Diablo + Hellfire

Before I lost my CD version I replayed Diablo a number of times. The dungeons were partly randomly generated lending itself to some level of re-playability and you never found the same equipment (apart from the quest-reward gear) twice. As the game was not available on a digital storefront, I attempted to install an imaged disk version of the game early in the Windows 7 lifecycle but I was unsuccessful and didn't spent do much time working at it. However when GOG surprisingly released Diablo in March 2019 it answered the prayers of those who longed to play it again or certainly, for the first time. I finally installed the GOG version of Diablo to mark it's 25th Anniversary and the rush of nostalgia was palpable. While it's not by any means a beautiful game when it's ancient graphics are displayed on a 4K screen, GOG's Direct-X implementation is quite satisfactory and flawlessly executed. The game is perfectly stable on Windows 10 and there wasn't a single hiccup in my playthrough. The new GOG launcher, which can be initiated through GOG Galaxy allows a few options, one of which can display the game in all it's original VGA-era glory. I declined the offer favouring the (slightly) new sheen on an otherwise quarter-century-old video game. It took me just over 15 hours to complete but with short play sessions as alas now in my 40's, I was in danger of developing RSI if I played more than a level at a time. The controls for Diablo may the simplest of any video game but the constant left click is likely to reduce your mouse's lifespan if not your finger's. Nevertheless the pros outweigh the cons and it was enjoyable to look back at and re-experience one of the most famous RPGs of all time. I would recommend anyone so inclined to relive the adventure as I have.

the music is pure eargasm

Ultimate old-school aRPG experience, which is vastly different from Path of Exile and Diablo 3/4/Immortal. Best played using a port (devilutionx) for widescreen support, bugfixes and controller support.

Fantastic old action rpg, I recommend to use devilutionX project to run this with some upgrades

I played the original Diablo and its sequel an awful lot in the 1990's and early 2000's. It was one of the first large-scale multiplayer experiences I had and it was a blast: the combat felt visceral and real (the graphical style was very dark and muted compared to other titles of the time) and the enemies genuinely terrifying if you were unprepared. But, like many classics and trendsetters of the mid 1990's, this game has not aged particularly well. Character specialization is minimal compared to more modern variants of the genre and weapons are not very distinct. Also, level design is pretty bland compared to more modern titles. While levels are somewhat randomized, you will be wandering around claustrophobic corridors in various color palletes for the entire game. This game was groundbreaking back in the day: the variety of enemies, randomized weapons, learnable spells, characters in town, and quests are all memorable, and the dungeon crawling is a blast. I still remember most of the bosses that you encounter in the game. But, it is still hard to recommend this game in 2019. This game opened up a genre that has been very well explored in the intervening 23 years, and there is not a single aspect of this game that has not been better done somewhere else. Torchlight, Titan Quest, and Grim Dawn (and many others) took the formula and improved on it so greatly that the original is hardly worth playing today. All that said, if you want to see how the dungeon crawling ARPG genre began in earnest, get this title and try it out. Hoepfully someday we can also get the sequel on GoG, as well!