03-28-2012, 03:54 PM
I often feel like some kind of gaming hipster whenever I mention "Diablo" and people immediately start talking about Necromancers and Sorceresses. It makes me wish I could channel "Pulp Fiction"'s Jules and blast them with, "ENGLISH, MONDAY-TO-FRIDAY, DO YOU SPEAK IT? I SAID DIABLO, NOT ITS MONKEY-FIGHTIN' SEQUEL." Because most gamers these days have played D2 and never really bothered with D1.
D2 being fun, but a massive disappointment in my expectations of atmosphere (treasure hunting adventure) and gameplay (mob combat), has always left me longing for a successor to Diablo. I've not exactly been on the hunt for such a thing, like someone looking for Jesus under their couch cushions or behind the fridge, because it never conjures the right image for other people when I say "I want something like Diablo." I don't want some endless "The Dark Lord you seek is in another castle" malarkey. I want the kid I'm trying to rescue to already be eaten by the Dark Lord.
I want a ruthless, replayable horror-themed game. I want something that, at least on a first play through, makes you feel a sense of dread. Also, no midgets. Tiny enemies aren't scary, they're irritating. (Unless they're dirty porcelain baby dolls. Those things are terrifying. Wug.) It's been over a decade now, but I've found what I finally consider to be worthy successors.
"Demon's Souls" (PS3) and "Dark Souls" (PS3/Xbox360) are probably the closest video game successor to "Diablo" that I've had the pleasure of playing. Every monster can kill you if you get sloppy. You can't pause. If you die and don't recover your bloodsplat, you lose your "souls" - which count as exp and currency. And every time you lose your body, the game gets harder. And if you're online, other players can invade your game and murder you. GFL. Ruthless? Check. Dread? Check. Atmosphere? Dark medieval. I dig it so much.
"Arkham Horror". I really didn't think a board game would invoke D1 vibes for me, but this game is harsh. The first thing that grabbed my attention was that it's a cooperative board game, and the second thing is that you're supposed to lose most of the time. Expansions have added so much, and fan-made expansions are possible via a program called "Strange Eons" - it even reminds me of D1 modding! Ruthless? Check. Dread? Check. Atmosphere? 1920s horror. I even play this game solo, because you can.
Gentlelurkers of like mind, what have been your successors to D1?
-Lemming
D2 being fun, but a massive disappointment in my expectations of atmosphere (treasure hunting adventure) and gameplay (mob combat), has always left me longing for a successor to Diablo. I've not exactly been on the hunt for such a thing, like someone looking for Jesus under their couch cushions or behind the fridge, because it never conjures the right image for other people when I say "I want something like Diablo." I don't want some endless "The Dark Lord you seek is in another castle" malarkey. I want the kid I'm trying to rescue to already be eaten by the Dark Lord.
I want a ruthless, replayable horror-themed game. I want something that, at least on a first play through, makes you feel a sense of dread. Also, no midgets. Tiny enemies aren't scary, they're irritating. (Unless they're dirty porcelain baby dolls. Those things are terrifying. Wug.) It's been over a decade now, but I've found what I finally consider to be worthy successors.
"Demon's Souls" (PS3) and "Dark Souls" (PS3/Xbox360) are probably the closest video game successor to "Diablo" that I've had the pleasure of playing. Every monster can kill you if you get sloppy. You can't pause. If you die and don't recover your bloodsplat, you lose your "souls" - which count as exp and currency. And every time you lose your body, the game gets harder. And if you're online, other players can invade your game and murder you. GFL. Ruthless? Check. Dread? Check. Atmosphere? Dark medieval. I dig it so much.
"Arkham Horror". I really didn't think a board game would invoke D1 vibes for me, but this game is harsh. The first thing that grabbed my attention was that it's a cooperative board game, and the second thing is that you're supposed to lose most of the time. Expansions have added so much, and fan-made expansions are possible via a program called "Strange Eons" - it even reminds me of D1 modding! Ruthless? Check. Dread? Check. Atmosphere? 1920s horror. I even play this game solo, because you can.
Gentlelurkers of like mind, what have been your successors to D1?
-Lemming