It’s been a long time since I last played Diablo 3. After beating Reaper of Souls, I simply stepped away and moved on with other games. My demon hunter Doubler remained level 68 with a few legendary items I bought (not real money of course) from the auction house while it was still active. While Reaper of Souls was challenging, it wasn’t too difficult and it was an enjoyable expansion nonetheless. I casually followed Diablo 3 news to see what would bring me back into the game, and there it was: the original Diablo recreated in Diablo 3. I was a bit excited to hear that I would be able to replay one of my favorite games. I played Diablo anytime was I was able to since I didn’t get my first PC until almost 3 years after it came out. And even then it wasn’t a gaming PC and couldn’t handle many games.
Before jumping into the Diablo event, I took the time to get myself back into the game. Killed a few bosses, got my Demon Hunter to level 70, got some new gear and now I’m ready. Going to the portal that starts the event gave me goosebumps. I haven’t felt this nervous since playing Diablo all those years ago, and it was a different kind of fear going down those levels, hearing the eerie growls and screams in the background while not knowing what is lurking around the corner. All I knew was the next 16 levels would bring back the original Diablo experience and I was ready to take on the Lord of Terror again.
The portal to Tristam
Stepping through the portal, everything changed. The UI resembled the original Diablo UI. The resolution was scaled down to mimic the graphics of Diablo. The original music started playing and the eerie screams returned when I entered the Labyrinth. It felt like I was playing Diablo all over again, but it also felt knew seeing as I’m a Demon Hunter, a class not available in the original game. My character still played like he would in Diablo 3, so at least it felt normal. Killing wave after wave of demons brought back so many memories. The look and feel were very nostalgic, down to the little details like the use of music and sound effects. The event itself plays a bit faster than Diablo, which is a good thing.
I haven’t gone far, and the only objective is Slay The Dark Lord, which leaves me to believe the fast pacing of Diablo 3 will make those 16 dungeons feel short. I did, however, reach probably one of the most-hated bosses, The Butcher. At that time he felt like a gear test as he cleaved through my heroes many times. I would often find myself skipping him knowing I couldn’t beat him. This time around, I felt ready for him with my Demon Hunter. Getting to The Butcher was quick, and I first ran into him within 10 minutes. He still runs super fast and says his catchphrase, but that didn’t stop me from butchering him (pun intended).
Ah… Fresh meat!
Being able to revisit Diablo again brought back many memories. A few games I played on the PC weren’t as memorable as Diablo. The Darkening of Tristram being an anniversary event shouldn’t be missed. It’s a great way to bring back players who’ve haven’t slew demons in a long time. I’ve tinkered a bit beyond the event, like the bounties, played around in Adventure Mode, and created a Season Character. It’s really changed since the last time I played, and I think I’ll stick around much longer than the last time I played. For starters, I’ve got to kill The Butcher several more times as payback, and then I’ll move on to the original Lord of Terror.
from Nerd Reactor
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