Diablo + Hellfire

This game is obviously really old and alot of people might think people only like this beacuse of nostalgia but this games Dungeon horror elements combat and atmosphere are top tier it may seem old and clunky to new players but id urge you to atleast do your first run unmodded on vanilla diablo 1 you owe it to yourself to at least try diablo.

Diablo was the first game I had ever played with random dungeon generation. I'm not saying it is the first made, just the first I was exposed to. And it opened me up to enjoying that sort of crawl, where making paper maps and keeping them in a binder for my next playthrough was no longer a valid tactic. Luckily the game does auto-map. The graphics aren't breathtaking, but even in for its time, I found them smooth and just detailed enough to set the grim and gorey tone, without being so detailed as to be nause inducing. I want to be thrilled, not sickened. The controls? Clunky. But so were other games at the time. Nonetheless, I could get over the clunkiness by using the environment for strategy. Opening and closing doors was a valid strategy, firing through grates, using narrow corridors or river formations for choke-points. I did it all. This was something about the game even my dear old mother could enjoy, and we'd play co-op on the Playstation version (which I found the aiming of bows to be even clunkier in) from beginning to finish together. I'd say the length of the game was just right and there weren't too many frills, side quests, or minigames to distract you. The progression was straight forward and what to do next clear. Overall, it's an atmospheric artifact from my youth which I am glad to have the opportunity to play again. Now to see if I can get my 60+ year old mother to play it with me again.

Diablo 1 is one of the first games I ever played online back in 1997. It really was a game that blew my mind with what it could do back then. Randomized dungeons, mobs of enemies, all the downloadable files, and can play online with people. All those nights, chatting away and killing mobs of monsters. To me, is still one of my favorite times to be gaming online. The controls are clunky. But it still has its charm. Install with a few mods that will improve on the game and make it more modern.

I played this as a kid on Playstation then later using the disc version. And I'd never want to erase those memories. But, quite frankly, this game can safely be skipped and the story recap watched on youtube. A lot of people here will praise the "atmosphere" the game has and all... But, once you objectively look at it, most of the "atmosphere" is directly due to the limited field of vision and the walking speed. Yes, walk, because you can't run in this game. Like, just walk in Diablo 2 if that's your thing. Nothing is stopping you. Outside from that, this game feels extremely antiquated. Just do yourself a favor and skip that one for the sequel. At least that game, feels a bit more in line with what is considered great about the genre. Diablo 1 these days is more for the nostalgics or people who wants to live a piece of gaming history. But, as a game, it has been outdone so many times it is really hard to get back into let alone for the first time. I'm still rating it 4 starts but that's taking the whole "when it was released" context. Don't take this as an endorsement to encourage you to buy it.

Though others preceded it, Diablo was *the* title that elevated CRPGs as a major genre. This atmospheric horror-action foray into role-playing is well worth booting up today. When you find new areas or receive a new quest in the catacombs, return to town and talk to the villagers before proceeding. Don't forget Wirt and Adria!