What has been your "next Diablo"?

[LemmingofGlory]

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

[kandrathe]

There was a PlayStation game I liked that was similarly dark, brooding, and gothic called Soulreaver: Legacy of Kain. I have two in the series, but I'm interested in the others. I've never player Arena or Daggerfall, but I've heard they were darker. It will be interesting to see what happens with Arx Fatalis now that its GNU.

[Thenryb]

I have yet to find a successor. My family got a ps3 a couple of years ago, along with Demon Souls. I finally started playing it after getting bored with Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas and Mass Effect 3. As bad as I can be playing computer games, it is NOTHING compared to my ineptitude with a console controller. The controls seem so sensitive and my poor character had trouble facing his foes and was always swinging at walls or in a direction away from them. I got as far as having my "soul taken" (I think that is what happens before the real game starts) and stopped there. It appeared to be a fun game, but it simply may be too hard for me. I plan to give it another shot, however. Obviously, I will not be playing online, as I would be no match for some murderous kid. As old as D1 is, I can still actually enjoy playing it as well as Hellfire. D2 is another story altogether.

[Taem]

Diablo 1 for the story and atmosphere.
Diablo 2 for the crack-addicting, slot-machine method of item finding and addictive skill combos.

What comes close to D1's story and atmosphere? Quite a few games. But which can also bolster an RPG element behind them? None... There is nothing like D1. I thought Path of Exile would be D1's spiritual successor, and indeed it has many, many similar elements, but it's still not quite dark enough to match D1. Needs more hopelessness and despair... Doom 3 had all the story and atmosphere, but was an FPS... Frag keeps mentioning this game, what the heck it is... futuristic, apocalyptic, but not Fallout - oh well, can't remember the name of it. But that game looks like it has promise. In any case, D3 is NOT in the same atmosphere, not even in the same ballpark as D1. D3 looks like it was designed for 3rd graders and has the feel of it too; the game was obviously designed with a console control scheme in mind $$$, and what was left of Diablo is merely a name at this point. I'll never purchase that game, so help me.

[FireIceTalon]

^^I have to disagree about the D3 comments. D3 is definitely a return to D1 roots. Have you watched any of the vids on youtube? There is a ton of D1 lore and story in it, and the dark atmosphere is back in many ways. You even get to explore Tristram again (and not half assed like in D2). I didn't play Beta but I can already tell this is going to be a superior game to D2, which I found utterly disappointing. The skill system in D3 is simplified from the prior game, and for the better. Of course, D1 cant be topped, but i think D3 will turn out to be a great game in its own right.

[Bolty]

Diablo III, at least what's in the beta, is darker than Diablo II. That could change in later acts, yes, but there is a morbid evilness to the beta levels that's quite atmospheric. I mean, 60 seconds into your first playthrough, you're walking by a pile of burning dead that townspeople are setting fire to in order to prevent them from becoming zombies and rising up...

To me, what sets Diablo 1 apart was the tactical gameplay of the tile-based system. Diablo II and Diablo III are more action-oriented, which makes for more frenetic gameplay, but loses some of what we loved with the original. This is a natural evolution based on what game developers found people enjoyed the most: action and random loot drops. The more, the merrier. A much smaller segment could say that they really enjoyed positioning a huge group of enemy Blood Knights into a chokepoint where they could take them down one at a time. Diablo 1 is a slower game, where each monster is individually more threatening to your character than the other two games. That adds a lot of atmosphere right there.

[Treesh]

A much smaller segment could say that they really enjoyed positioning a huge group of enemy Blood Knights into a chokepoint where they could take them down one at a time. Diablo 1 is a slower game, where each monster is individually more threatening to your character than the other two games. That adds a lot of atmosphere right there.

I think that's why I enjoyed Thief: The Dark Portal so much. You had to plan, use everything to your tactical advantage. If you took a wrong step, you were generally dead. It did lack the randomness of layout of D1 though so after failing, you could fix what you did wrong that time and get the timing/positioning better the second time. For me, I think Thief did give me the closest feeling of danger that D1 gave me, but the gameplay itself was so different that I really can't call it my "next Diablo". The other games in the series just weren't even close though.

[LemmingofGlory]

To me, what sets Diablo 1 apart was the tactical gameplay of the tile-based system. Diablo II and Diablo III are more action-oriented, which makes for more frenetic gameplay, but loses some of what we loved with the original. This is a natural evolution based on what game developers found people enjoyed the most: action and random loot drops. The more, the merrier. A much smaller segment could say that they really enjoyed positioning a huge group of enemy Blood Knights into a chokepoint where they could take them down one at a time. Diablo 1 is a slower game, where each monster is individually more threatening to your character than the other two games. That adds a lot of atmosphere right there.

Without having a tile-based system, "Demon's Souls"/"Dark Souls" manages to require the player to adopt a cautious approach to combat that reminds me of D1. I was shocked to see it pulled off, honestly. I'm mildly curious to see if D3 pulls off anything interesting in the gameplay department or if it'll just be D2 all over again (which is what it looks like to me).

So far, I've not been incredibly impressed by D3 from promotional items. I found a D3 book at the store entitled "Book of Cain". It was a collection of letters from Cain to some character I'm unfamiliar with, and each one was signed, "Love, Uncle Deckard." I was revolted. I can't see Deckard "Forever Alone" Cain's dehydrated ass ever uttering something so mushy. The bits of D3's story I've heard have really left me feeling Blizzard is more than a bit uninspired these days.

I just realized I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed in Diablo 2 or Dragon Age 2.

-Lem

[Hammerskjold]

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.

Also blame it on the 'whatever is the latest sequel, is now called the franchise'. IE: Fallout 3, is 'Fallout'. Exception being if there is a sub title, so Fallout :New Vegas, is 'New Vegas'. Or Elder Scrolls #2904, Skyrimmdalegothron.

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.

D1 for me, is like Conan The Barbarian. (The first one with Ahnold)
It's not perfect, but it's fun. It has a stark, dark world atmosphere.

D2 = Conan the Destroyer. It's got more characters, (GRACE JONES!!11), but became more fantasy adventure. It ain't horrible, but more became less to me.

Tiny enemies aren't scary, they're irritating.

Fallens in D1 was basically the 'lvl 1 rat' trope, yet it never felt to me like a 'hit 100 low level critters to advance to next level' routine. Even though technically it still is. I dunno, D1 hit on a magical formula IMO of making low level games fun for me. Compare that to what I feel is a chore for D2 starting chars raising.

Gentlelurkers of like mind, what have been your successors to D1?

If we're going to be super precise about it, then Hellfire for me. I tried playing D1 classic a few months ago. And I could not do it.

If we're including D1 and Hellfire, then nothing for me yet. And I tried a lot.

Darkstone almost came close, but was hobbled by the typeface. Staring and trying to read their font choice after an hour or two, will make your eyeballs bleed.

D2&D2:LoD, I already mentioned. Fun in it's own way, but not quite the same.

Phantasy Star online PC and Guild Wars was on my radar, but unfortunately they require constant connection which is a strike in my book.

I tried a bit of Torchlight, I think I'll keep an interested eye on Torchlight 2 if or when that comes out.

This is not exactly Diablo like, but playing Borderlands on a friends PS3 for 30 minutes or so, convinced me enough to look out for the PC version in the bargain bins.

[Chesspiece_face]

[quote='Bolty' pid='194774' dateline='1333110510']
So far, I've not been incredibly impressed by D3 from promotional items. I found a D3 book at the store entitled "Book of Cain". It was a collection of letters from Cain to some character I'm unfamiliar with, and each one was signed, "Love, Uncle Deckard." I was revolted. I can't see Deckard "Forever Alone" Cain's dehydrated ass ever uttering something so mushy. The bits of D3's story I've heard have really left me feeling Blizzard is more than a bit uninspired these days.
-Lem

The comic book tie-in is worth checking out if you are in the market for DIII material. It suffers from some very obvious writting issues at times, mostly involving characters vocalizing over multiple panels regarding things that are happening (that old trope: show, don't tell), and it's unfortunate because the art is one of the strongest points of the book. It has a very dark feel to it and does a great deal to bring the grim feel of D1 to the present state of the lore.

Presently they are up to issue 3 of a 5 issue mini-series and I believe will have all 5 out around release time.