Rating: 
Summary: Hooked on Diablo II already!
Review: This game had me hooked even before I started beta testing for Blizzard. I was still playing Diablo until I got the e-mail that I was going to beta test! That was the first time I ever uninstalled the first Diablo from my system. The new games add a ton of new features. The best I think is the skill tree that allows you to mold your skills that you want. Up to 30 different custom skill tree branches to follow. The collectors edition is the only way to go! You get the 25 minute widescreen DVD & 70 minute soundtrack packaged with the greatest PC game of the year! Thank you Blizzard Enterainment!
Rating: 
Summary: Beta tester hoping for relief from Everquest addiction
Review: but I didn't get the relief I sought. While Diablo 2 is fun for a while, it is not the immersive game I'd hoped. It could hold my attention for perhaps an hour playtime at maximum. I may buy the game, and I may play the game - most likely when the EQ servers are down, the internet is clogged, or in the unlikely event there is nothing to do at the moment in Everquest. Diablo 2 simply is a slightly upgraded via more current technology version of Diablo. Something I could do perhaps when recovering from dental surgery and on pain meds. Disengage brain, kill stuff. Fun for a while. Ahh well, the Frogloks of Old Sebilis await. Chardok... And oh joy! The Hole opened today! /returns home to Norrath. /salute
Rating: 
Summary: Pushes the envelope in Role Playing games!
Review: Definitely a great sequel to popular Diablo. Its very tricky to update the game enough to improve features and functionality and preserve the original theme at the same time. The folks at Blizzard North did an excellent job of it! Playing the Beta, the only problem I noticed was that the graphic rendering was painfully slow. I am hoping that this is endemic to the Beta version. It takes about 3 minutes for the game to load on a Pentium 450 with 128MB RAM and a 16MB TNT nVidia Video Card. Otherwise, the visual and audio effects of the game are breathtaking and the game play is very interesting and more intuitive than the original version.
Rating:
Summary: Diablo II or Diablo 1.5?
Review: With improved, yet outdated graphics, this game doesn't give off the feeling of playing on a grid as we were confined to in the first. Although with the limited play in the stress test, I was hooked, as I was with Diablo. This sequel to the game offers more choices, more distinction between all of the characters. This game offers a way to circumvent getting totally wronged by player killers (PKers), by allowing to set level limits, passworded games, and a limit on some of the online cheating that plagued the last game. The new items, the new formulas for experience and the new skill trees add a lot to the game rather than having all the fighters running out with energy shield, king's ungodly sword of smiting, and maxed stats at level 20. The story is the same, but rather than being centered in one town, we chase Diablo and his brethren across four towns. The four stars are for a much needed (and awaited) sequel, but with the same basic storyline and somewhat outmoded graphics, it loses one star. That and in a few short days I will be very interested in road testing the other four characters, the stress test barbarian has been played to death.
Rating:
Summary: Diablo II
Review: I have been testing Diablo II through the Stress Test beta copy... GEEEZ! If you are a fan of this style... better yet, if you want the best role playing, action oriented, adventure style game... this could very well satisfy your desire! Okay... here are some important features: 1) Physical chest located in town that you can save your extra stuff to (not that big, but handy all the same. 2) NPCs (like Rogues)can join you... I was limited to only 1 at a time... but I did have a choice of who I wanted to hire for varying amounts. They heal themselves and follow you... they also attack on their own; however, they will follow if you decide to run in combat. 3) Almost an unlimited variation of items/equipment with enhancements produced by embedding gems & such into those socketed items you find. Not all items are socketed... but alot are. This increases everything from attack rating to special powers or spells like frost or fire attack. What is really cool is that the item changes in color... ex. embedding 3 rubies into a 3 socketed long sword turns the sword blood red. COOL! 4) Details of background are amazing, although the beta test was in 640x480... not sure if they will increase this. Your system maybe set higher, but when running the game... it defaults back down. Even at that, it look really good... 10 times better than the original backgrounds. 5) Lighting... wow... when travelling crypts and caves... the shadowing and lighting effects are truly awesome (I was using Glide as my video setup). This adds to the realism since light only travels so far. 6) Sound is solid... I have an A3D II sound card... it was simply excellent. 7) Tracking... hmmm, definitely improved. NPCs that are hired by you will follow... but occasionally they get stuck... so guess what, they teleport to your location if you get too far ahead! Nice idea. 8) Improved trade. Now you actually enter a trade screen for trades... gone are the days of dropping an item and running over to the other to protect your trade. You both choose your items of trade... then confirm it... so you actually see it. 9) Special effects are very detailed... ex. If you have a sword that steals life by 2% and mana by 4% and attacks with frost 1-6... you see all of them; each with a different effect. Very nice! 10) Creatures - tons with interesting abilities and attacks. You will not be disappointed! 11) When connected to Bnet... your char changes as to what you are equipped with... so you see your char in the channel, not just your name. This adds to the individuality of each person. Excellent touch! 12) Bnet multiplayer affords you the ability to create games that have controlable aspects such as how many can join (up to 8) and how different they can be (level differences) Ex. You can state you want a 3 user game with no more than a 4 level experience difference between you and the other players. You can also add in a separate description of the game. Outstanding! 13) Lastly... your saves are on the server (server based). While this is not always a good thing (if the server is down, you cannot play multiplayer with that char), it affords the ability to control cheating. BTW... when you exit the game and reenter.. the map regenerates randomly, but your keep your same stuff in your chest as well as any NPC you have with you. With all that I have said... I have left off a huge amounts! Just get it. Unlike other games of this nature... this game is extremely replayable with endless hours of enjoyment. Think of the original Diablo... and multiply that by 5! All the things you yearned for in the original are here in Diablo II. It has been well worth the wait.
Rating:
Summary: Diablo 2 Stress Tester
Review: I am a stress tester for Diablo 2. I have been playing it for about three weeks. Even though it is a beta test of the game I can't stop going to go back and playing the same worlds over again and again. I am currently on level 12 and I am going back again and again to get this piece of armor that I can't get till level 14. I will probably buy this game as soon as I can aford to buy it. The beta is three times better then the original diablo demo.
Rating:
Summary: D2 is the BEST!
Review: This is the best game ever! Anyone who rates this less than 5 stars is nuts! I just got the beta a little while back and I'm hooked! I cant stop playing! If your a fan of the classic Diablo 1, then youll love the sequel! And if your new, its easy to pick up on and become seriously addicted by! Diablo 2 is god!
Rating:
Summary: Diablo II is coming, you should pre-order
Review: I have been playing the beta of this game like mad. Through sleepless nights, and long days - I've played this game longer than some other games I've had for quite awhile. You must buy this game - you'll regret it if you don't! There is a good reason why there have been 1.5 million copies already sold so far - let's keep that number climbing!
Rating:
Summary: A ton of fun!
Review: I was a serious Diablo fanatic when it came out in 1997, and I'm not teenaged boy -- I'm a 39 yr old professional woman. When I got the chance to participate in the stress test during the final phase of testing for Diablo II, I was very excited. My first glimpse of the game had me calling all of my gaming friends telling them how *awesome* it was. This game is WAY better than Diablo and I cannot wait until the product is released! I'm even saving my last vacation days for when I get my (pre-ordered) copy. See you on Battlenet!
Rating: 
Summary: Same all over again.
Review: You would think with the time it took this game to come out they could have improved the graphics a little more than they did, but NO. It is the just a modified version of their lame role playing system that is just the old Tunnels and Trolls game system put out in the early 80's. They should have learn from other CRPG games that try and work similar to popular pen and pencil RPGs but they didn't. Wow, 5 characters instead of 3. Oh a tech tree for skills--never heard that before. Three words sum up this game...click, click click.
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