The BlizzCon opening ceremony is always a special time for Blizzard fans. While not every year comes packed with announcements, it gives fans an idea of what to look forward to from one of gaming's most established studios. This year, fans got a treat with the announcement of Diablo 2 Resurrected, a remake of the original game. So far, it looks like the authentic overhaul fans have been waiting for.
In a group interview following the opening ceremony, Game Rant got the chance to speak with Diablo 2 Resurrected developers Matthew Cederquist and Robert Gallerini. The devs touched on a number of topics throughout the interview, but one topic kept coming back up: authenticity. Diablo 2 is a respected game with an established formula, a formula that has influenced games both inside and outside of its genre. The team has no intention of tweaking that recipe for success.
How Resurrected Maintains the Classic Feel
Blizzard is working to keep the game as authentic to the original as possible, even going so far as to run the original 2D game underneath a 3D engine. That preserves the original feel of the game, one of the key ways that Blizzard is ensuring that the game will stay true to itself. Plus, it allows players to swap between the original graphics and the updated 3D ones with ease.
On top of that, Blizzard is making a point to recreate each one of Diablo 2's cutscenes shot for shot in Resurrected, even using the original audio. That's an important overhaul to make, but knowing that it will preserve the original feel is equally important. Sound design is a central part of any gaming experience, so knowing that it will respect the original is a good thing for fans to hear.
Of course, there are aspects of Diablo 2 Resurrected that run deeper than that. Essentially, if an attack would've hit in the original Diablo 2, it also will in Diablo 2 Resurrected. All around, though, this sounds like the ideal experience. Fans have been asking for Diablo 2 to make a comeback for years, and now they're finally getting that in the purest form.
Where Resurrected Makes Changes
Of course, things are going to be at least a little bit different this time around. The visual improvements are one thing, and definitely the key quality of life change that players should be looking forward to. It seems likely that fans will appreciate things like more supported display resolutions.
The developers did mention other quality-of-life improvements, including enhanced accessibility options in Diablo 2 Resurrected. Those improvements will include colorblind options and low-vision filters, making the game open to a wider net of players. That's a good thing ultimately, and one that can help extend the life of the game out substantially.
Even with quality-of-life improvements, which get as granular as allowing for more keybindings, the development team isn't willing to sacrifice authenticity. No matter what changes are made, the team is promising that it will still very much be Diablo 2.
With the game slated to release this year fans will be playing Diablo 2 Resurrected before they know it. Blizzard's last major remake, Warcraft 3: Reforged, released to mediocre reviews, but the developers seem determined to ensure that won't happen here. If the early details are any indication, that seems to be the truth.
Diablo 2 Resurrected is in development for PC and consoles.