Diablo scores 9/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.
Once Upon a Time
Diablo, the Best Dungeon Crawler Ever
by Simon Larocca·October 30, 2023
Give a name, derive a destiny.
If your name is Blizzard, like the
devastating ice attack magic in a fantasy universe, and you are the production house of
the Action RPG that revolutionized, you can only be destined
to do great things.
And by big things, we mean Diablo.
When the game was released, on New Year’s Eve 1996, the one writing in a cave surrounded by deadly living skeletons was only fifteen years old, and he was enchanted by the dark and gloomy intro that accompanied the game: the abandoned hut in the misty heath, the raven croaking as an omen of death and destruction, and the dark Fate of a land seized by the undead led by Diablo, Lord of Hell. That day, I decided I would not spend the end of the year in the usual way, so I plunged headlong into the isometric dungeons conceived by David Brevik, the creative father of Diablo.
Diablo marked an extremely important turning point because it gave new luster to a subgenre that was hugely popular in the Eighties, the so-called “dungeon crawler,” a must in Japan, inexplicably mistreated or at least met with mixed fortunes in the West. Basically, it involves exploring labyrinthine dungeons, killing monsters and earning treasure, then powering up in town and going back to fight, level after level.
Diablo revives this concept,
very dear to milestones like the iconic Eye
of The Beholder Amiga school (but with an MS-DOS origin) and the beautiful Baldur’s Gate, and elevates it thanks to a
character progression system that is easy to learn and satisfying from a
customization standpoint; moreover, every level, with its characteristic isometric visual style, is generated anew every time we
play, significantly increasing its longevity.
What makes Diablo thrilling and
intuitive is the essential and intelligent use of the mouse,
a peripheral with which it is possible to do everything, or almost everything, while playing Blizzard’s masterpiece.
Let's talk about fantasy. Dark
Fantasy, to be precise, inspired by the classic role-playing game where paper,
pen and imagination are all you need to start traveling through worlds
full of dangers and adventures.
Playing together.
Diablo does not let us miss even
this aspect, giving us the opportunity to assemble our party with friends
and descend into the depths of caves, catacombs, and hell itself,
fighting shoulder to shoulder with the clang of weapons echoing in our
ears.
Un roguelike with style and personality, then, and it could not be otherwise: the game generated three sequels, one of which, grandly gothic, is still riding high in the online community around the world. Anyone who has spent many hours playing Diablo II, for example, will remember Battle.net, managed directly by Blizzard and connecting players from every continent in what was, in effect, the first embryonic version of an online gaming community.
Diablo, like all great works
designed to endure and stimulate creativity, grew into a universe-level
experience, expanding into other media that further explored its themes and plots. This
allowed fans to immerse themselves in the stories, delving into the dungeons with
greater awareness of the world-building envisioned by the creators. Blood, wounds
and sword blows are realistic, and returning to the surface world still
in one piece to rest and sell hard-earned treasures will be increasingly
difficult. And
rewarding.
The conflict between Good and Evil
is beautifully rendered in this dungeon crawler that made history, and even
today Diablo’s shadow is more alive than ever in players’ hearts, so all that
remains is to take up sword and shield and go in search of it.
Come with me?
9
Pro
A milestone of its kind, it sets new, high standards for isometric hack’n slash games
Procedurally generated, dark and immersive dungeons for a unique experience
Stimulating and incredibly long-lasting in multiplayer
Contro
Sometimes the levels are a bit repetitive, despite everything
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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