Home Gaming Rumour has it that Diablo 2 is on the verge of a remaster

Rumour has it that Diablo 2 is on the verge of a remaster

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Diablo 2. Still living on in the hearts of all those that were enraptured in your addictive gameplay loop, quirky Easter eggs and overbearingly dark tone. There’s a reason Diablo 2 is still hailed as the Diablo game; the game that cemented the idea of the action RPG genre in place. Even though Diablo 3 basically offered up what the second game could only dream of when it first launched, I know plenty of folks that still head back to their favourite sequel. Is it nostalgia? A whimsical memory of a time when Blizzard didn’t seem intent on butchering their most popular franchises? Who can say, but those folks that keep dipping back into Diablo 2 might have something very exciting to look forward to. Emphasis on the “might”.

diablo-2-cave

According to French website Actugaming, Vicarious Visions, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, is hard at work on a remaster of Diablo 2 that’s slated for release by the end of 2020. According to Actugaming’s source, the game will be titled Diablo 2: Resurrected which maintains the continuity established by Blizzard when providing little spins on the “remastered” subtitle, such as can be seen in Warcraft III: Reforged. Now, if a remaster of Diablo 2 is in fact in development, Vicarious Visions are probably the folks to handle it, given that they also made the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy which was a pretty fantastic series of games.

Diablo-2-Resurrection

Of course, the real question is how they’d even go about remastering a game that’s had most of its assets lost to the aether. Back when StarCraft: Remastered was announced, fans had already started campaigning for similar treatment on Diablo 2. Yet lead designer, David Brevik, speculating that the job would be a real challenge for Blizzard, stating “They have their work cut out for them…I don’t believe a lot of the assets survived.”

Not just our code, but all of our assets. It’s all gone. We were supposed to have a backup but neglected it. We spent a day or two in sheer panic

Diablo series co-creators Erich and Max Schaefer

Which means that Vicarious Visions will probably have to get a little creative with their development cycle.

I mean really though, how difficult is to find an up-scaled model of a cow?

Last Updated: May 11, 2020

21 Comments

  1. Pariah

    May 11, 2020 at 11:02

    Simple no thanks from me. Bring something new please, Diablo 2 was great for its time, but it’s a relic. Most relics don’t age well, especially in a genre that has grown and evolved over the years into something much more fluid and fun.

    Reply

    • Gareth Lagesse (eXCheez)

      May 11, 2020 at 11:11

      They are bringing something new; Diablo IV is on the way.

      I also think that Diablo II is the perfect game to remaster; it is a game of considerable depth and great pacing in its story. If they can keep the core game and bring the graphics to a 2020 standard it’ll be amazing. However it’ll need to be a lot more than a side project, and I don’t think Activision Blizzard cares enough to invest in that.

      Reply

    • Gareth Lagesse (eXCheez)

      May 11, 2020 at 11:11

      They are bringing something new; Diablo IV is on the way.

      I also think that Diablo II is the perfect game to remaster; it is a game of considerable depth and great pacing in its story. If they can keep the core game and bring the graphics to a 2020 standard it’ll be amazing. However it’ll need to be a lot more than a side project, and I don’t think Activision Blizzard cares enough to invest in that.

      Reply

    • Iskape

      May 11, 2020 at 11:19

      Agreed. Not every game that was released over a decade a go requires a remaster. I too want something fresh and new. Thank goodness for indie developers who give us new and fresh games all the time. That’s the only thing I miss about not having my PC anymore is my limited access to indie titles! Subnautica is a perfect example of a game from a small developer that I consider one of the most enjoyable games I have played in years!

      Reply

      • Gareth Lagesse (eXCheez)

        May 11, 2020 at 11:36

        People – like myself – want their favourite classics to be remastered, which is why the developers make them. It’s often a beloved passion project for them too. You don’t have to buy them.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          May 11, 2020 at 11:36

          The thinking is that they could be focusing on something new instead of a remaster or a *cough* mobile game

          Reply

          • Pariah

            May 11, 2020 at 12:01

            Nah they just allocate new teams or resources, that’s not the issue. The issue is that it’s a waste of time and money for us, the consumers. It’s literally just a new coat of paint on a 2nd-hand game that’s seen far too many years. The newer models have just taken it to a level where going back isn’t worth paying new money for. Just play the original, it’ll give you the same experience.

          • Hammersteyn

            May 12, 2020 at 07:25

            It kinda is, new teams and resources is more money Blizzard has to spend. Games aren’t passion projects anymore. It’s all business. Profits first.

        • Pariah

          May 11, 2020 at 12:01

          Yeah the original D2 team has long since left Blizzard. There’s no passion in this, only profit.

          Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      May 11, 2020 at 11:31

      At this point I’ll settle for remasters. Would be awesome if the could remster the old MK games on PS2. Before the series was shoved on the streets by WB like a pimp does with a prossie.

      Reply

    • MechMachine

      May 11, 2020 at 11:39

      I like what you said but damn, do I want to revisit Diablo with some polish.

      Reply

    • Gareth Lagesse (eXCheez)

      May 11, 2020 at 11:11

      They are bringing something new; Diablo IV is on the way.

      I also think that Diablo II is the perfect game to remaster; it is a game of considerable depth and great pacing in its story. If they can keep the core game and bring the graphics to a 2020 standard it’ll be amazing. However it’ll need to be a lot more than a side project, and I don’t think Activision Blizzard cares enough to invest in that.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        May 11, 2020 at 11:16

        Diablo 2 was awesome, except for those tiny bastards in the jungle.

        Reply

        • Gareth Lagesse (eXCheez)

          May 11, 2020 at 11:19

          OMG the Flayers and their shamans!

          Reply

      • Pariah

        May 11, 2020 at 11:57

        The actual movement and mechanics are horrible to play in today’s world where we’ve got stuff that’s just more fun to actually play. Diablo 2 feels like a dinosaur. A shiny coat of paint won’t fix that. The skill system is archaic too. We’re used to so much more depth now than what D2 provides. D3 is not as deep, but the rest of the games in the genre keep pushing it forward. Going back to D2 is just going back. Call it what it is – nostalgia. It’s not a better game than what you can play today, it’s just one that has fond memories. So why not just play the original that we all own, get it out of your system, and then move on? Why the remaster? For what purpose?

        Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    May 11, 2020 at 11:19

    Bought D1 remaster on GOG and it was fun the first few levels. Still, it’s D1 and it’s missing all the polish and gameplay, from D3. I spent most time in the village with Deckard listening to the music.

    Reply

  3. kiekers

    May 11, 2020 at 12:11

    Okay, so I’m in two minds about this one. D2 is one of my all-time favourites, and I would love to play this even if it is just for nostalgia’s sake, but I’m probably not going to drop R800 on something like this, especially now.

    On the other hand, if they allow mods to the game(doubtful, I know), who knows what can come from that.

    I have such great memories of this game, I even became friends with someone who I still consider a friend (even though we don’t talk as often anymore) just because of this game, so I hope it will be cheap enough for me to get and enjoy again, even if it is just for a little while.

    Also, fuck those flayers and especially their shamans, and Blood raven is my favourite.

    Reply

    • Pariah

      May 11, 2020 at 12:21

      With what they did to W3: Reforged’s modding (the EULA and copyright ownership stuff, mainly), I wouldn’t hold much hope for that aspect of the remaster here.

      Also, mods exist for the original. Path of Diablo comes out with new seasons all the time, and there’s another major one that I can’t recall the name of that people love to play – so there’s no need to drop more cash. Just saying.

      Reply

      • kiekers

        May 11, 2020 at 12:36

        Yeah, it is a pity, I think since dota they are trying to keep things close to their chests

        But that shiny new coat of paint though XD I have Diablo III on Switch, to scratch that ARPG itch, but it is fun for all of 10mins, then it gets kind of stale for me.

        Maybe I’ve grown past the genre, or maybe I’m just more spoilt for choice than I was back in 2000. As some examples, I’m currently re-playing BotW on Switch and Control on playstation. Also recently finished Ori and the will of the wisps on pc. All of which are really fun games.

        Reply

  4. Eduards Buka

    May 11, 2020 at 19:17

    all i would want on this would bee graphics changes. new loot and expansions. and maybee some new characters, and more usefull skill trees. i would not change the basics of the game. i realy did not like what median xl mood did. they changed it from basic diablo, to hack and slash. and that felt more like diablo with some cheats.

    Reply

  5. For the Emperor!

    May 11, 2020 at 17:27

    After the last few years from ActiBlizz, it will be a pass from me.

    Reply

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