Now for the last of my lists' beginnings. Although I'd call music a greater passion of mine, video games have offered me endless creative inspiration and game design is where I've chosen to place my college study. The first member of the game portion of my hall of fame is...
Diablo II (2000)
Why?
Those near to me know that my greatest aspiration is to be an accomplished novelist. They don't know that this is where it all started. My interest in Diablo II drove me to read my first adult-level fantasy novels, which caused my to start creating my own characters and stories. Now storytelling is my dominant desire and creative writing is perhaps my greatest strength.
As you'd expect from a game named after the devil, it's not the most appropriate for a seven-year-old, which is where I was when it came out. My start with the game was watching my dad play it with his two brothers and cousin. I still remember which characters each had chosen and what areas I saw them in.
My dad didn't let me play until about three years later. I never became especially immersed in the game because it was already somewhat outdated by the time I got to it, but I was drawn back to it multiple times in the following years. I beat it first at about age 10, then again at 14, and a third time at 17.
The Diablo series is one of three massively successful series from Blizzard, the other two being Starcraft and Warcraft (a la World of Warcraft). I like to call Blizzard the Pixar of the gaming industry -- high quality is basically a guarantee in every new release. Diablo is the least popular of the three, which isn't actually saying much, but I call it my favorite. The cool thing about Diablo is that it's the first major game of its type, where the player controls the one character from above. That style has been pulled into many other big games since, including Torchlight, Titan Quest, Sacred, and many more.
Diablo II, like its predecessor and successor, takes place in a medieval-style fantasy world where a great conflict between angels and demons prevails. Mundane humanity is torn apart in the middle of the war, powerless and even bothersome in the eyes of either side. Some humans, however, prove themselves as skilled warriors, becoming not only heroes, but the only hope of the angels as the seven Lords of Hell, the Great Evils, grow more powerful.
The player chooses between seven classes. The Amazon hits hard with her spear and javelins. The Assassin excels with traps. The Necromancer summons undead minions. The barbarian is brutal in attack. The Sorceress harnesses the elements. The Druid transforms into various animals. The Paladin uses protective spells and heavy armor. I first completed the game with the Necromancer, then the Paladin, then the Amazon, all on the normal difficulty, which is somewhat pitiful, looking back.
The character, or team or characters, fights through the forces of hell in separate acts, each with its own setting and Lord of Hell. Act I sees the warriors in a typical countryside setting with Andariel, the Maiden of Anguish, waiting at the end. Act II is in a desert setting concluding with Duriel, the Lord of Pain. Act III is a jungle where Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, serves as the final boss. Then the character is taken to the depths of Hell in Act IV to fight the devil, Diablo, the Lord of Terror. An expansion adds the Assassin and Druid characters, as well as Act V, where Baal, Lord of Destruction, is mounting an invasion.
A major highlight was the game's soundtrack. In terms of music, Diablo II is a contender for my favorite of all time. The threat of evil was much more prevalent thanks to creepy compositions like this:
Blizzard has always been top of the line with cinematics. Diablo 2 was no exception.
As you see, the game's now out of its time. I find it hard to enjoy anymore, especially because I've given a lot of recent time to the excellent sequel. Diablo II is mainly here for the immense influence it had on me creatively. I was fascinated with the progression of the story to various locales with both desperation and danger forced into every step by the overlying purpose. I also came to adore the array of characters, which make or break an experience for me. Both heroes and villains were well-crafted visually and within the grand scheme of things, with each playable character finding a unique role and each dangerously-powerful villain terrifying in its own way. Most impressive was the way in which Diablo II, because of the large number and strength of horrific enemies and the nature of the plot, made you feel truly heroic upon reaching victory. That's why it's game #1.
The Diablo series is one of three massively successful series from Blizzard, the other two being Starcraft and Warcraft (a la World of Warcraft). I like to call Blizzard the Pixar of the gaming industry -- high quality is basically a guarantee in every new release. Diablo is the least popular of the three, which isn't actually saying much, but I call it my favorite. The cool thing about Diablo is that it's the first major game of its type, where the player controls the one character from above. That style has been pulled into many other big games since, including Torchlight, Titan Quest, Sacred, and many more.
Diablo II, like its predecessor and successor, takes place in a medieval-style fantasy world where a great conflict between angels and demons prevails. Mundane humanity is torn apart in the middle of the war, powerless and even bothersome in the eyes of either side. Some humans, however, prove themselves as skilled warriors, becoming not only heroes, but the only hope of the angels as the seven Lords of Hell, the Great Evils, grow more powerful.
The player chooses between seven classes. The Amazon hits hard with her spear and javelins. The Assassin excels with traps. The Necromancer summons undead minions. The barbarian is brutal in attack. The Sorceress harnesses the elements. The Druid transforms into various animals. The Paladin uses protective spells and heavy armor. I first completed the game with the Necromancer, then the Paladin, then the Amazon, all on the normal difficulty, which is somewhat pitiful, looking back.
The character, or team or characters, fights through the forces of hell in separate acts, each with its own setting and Lord of Hell. Act I sees the warriors in a typical countryside setting with Andariel, the Maiden of Anguish, waiting at the end. Act II is in a desert setting concluding with Duriel, the Lord of Pain. Act III is a jungle where Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, serves as the final boss. Then the character is taken to the depths of Hell in Act IV to fight the devil, Diablo, the Lord of Terror. An expansion adds the Assassin and Druid characters, as well as Act V, where Baal, Lord of Destruction, is mounting an invasion.
A major highlight was the game's soundtrack. In terms of music, Diablo II is a contender for my favorite of all time. The threat of evil was much more prevalent thanks to creepy compositions like this:
Blizzard has always been top of the line with cinematics. Diablo 2 was no exception.
As you see, the game's now out of its time. I find it hard to enjoy anymore, especially because I've given a lot of recent time to the excellent sequel. Diablo II is mainly here for the immense influence it had on me creatively. I was fascinated with the progression of the story to various locales with both desperation and danger forced into every step by the overlying purpose. I also came to adore the array of characters, which make or break an experience for me. Both heroes and villains were well-crafted visually and within the grand scheme of things, with each playable character finding a unique role and each dangerously-powerful villain terrifying in its own way. Most impressive was the way in which Diablo II, because of the large number and strength of horrific enemies and the nature of the plot, made you feel truly heroic upon reaching victory. That's why it's game #1.
"Not even death can save you from me."
"Stay a while and listen!"
"Stay a while and listen!"
