14 DAY TRIAL // Diablo was the original source of sleepless nights for gamers, and now, that a slightly remastered edition is available, it’s going to rob our precious time once again.
It’s difficult to explain to a young person what Diablo meant for an entire generation of players. But, unlike contemporary games, Diablo amazed players because it was a pioneer, not because it was doing things better than the competition.
There are numerous reasons why Diablo became a cultural icon. Those reasons are no longer relevant in today’s climate as games are not following in the same footsteps, and won’t ever meet the same circumstances.
We have to remember that Diablo arrived in what might be called the golden age of gaming, but that can be said about any age in which the main bulk of the players are young people having fun.
A game played by older gamers
I’m not sure if people understand what’s the target audience for a Diablo remastered edition. It’s definitely not made up of the same kids playing Fortnite. Let’s not forget that the original Diablo was released in 1996, more than 20 years ago. Most gamers were not even born back then.
So, the question stands. Who is playing Diablo remastered? If we make a simple calculation and figure that the average age for an original Diablo player was 15, then we can deduce the same player today would be almost 40 years old.
The gamer demographics are changing, and games are no longer being played exclusively by teenagers. They are being played by people with kids, jobs, and mortgages. Blizzard is well aware of that, so having Diablo remastered was a no brainer. It should have been done sooner, but at least it’s here.
Was it worth it?
I don’t usually play old games, and I have an excellent reason. They are never as good as I remember them. The mind has a way of recording feelings along with images and sounds. I remember that Diablo looked awesome, and it played like a dream.
Now, even if it was reworked with some HD improvements, it looks terrible. The gameplay is even worse than I remember. Everything is wrong. But, it’s 3 a.m. and I’m still trying not to get killed, and I can’t understand why I can’t stop playing. If this were a modern game, with the same looks and gameplay quirks, I would have thrown it onto the “never again" pile after a couple of minutes.
The same mind that recorded the original experience is now doing something else. It’s making me relive the memories and feelings, while I’m playing through the game. The moment I start it, the music takes me back instantly. The sound of skeletons shuffling in the dark is still scary, despite the fact I could count the number of pixels they occupy.
Past a certain point, it doesn’t matter how it looks or how it plays, an old game has a single purpose, and that’s to guide you through childhood memories. Sure, the HD aspect is a welcome plus, but it’s not all that important.
Diablo is never going away
Blizzard has done a great job keeping the game alive, with a minimum of obtrusion to get the way. I don’t think players would have wanted to see the original title reworked with the latest engine, for example. They rather much have something that simply works on modern computers.
I would love to see if 20 years from now, Blizzard, or whoever holds the IP at that time, are going to get any request to update Diablo once more so that it still works. People who played it in 1996 and who are playing it now, are going to be in their 60s in 20 years — just one more playthrough.
