Games — Consumed

2000 · Blizzard North

Diablo II nails the core loop in a way few games have matched. Click to move, click to kill, watch numbers go up, find better gear, repeat. The genius is in how tightly wound that cycle is. Every monster drop could be the rare you've been grinding for, every boss kill another chance at a set piece. The randomized maps and enemy spawns mean each run through Act I feels slightly different, and the difficulty scaling through Normal, Nightmare, and Hell keeps the challenge curve honest.

The seven character classes each offer distinct playstyles, from the Necromancer's army of minions to the Sorceress's elemental nukes. Skill trees force meaningful choices about specialization, and the ability to completely respec wasn't added until much later, so your build decisions carried weight. Runewords and crafting systems added layers of depth for theory-crafters, while the base game remained accessible enough for casual demon-slaying.

What makes Diablo II endure is its respect for player time and mechanical transparency. Damage calculations are complex but knowable. Drop rates are low but fair. The game doesn't waste your time with cutscenes or forced dialogue. You're there to kill demons and collect loot, and every system serves that purpose. The 2021 remaster proved the design still holds up because the fundamentals were always sound: tight controls, satisfying feedback, and a progression system that hooks into the same part of your brain that makes you check your phone notifications.