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Diablo 2 is a dark fantasy action-adventure with RPG features set in a dark fantasy setting filled with angels, devils, and other malicious forces. It was the video game equivalent of a self-aware black metal album when it was released in 2000. It's still campy as hell, and that's part of the fun.
Diablo II is a hack-and-slash action role-playing computer video game developed by Blizzard North and released in 2000 by Blizzard Entertainment. The game's dark fantasy and horror concepts were created and designed by David Brevik and Erich Schaefer, who served as project leads with Max Schaefer on the project.
The plot of Diablo II is divided into four chapters, or "Acts." Each act follows a set path, but the wilderness and dungeons in between are produced at random.
Within each act, you proceed through the tale by performing a series of missions, with optional side dungeons for more enemies and experience. Diablo II's surroundings are far more diversified than the previous Diablo, which had levels that consisted of plunging further and deeper into a Gothic-themed dungeon and Hell.
There are three difficulty levels in addition to the acts: Normal, Nightmare, and Hell; finishing the game on one difficulty setting unlocks the next. Monsters are more diversified, tougher, and may be resistant or immune to an element or physical damage on higher levels; dying costs experience, and your resistances are limited.
You, on the other hand, are rewarded with better items as you progress through the levels of difficulty. Between difficulties, a character keeps all abilities and items and may return to a lesser difficulty at any time, although it is not possible to replay missions that have previously been finished.
You have the option of creating a hardcore character. In normal mode, you can revive your character and continue playing, however, in hardcore mode, your character only has one life. If a character is killed, he or she becomes permanently dead and unplayable.
Additionally, unless another friendly character has the "loot" symbol checked, all things and equipment on that character will be lost. Hardcore and normal characters play on different online channels, therefore a hardcore player can never play with a standard player in the same gaming session.
Diablo II also includes a lot of other enhancements that improve the game's overall experience. You can hire one of several computer-controlled mercenaries to follow you around and attack nearby enemies.
You could come upon a rare, precious item every now and then, or one that is part of a set that gets more powerful when the whole set is acquired. Sockets and gems may be used to customize items, and the Horadric Cube can be used to transform them into various items.
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Diablo II takes place in the land of Sanctuary, following the events of Diablo. Diablo was vanquished by an unidentified warrior who sought to trap the Lord of Terror's essence within his own body. Since then, the hero has been corrupted by the demon's spirit, leading demons to wreak havoc in the world around him.
The reality behind this corruption emerges as the tale progresses: the soulstones were designed to confine the Prime Evils after they were expelled to the mortal realm by the Lesser Evils. The demon has possession over the Dark Wanderer thanks to the corruption of Diablo's soulstone, and he is striving to release his two brothers.
As the game proceeds, cut sequences depict the Dark Wanderer's trip as he is pursued by a vagrant named Marius. Marius, now in the institution, tells a hooded visitor about the incidents. The Dark Wanderer's purpose, the player realizes, is to reconnect with the other main evils, Baal and Mephisto.
The plot is broken down into four acts:
Act I: The player liberates Deckard Cain, who has been imprisoned in Tristram, and then sets off to track down the Dark Wanderer. One of the lesser evils, Andariel, is used by the Dark Wanderer to corrupt the Sisters of the Sightless Eye (Rogues) and take over their Monastery. After defeating Andariel, the heroes follow the Wanderer east.
Act II: While the player looks for Tal-Rasha's tomb in the eastern desert, the Dark Wanderer arrives first. Marius is deceived into extracting Baal's soulstone from Tal-Rasha, and the Archangel Tyrael assigns Marius the task of transporting the soulstone to Hell in order to destroy it.
Act III: The Dark Wanderer and Baal search the Temple of Kurast seeking Mephisto. Mephisto was able to corrupt the High Council of Zakarum and seize control of the region while still imprisoned in the dungeon beneath the temple. While the heroes fight their way to the temple, Mephisto is reunited with his brothers; the three open a gateway to Hell, where the Dark Wanderer leaves his human form, transforms into the demon Diablo, and passes through. After arriving later, the adventurers beat Mephisto, who had been left guarding the door and seized his soulstone.
Act IV: The player kills Diablo in Hell and destroys Mephisto and Diablo's soulstones on the Hellforge, stopping their return.
Diablo II is one of the best games of all time, and while it has been adapted for modern gameplay, some new players may want some assistance to get the most out of the game.
Stock up on potions Health potions are plentiful in the early stages of the game. You should be able to get a lot of these from downed monsters and chests all throughout the place. Mana potions, on the other hand, are considerably harder to come across, and you'll almost certainly have to buy them from merchants. Make sure to stock up on supplies whenever you get to town.
Some advanced foes have deadly poison strikes that last until you're depleted of health, therefore antidote medicines may be useful late in the game.
Upgrade your belt as soon as possible.You start the game with no special equipment, so a belt is one of the first things you should seek for. Basic belts increase the number of potion slots by four, while advanced belts increase the number of slots by up to twelve, for a total of sixteen. Even a simple belt doubles your available space, allowing you to spend less time shifting potions from your purse to the belt hotbar.
All acts' beginning areas include mercenaries ready for hiring. Killing Blood Raven in the first act mission will reward you with a free Rogue archer that may be equipped with appropriate gear. This is critical since mercenaries are vulnerable without armor and weapons. Whatever mercenaries you recruit in the future will cancel your existing mercenary, as well as any equipment they're wearing. Before switching to a mercenary, make sure you return your gear.
Diablo's minions become more powerful as more players join, but playing in a group is the best way to progress. You'll be able to travel through the game much more quickly, and you'll be able to pull back and recover without fear of being overrun by foes. While most character builds prioritize maximum damage with maximum endurance, there's no reason you can't boost your party with some supporting skills, especially early on.
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