Diablo III is for real

[Merlinios]

Yeah, I still get a lump in my throat when I need to go up against some mini-boss extra strong with sparklies. Or, how about in the swamp as a melee char when fetishes with thorns swarm you? Or, the first time you took on Andariel solo when she was spewing poison clouds about you? D2 has its moment of terror.

I think these are two separate types of terror. Diablo original always inspired more of the "I wish someone else was home", "I wish it wasn't past midnight", or perhaps even "I wish I had some clean pants" varieties.

Diablo II was generally more like "Ahh! I think I might die... <Wusscore>to my mild frustration.</Wusscore> <Hardcore>DAMNIT!</Hardcore>"

Diablo II fear is not visceral. It is fear of future frustration or annoyance by breaking up the slaughterfest, perhaps minor experience loss, or undoing days or weeks of work; this is fear that ones' character will die.

Ten years after I started playing Diablo, I reinstalled it, booted it up, and STILL jumped when I heard a horned demon bellow, followed by the blur charging straight at my poor under-equipped character. "My god," I said to myself "I thought I was going to die for a moment there."

--me