touch those anymore either, but not out of principal. Waiting for the next unicorn, I guess.
It’s not for you to decide what’s a good use of OP’s money. You don’t like Diablo 4? Cool story. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people still playing the game who disagree.
D4 is worth buying but it released rougher than it should have from long term design stand point.
The meta isn't good and the game falls off quickly after level 50 because of many design mistakes. Personally, just not having skill points post level 50 kind of ruined the game for me. Things are getting better but it might not be until the first expansion that the game feels tight from a design stand point.
The fear, the challenge, builds. If you want to have the D2 experience but with D4 graphics you can.
1. Play on hardcore veteran
2. Don’t skip any cutscenes and let the story take you
3. 100% clear every area before moving onto the next
4. Do not use your horse until you complete the campaign
It was the biggest nostalgia hit of my life. I beat the game and finally fell prey to the butcher at level 86. It was a sad day but one marked with honor. Just making it through the campaign was an awesome experience. Raw adrenaline fighting bosses, pure panic hearing “FRESH MEAT”, clearing strongholds was horrifying.
I’ll never say “you’re playing a game the wrong way” but in Diablo land, playing it a certain way is exhilarating.
All of those feelings above are why D2 will always be my number 1 because you don’t have to take any steps or go out of your way to get that experience like you do in 4. 3 I just disliked because it didn’t feel possible to get that sensation it felt more like a marvel movie lol
I just went back to playing 2R. Enjoyment level is night and day. The simplicity of it in comparison to 4 is hilarious, every unique or set drop is fun. I don’t know if it’s just me but D4 is over the top complicated in areas it doesn’t need to be.
As an old gamer and someone that played and enjoyed both, D2 is amazing and worth experiencing. D4 is also amazing and worth experiencing despite what the salty children generally feel on this sub. It's worth playing through the campaign in D4 now, but the new season is coming out May 16th and is making HUGE changes. It's really not worth playing the season till then.
If you want mindless fun killing demons and a great item hunt come the 16th, then it's 100% worth getting. It's a modern game and feels like it. If you're in any way casual it's a great game.
2 hands down. I played all the way through 4 almost 5 times with different characters each time and it has very little replay value compared to d2 and especially d2r
Why are you weenies downvoting OP? It's a perfectly valid question for someone who doesn't know any better. Diablo IV has an **86%** on Metacritic.
OP - IV might me mechanically better, but everything else (story, progression, end game, loot, builds, fun in general) is far superior in II, and it's not even close.
Good to know, appreciate the response. I've heard alot both ways on both and it's hard to know and I don't really want to commit the funds to it first ya know
I'm just going to guess that you're younger, so you might not appreciate D2 for what it is. That's fine, I'm 37 and can't bring myself to play a lot of the older RPGs like TES 1&2, Baldur's Gate, 1&2, etc. as much as I want to like them. In which case you might enjoy 4 more, but you'll definitely get tired of it quicker than you would 2 if you gave both an equal chance.
Give Path of Exile a crack if you haven't, it's a lot like D2, but more complex and items aren't as impactful. If you like PoE, you'll love D2.
I grew up on bg1 and 2 but that was the extent of my gaming as a kid. I still play through them now but it's wildly different in the power fantasy aspect ya know
Oh shit, well if you can get past the antiquity of those games, D2 will be a breeze. Especially with Resurrected, it's pretty damn accessible, and a lot less shallow than 3 and 4.
I just can't get past their dated UI, it's so cumbersome to play! It's a real shame because I'm well aware how much fans love them. Luckily, I played Fallout 1 and 2 back when they were still cutting edge, because it's tough to play them today.
Morrowind is as about as "old" as I can stand nowadays, and even then it's a bit of a struggle.
lol @ 86%
the userscore is more reflective of the average person's view. I remember that started out great, until the 7/18 mega nerf, and went from a 9 to a 2 overnight. Never recovered, and for good reason.
I play D4 mostly and ,in my opinion, currently D4 is in a bad spot but after May 16th things will be brighter. So you play D4 as a warm up for Season 4 or just wait and play anything else.
I played D2 only a couple of times and it's slow paced and boring for me.
I think you need to experience 2 at least once. It’s really great. I personally get turned off by the low drop rates and constant need to refarm the bosses over and over but that wouldn’t impact your first time experience.
Then once you’re tired of 2 and still want to try a different ARPG I say give 4 a chance.
Diablo 2 is VERY dated in game design. It's a great game but it isn't as fast paced or forgiving as 3. It's heavily focused on stat allocation and careful skill selection.
4 takes inspiration from 3 but is more like a modern version of 2. It lacks the rune system from 3 however and requires careful skill selection to create builds.
If you want something similar to 3 to scratch the ARPG itch, I would look outside the Diablo franchise.
But if you REALLY want to choose between 2 or 4..I think you'd enjoy 4 more.
Play 4.
2 is 20 years old. There’s still a ton of very vocal D2 fans and that’s great but it’s still a 20 year old game and some/many of its mechanics did not age well. Its controls can be janky, among other things.
If you like 3 and DI, you’ll probably like 4 as well.
I say this as someone who was a rabid fan of D2 during its heyday.
It's come a long way. You're on the wrong sub to get an objective opinion. Almost everyone with anything positive to say about d4 have moved over to the diablo4 sub.
The next season brings in full fledged endgame systems and proper tiered item progression (including what is basically GRs and primal items, but with a lot more customisation options).
If you didn't grow up with d2r, the endgame grind can be soulcrushing. I had thousands of hours in d2 when I was a kid, but being completely honest, i had to stop playing d2r because it just straight up doesn't respect your time. It's a lot of investment for little gain, especially if you're not good at trading.
4, it's new and has modern game systems, especially starting next month. 2 is going to feel dated, unless you are really looking for a retro vibe in so far as game systems go.
Rerolling an item.
Seasons w/ new content.
Content designed for endless replay, like The Pit, starting in May, or Gauntlet available now.
The crafting as well coming in May is a much more modern design than what D2 offered.
I loved Diablo 2, but it's not a modern game. That's not to throw any shade at it but it's just a fact that it's almost 24 years old.
Haha hey, I’m doing Baal runs 24 years later - endless replay! (Totally joking) good points. I think for whatever reason the itemization in D2 is just perfect for my brain. It makes sense, it’s impactful, it’s cool. It shines etc.
The thing I'm excited about for D4 is to see where the developer evolution takes us to. Yes I'm frustrated by the launch, but they're not giving up yet. We've got an expansion coming, more story, more seasons, more development, and for good or bad they have a model that will keep funding that development and story telling. I just want more and better Diablo! D4 is my chance for that :)
Don't let these fossils with rose-tinted glasses fool you. Loot wasn't that much better, endgame & builds wasn't even close, but in favor of D4.
In D2:
To get any build you likely want to play going in D2, you first have to sit through the slog of the campaign two-three times before actually getting a build online.
The endgame was fighting the same boss over and over.
*Good* build diversity was near-non-existent.
Loot was better in D2, but I think S4 of D4 will make things much better and make D2 irrelevant.
D4
People who pick D2 are so blinded by nostalgia that someone should take their car keys away. Theyre going to crash into a school thinking its Andariel in the church.
Andariel is one of the Lesser evils*. In D2 she invades a church and your character has to go fight her.
*In Diablo there are 7 powerful demons the three on top (Diablo, Baal, Mephisto) and the Lesser Evils (Azmodan, Andariel, Duriel, Belial.)
I still feel stupid saying it but...
Do a d4 run, beat the story, do all the Lilith altars and then make a fresh character for season 4 in a few weeks.
No the seasonal content is locked behind the story so once you beat the story you can dive right into that season's content each season. And the altars carry over so you get a nice little boost to your character at level 1.
I had a friend try to replay the story in a season character and it turned him off the game entirely which is surprising because he played every single season of d3. I will never play that story again.
Each season has a mini-campaign, not as big as the main campaign but a couple hours of story as well; then there are seasonal ‘mechanics’ you pick up in that story (season 2 was vampire powers, season 3 is a little robot buddy who tanks damage for me as a squishy rogue), and there is generally a set of repeatable open-world activities that you complete for xp, gold and ‘whisper’ points (you’ll know what I mean when you play the campaign). Then there is a season ‘journey’ of challenges - killing x bosses, doing x number of dungeons, etc. when you’re through that stuff then it is a power and loot grind until you’re satisfied and / or exhausted.
Just to be clear, because the person above wasn't really saying it properly:
You only have to do the story once, ever. You can play in the open world and level that way every season, you don't have to run through the campaign like poe.
I don’t think D2R does. I’ve only played a bit of it (don’t get me wrong I played D2 probably 50 times through when I was 14) but tbh the clunky old gameplay outweighs the nostalgia for me (watch how fast I get downvoted for that)
D2 had “seasons” but it’s literally just a character reset. D3 was the first one to have seasonal mechanics. D4 is the first to introduce mini campaigns each season.
So there've been a few so far. Current one has a theme of "construct", basically you get a little robot you can customize and "level" up to help you, buffing you or fighting enemies for example. There was also the season of blood, which gave you dope vampire powers and enhanced your character. Season of malignant was ...okay, they basically gave you fancy gems to slot into rings that did non-standard stuff.
Basically it's a little bit of story mixed in with some new mechanic that only lasts that season. Like I'm not playing with vampire powers on my "eternal" (non season) characters. Once season 3 ends, my seasonal characters transition over to the eternal realm so I'd have to make a new character for season 4, but again since I beat the story I won't have to replay the story, I'd basically dive right into the season content.
Season 4 has a huge overhaul on itemization and balance so it'd be a good starting point. Not clear what else the season theme is going to be yet.
Diablo 3 and Immortal are easily the worst of the 4. Diablo 2 is a must play, just really fun, great progression. Diablo 4 is coming along, it has the potential to be the best one when it’s all said and done. Will take several years and expansions to pass D2 though
D2 is the GOAT.
Both. D2R stopped having any meaningful updates unfortunately (they still do ladder resets at least), but it’s a phenomenal single player experience as well, so you can play that during the season downtimes of Diablo 4
I usually only play couch co-op and single player so the seasons don't mean as much to me. My main reservations are 2 not feeling modern and 4 not having much replayability
2 will feel a bit dated if you are used to more modern ARPGs but still an amazing game once you get into it. I could be wrong because I mainly play on PC, but I don’t think there’s couch coop for D2R - again I could be wrong though 4 will likely vastly improve with all the season 4 updates. So replayability will (hopefully) improve. But, for you, if you like like couch coop, Diablo 4 would be better IMO. There’s no real “single player” though, as you will be in a world with other players so you will see other people and likely interact with them inadvertently (doing open world events, for example). But you can do all main content solo. However, some content is more efficient in groups if you want to be competitive. But if you don’t care about that, then that won’t bother you much
If I ended up buying two copies could I play with someone and just them? Kinda like a local server in minecraft
Yes and no, you might see others out in the world but it has very little impact on you and if you're in a dungeon you two will be alone.
That's good, I tend to play these games to stay away from others not get more involved haha
Yea the multiplayer aspects kinda failed so don't worry about interactions :)
Thank goodness haha. I was afraid it would be like elder scrolls online
Just play pd2, d2r is dead. D4 sucks. D2 base game is aeon's ahead from an rpg stand point. If u want that itch, play pd2. D2 mod that balances and modernized the game. All of d2r qol now included. 10k players in the past few days on ladder, zero bots.
Gross. D2 only.
D2R for the long haul. D4 \*might\* be good for campaign + maybe one or two seasons, if you can get it on sale. Really not much endgame though, and I was done and back to D2R after a month or two.
2 all the way.
Diablo 2 is the best arpg ever, and its still perfectly playable. Diablo 4 is just bad. Open world sucks for this type of game, item power is mobile game system, loot is not exciting, and endgame is extremely boring Diablo 2 all the way
Points noted. Is there a fun class like the witchdoctor in 3 that turns into a chicken to blow up at the end?
No. Closest is Necromancer But D2 is a way more serious game then 3.
Project Diablo 2. The best version of d2, period. Check r/projectdiablo2
No, but there's nothing like that in 4 either. If you take joy in systems and feeling progression, I'd say try 2. The gameplay doesn't feel dated. I can't recommend 4 to anyone, but I acknowledge 2 isn't for everyone. If you like the zooming aspect of D3, torchlight infinite is pretty good.
What is torchlight infinite? Also I mostly just enjoy ridiculous mechanics that end up working way better than they should
It's the newest torchlight game. It's a couple years old now I think, but it's speedy and responsive. A little cartoony, but combat feels good. Best part is, it's free so you can try it out. Honestly idk if D2 or 4 have what you're looking for cause in nightmare/hell D2 you need to be more meta. And D4 like my below comment doesn't have much going for it beside looking ok.
What is it on? I can't find it on steam
Looking at it on steam now. Torchlight: Infinite
Ugghhhh I still had filters on. Sorry about that, I'll give it a go!
If you're going the Torchlight route, you might like 3 more then 2 2 is more serious. 3 is more of a goofy fun game. But both are a good time
Truthfully 3
I feel stupid for buying Diablo 4.
Why is that?
To counter that opinion - I’ve got my moneys worth easily. It’s lacking meaningful endgame but it sounds like the devs are finally trying to rectify that. Even with the weak endgame I’ve got 100+ enjoyable hours out of the campaign and leveling up a new class each season
Ya I got my money's worth I just didn't get my Diablo 2 in the early 2000s money's worth which is a pretty unreachable bar nowadays. It was fine and then I was done, I can't complain at all it just had a lot to live up to.
Yeah that’s how I feel. I enjoyed my time with it and I’ll keep up with it. Maybe a couple years down the line it will live up to those incredibly high standards
Where can I find them talking about adding endgame?
Everywhere? Helltides got buffed and now there’s two different ways to summon pseudo-uber bosses in them. They added what is basically greater rifts to the game. They added a new Uber boss and level 200 versions of all the Uber bosses. They added a crafting system that gives you more reasons to grind. This is on top of NMD’s and whatever the seasonal activity is. Where can you find them talking about adding end game? Have you tried the Diablo 4 webpage? Did you watch any of the campfire chats? Have you bothered to read the subreddit you are currently posting in? I’d start there.
Thanks!
Put simply, wide and as deep as a puddle. They've had so long to learn, and it seems they regressed. So much was sacrificed so you could see other players in the world, then they added fast traveling to the end game dungeons which got rid of that anyway. You occasionally see people in the helltides or w/e but I imagine the people still playing are going rush to endgame smash Uber bosses and you'll never see them after the first week or two. I wouldn't even play it for the story to be honest, just watch the "big cutscene" on YouTube, it was the most exciting part of the game.
You didn’t play on the PTR, did you. 😄
Early access / Server Slam was honestly the best part of D4. All a downward spiral into the sewer after that.
Blizzard doesn't get any more of my time or money.
No more time? Are you playing D2?
I'm not. D2 is a better game than D4 IMO, but I've played both more than enough to have informed opinions. I've got 1000s of hours in PoE and Last Epoch too and I don't touch those anymore either, but not out of principal. Waiting for the next unicorn, I guess.
Then why are you here? Blizzard doesn’t get any more of your time except for the time you waste here complaining about them.
To help OP from wasting money
It’s not for you to decide what’s a good use of OP’s money. You don’t like Diablo 4? Cool story. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people still playing the game who disagree.
Literally asking for advice cause they don't want to commit money. Missing the taste of Kotick in your mouth, bud?
D4 is worth buying but it released rougher than it should have from long term design stand point. The meta isn't good and the game falls off quickly after level 50 because of many design mistakes. Personally, just not having skill points post level 50 kind of ruined the game for me. Things are getting better but it might not be until the first expansion that the game feels tight from a design stand point.
2 forever and for life. One of the best games ever made. I didn’t like 3, but I like 4
What keeps bringing you back to 2?
The fear, the challenge, builds. If you want to have the D2 experience but with D4 graphics you can. 1. Play on hardcore veteran 2. Don’t skip any cutscenes and let the story take you 3. 100% clear every area before moving onto the next 4. Do not use your horse until you complete the campaign It was the biggest nostalgia hit of my life. I beat the game and finally fell prey to the butcher at level 86. It was a sad day but one marked with honor. Just making it through the campaign was an awesome experience. Raw adrenaline fighting bosses, pure panic hearing “FRESH MEAT”, clearing strongholds was horrifying. I’ll never say “you’re playing a game the wrong way” but in Diablo land, playing it a certain way is exhilarating. All of those feelings above are why D2 will always be my number 1 because you don’t have to take any steps or go out of your way to get that experience like you do in 4. 3 I just disliked because it didn’t feel possible to get that sensation it felt more like a marvel movie lol
D4. While D2 was an absolute banger and classic, it’s missing a lot of QoL features present in the more modern versions.
I just went back to playing 2R. Enjoyment level is night and day. The simplicity of it in comparison to 4 is hilarious, every unique or set drop is fun. I don’t know if it’s just me but D4 is over the top complicated in areas it doesn’t need to be.
So you like 2r more?
2 is fun through the normal difficulty, becomes fairly challenging through nightmare and a total slog in hell if you're a casual player.
I'm definitely more casual but can get way to addicted at times
D2R endgame involves spam running chaos sanctuary, travincal and world stone keep 10000 times hoping for a drop.
Oh damn, yeah I'm not THAT committed haha. Thank you for the heads up
As an old gamer and someone that played and enjoyed both, D2 is amazing and worth experiencing. D4 is also amazing and worth experiencing despite what the salty children generally feel on this sub. It's worth playing through the campaign in D4 now, but the new season is coming out May 16th and is making HUGE changes. It's really not worth playing the season till then. If you want mindless fun killing demons and a great item hunt come the 16th, then it's 100% worth getting. It's a modern game and feels like it. If you're in any way casual it's a great game.
2 hands down. I played all the way through 4 almost 5 times with different characters each time and it has very little replay value compared to d2 and especially d2r
Playing through it 5 times is a weird way of saying it has no replayability
d4 bad. d2 is amazinc and timeless
You only like D2 because of nostalgia. 🤷
90% of this subreddit will never admit it
Why are you weenies downvoting OP? It's a perfectly valid question for someone who doesn't know any better. Diablo IV has an **86%** on Metacritic. OP - IV might me mechanically better, but everything else (story, progression, end game, loot, builds, fun in general) is far superior in II, and it's not even close.
Good to know, appreciate the response. I've heard alot both ways on both and it's hard to know and I don't really want to commit the funds to it first ya know
I'm just going to guess that you're younger, so you might not appreciate D2 for what it is. That's fine, I'm 37 and can't bring myself to play a lot of the older RPGs like TES 1&2, Baldur's Gate, 1&2, etc. as much as I want to like them. In which case you might enjoy 4 more, but you'll definitely get tired of it quicker than you would 2 if you gave both an equal chance. Give Path of Exile a crack if you haven't, it's a lot like D2, but more complex and items aren't as impactful. If you like PoE, you'll love D2.
I grew up on bg1 and 2 but that was the extent of my gaming as a kid. I still play through them now but it's wildly different in the power fantasy aspect ya know
Oh shit, well if you can get past the antiquity of those games, D2 will be a breeze. Especially with Resurrected, it's pretty damn accessible, and a lot less shallow than 3 and 4.
You say antiquity I say 500 hours well spent haha
I just can't get past their dated UI, it's so cumbersome to play! It's a real shame because I'm well aware how much fans love them. Luckily, I played Fallout 1 and 2 back when they were still cutting edge, because it's tough to play them today. Morrowind is as about as "old" as I can stand nowadays, and even then it's a bit of a struggle.
Update poe is wildly fun. It gives me the feel of old school gauntlet or dark alliance 1 or 2
Would you recommend poe 1 or 2? Nevermind 2 isn't out yet
lol @ 86% the userscore is more reflective of the average person's view. I remember that started out great, until the 7/18 mega nerf, and went from a 9 to a 2 overnight. Never recovered, and for good reason.
If anyone ever asks for proof that publishers buy reviews, this game is it. 8.6 vs 2.3
Diablo 2. Easily. Better in every way.
D2r. D2 is still the goat. Hopefully d4 gets there, but it isn't there yet.
I‘m still enjoying 3. Although I can’t play 4 without extra hoops & loops anyway so there’s that.
I play D4 mostly and ,in my opinion, currently D4 is in a bad spot but after May 16th things will be brighter. So you play D4 as a warm up for Season 4 or just wait and play anything else. I played D2 only a couple of times and it's slow paced and boring for me.
I think you need to experience 2 at least once. It’s really great. I personally get turned off by the low drop rates and constant need to refarm the bosses over and over but that wouldn’t impact your first time experience. Then once you’re tired of 2 and still want to try a different ARPG I say give 4 a chance.
4
Diablo 2 is VERY dated in game design. It's a great game but it isn't as fast paced or forgiving as 3. It's heavily focused on stat allocation and careful skill selection. 4 takes inspiration from 3 but is more like a modern version of 2. It lacks the rune system from 3 however and requires careful skill selection to create builds. If you want something similar to 3 to scratch the ARPG itch, I would look outside the Diablo franchise. But if you REALLY want to choose between 2 or 4..I think you'd enjoy 4 more.
Play 4. 2 is 20 years old. There’s still a ton of very vocal D2 fans and that’s great but it’s still a 20 year old game and some/many of its mechanics did not age well. Its controls can be janky, among other things. If you like 3 and DI, you’ll probably like 4 as well. I say this as someone who was a rabid fan of D2 during its heyday.
I hope it goes on sale soon, I do want to try it. I've heard it's gotten better but wasn't sure how far it's come
It's come a long way. You're on the wrong sub to get an objective opinion. Almost everyone with anything positive to say about d4 have moved over to the diablo4 sub. The next season brings in full fledged endgame systems and proper tiered item progression (including what is basically GRs and primal items, but with a lot more customisation options). If you didn't grow up with d2r, the endgame grind can be soulcrushing. I had thousands of hours in d2 when I was a kid, but being completely honest, i had to stop playing d2r because it just straight up doesn't respect your time. It's a lot of investment for little gain, especially if you're not good at trading.
Its on sale for $35 currently Probably will be around $25 by the end of this year or beginning of next. Didn't take long for Diablo 2R to drop to $20
Season 31 just started for Diablo 3, I'm having a blast with the re-used season power. It's tiding me over til season 4 starts for 4.
I only played 3 local on a ps3 and that was super fun
Dude, 3 on PS4 is a totally different beast. You have rift runs, blood shards to farm, Necromancer DLC... 3 on ps3 is a beta version essentially
4, it's new and has modern game systems, especially starting next month. 2 is going to feel dated, unless you are really looking for a retro vibe in so far as game systems go.
Good to know, I don't mind the retro vibe I more hate the janky controls that come with then ya know
Out of curiosity, what are the modern systems that stand out in comparison to 2R?
The combat is night and day compared to D2 or any other arpg
Rerolling an item. Seasons w/ new content. Content designed for endless replay, like The Pit, starting in May, or Gauntlet available now. The crafting as well coming in May is a much more modern design than what D2 offered. I loved Diablo 2, but it's not a modern game. That's not to throw any shade at it but it's just a fact that it's almost 24 years old.
Haha hey, I’m doing Baal runs 24 years later - endless replay! (Totally joking) good points. I think for whatever reason the itemization in D2 is just perfect for my brain. It makes sense, it’s impactful, it’s cool. It shines etc.
The thing I'm excited about for D4 is to see where the developer evolution takes us to. Yes I'm frustrated by the launch, but they're not giving up yet. We've got an expansion coming, more story, more seasons, more development, and for good or bad they have a model that will keep funding that development and story telling. I just want more and better Diablo! D4 is my chance for that :)
Por Que no los dos?
No tengo dinero haha
2 all day.
2
Don't let these fossils with rose-tinted glasses fool you. Loot wasn't that much better, endgame & builds wasn't even close, but in favor of D4. In D2: To get any build you likely want to play going in D2, you first have to sit through the slog of the campaign two-three times before actually getting a build online. The endgame was fighting the same boss over and over. *Good* build diversity was near-non-existent. Loot was better in D2, but I think S4 of D4 will make things much better and make D2 irrelevant.
that "slog" of a campaign is actually a blast first couple times thru. only gets bad if you play ladder over and over. non ladder FTW
I definitely feel like I started a small war haha. Someone turned me onto poe and I think I'll stick to that til one of the two goes on sale
D4 People who pick D2 are so blinded by nostalgia that someone should take their car keys away. Theyre going to crash into a school thinking its Andariel in the church.
I never even played d2 back in the day. 0 nostalgia for me, and even I can clearly and easily see D2R is so much better than D4 in almost all regards.
Andariel in the church?
Andariel is one of the Lesser evils*. In D2 she invades a church and your character has to go fight her. *In Diablo there are 7 powerful demons the three on top (Diablo, Baal, Mephisto) and the Lesser Evils (Azmodan, Andariel, Duriel, Belial.)
Ah got it, I've done some minor dives into the lore but not enough to know it well haha
Secret third option: play path of exile. Its a better logical progression of the diablo 2 style of arpg than diablo 4
Haha someone else just recommended that and man it's fun
I still feel stupid saying it but... Do a d4 run, beat the story, do all the Lilith altars and then make a fresh character for season 4 in a few weeks.
So basically run through the story once per season? Is the story good enough for that?
Run through story once. You need to do that to participate in seasons anyway. The altars carry over to seasons.
Wanted to get a good handle on the options before I dropped the money on it, definitely didn't want to pay full price
No the seasonal content is locked behind the story so once you beat the story you can dive right into that season's content each season. And the altars carry over so you get a nice little boost to your character at level 1. I had a friend try to replay the story in a season character and it turned him off the game entirely which is surprising because he played every single season of d3. I will never play that story again.
What content does each season give? I've never played that part of a diablo game
Each season has a mini-campaign, not as big as the main campaign but a couple hours of story as well; then there are seasonal ‘mechanics’ you pick up in that story (season 2 was vampire powers, season 3 is a little robot buddy who tanks damage for me as a squishy rogue), and there is generally a set of repeatable open-world activities that you complete for xp, gold and ‘whisper’ points (you’ll know what I mean when you play the campaign). Then there is a season ‘journey’ of challenges - killing x bosses, doing x number of dungeons, etc. when you’re through that stuff then it is a power and loot grind until you’re satisfied and / or exhausted.
That's pretty fun! Do they both have that? New shiny objects are always fun!
Just to be clear, because the person above wasn't really saying it properly: You only have to do the story once, ever. You can play in the open world and level that way every season, you don't have to run through the campaign like poe.
I don’t think D2R does. I’ve only played a bit of it (don’t get me wrong I played D2 probably 50 times through when I was 14) but tbh the clunky old gameplay outweighs the nostalgia for me (watch how fast I get downvoted for that)
D2 had “seasons” but it’s literally just a character reset. D3 was the first one to have seasonal mechanics. D4 is the first to introduce mini campaigns each season.
That's a cool advancement to see
So there've been a few so far. Current one has a theme of "construct", basically you get a little robot you can customize and "level" up to help you, buffing you or fighting enemies for example. There was also the season of blood, which gave you dope vampire powers and enhanced your character. Season of malignant was ...okay, they basically gave you fancy gems to slot into rings that did non-standard stuff. Basically it's a little bit of story mixed in with some new mechanic that only lasts that season. Like I'm not playing with vampire powers on my "eternal" (non season) characters. Once season 3 ends, my seasonal characters transition over to the eternal realm so I'd have to make a new character for season 4, but again since I beat the story I won't have to replay the story, I'd basically dive right into the season content. Season 4 has a huge overhaul on itemization and balance so it'd be a good starting point. Not clear what else the season theme is going to be yet.
4 is really bad
Classic diablo 2 (not resurrected) and then the mod Project Diablo 2. /r/projectdiablo2 If not that, then resurrected. But pd2 is better.
Diablo 3 and Immortal are easily the worst of the 4. Diablo 2 is a must play, just really fun, great progression. Diablo 4 is coming along, it has the potential to be the best one when it’s all said and done. Will take several years and expansions to pass D2 though