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Editor’s take: After years of clamoring for a Diablo II remaster, fans are finally getting what they want. And, cross your fingers, it seems to be exactly what they want: a genuine, respectful remaster, not another awful half-baked update like Warcraft 3: Reforged.
At BlizzConline, Blizzard officially announced Resurrected will be the long rumored Diablo II remaster, with the pleasant news that it’s slated for release sometime this year. It’s a remaster of both the original game, now more than two decades old, and its expansion, Lord of Destruction.
Resurrected preserves the gameplay of the original Diablo II while revamping (or “resurrecting,” according to Blizzard) the graphics and interface. Blizzard’s Robert Gallerani described it like this to Kotaku: “70 percent of the look and feel had to be dead on nostalgia, exactly what you remember. But 30 percent is a more modern take, more flourish, more fidelity, things like that.”
Of course, the biggest change is visual. None of the new game’s assets were resurrected without extensive improvements, and many were remade from scratch because the original files were lost. The game’s cinematics, about half an hour’s worth, have also been remade. In my personal opinion, the new visuals are very handsome, though they aren’t quite as dramatic as the original game’s.
The remaining changes are best described as quality of life improvements. Automatic gold collection is now a toggleable feature, which is a godsend. The personal stash has increased from a 6 by 8 grid to a 10 by 10 grid (but you can still play inventory Tetris if you want) and the stash can be more easily shared between characters associated with the same account. And there are easier item comparison tools, etc.
Resurrected is also touting some cool modernizations. There’s improved multiplayer support for up to eight players. You can play offline if you want, but if you deign to sign in you’ll have cross-progression and cross-generation play — meaning PS4 and PS5 players can play together, but not with Xbox players.
Speaking of consoles, Resurrected will support the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Switch. At the moment, there’s conflicting information about Xbox One support, so that’s a firm maybe. And, of course, there’s PC support: in fact, on PC, you can already pre-order the game for $39.99 or sign up for the limited Alpha test coming soon.
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