"1. Diablo II
Developer: Blizzard
Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Will it Run on Vista? Yes
Still Available? Yes
Widely hailed as the greatest action RPG of all time, Diablo II has
legions of clones and followers, but none have come close to gripping the
enthusiasts as much as Blizzard's powerhouse. You can get both Diablo
II and its expansion, Lord of Destruction, plus strategy
guides, at the link above for $40.
The game features five character types, each with its own range of
abilities, but it's the interface that made Diablo II, and its
predecessor Diablo, what they are. So move, you simply click. To
attack, click. You can access various functions like a map or your special
abilities through hotkeys?or you can click
While Diablo had something of a story, Diablo II is far more
plot-driven, involving taking on evil itself, and takes place throughout
four acts. Lord of Destruction adds two character classes, a new
campaign, and much more to the mix.
Keeping Diablo II alive, besides its core gameplay, is a host of
mods. You can find them all over the Web simply by wielding the power of
Google, but a good place to start is Diablo II Sector's
Mods directory. You'll also find hacks, bots, and many more
downloadables for the game
Of course, single-player gaming only goes so far, and Blizzard still
supports Diablo II multiplayer via
Battle.net. And there's
still a thriving Diablo II community, playing and trading items
with their Realms characters (as opposed to "Open" or locally-stored
characters). Even as Diablo III is in development, don't look for
Diablo II to fade away just yet. The upcoming sequel doesn't yet
have a release date. If you crave action-RPG clickety-click frenetic
gaming, look no further than Diablo II." |
