WHAT IS DIABLO?

If you are one of the few that do not own this superb game, you may be wondering just what the heck this page is about or you might like some information about it before going out and buying it.

Diablo is an Action Role-Playing game. I stress that it is an Action game. Almost everything is done with the click of a mouse, but do not be fooled. The game is loads of fun. The role-playing aspect comes into play in the ways of earning experience when you kill monsters. After you acquire a certain amount of experience, you are given five points to allocate to you difference skills: Strength, Magic, Dexterity, Mana, and Vitality. In addition to that, you are also given an extra level and additional magic and hitpoints.

The most unique aspect of Diablo is that every game you play is different. Yes, the ultimate goal is always the same, but there are about fifty different mini-quests that Blizzard made up and of those, you will play through about six to eight of them. For example, in one game you might have to cure a poisoned fountain while in another, you might have to find a missing tavern sign. Some are even as gruesome as finding a daemon brain.

Another thing to mention. Diablo is a very violent game. That is why there is the MA-17 sticker on the front of the box. I'm not one to censor anyone from playing it, so if you feel that the game might be a bad influence, do not buy it. There are scenes of bodies hanging, a crow eating out the eyes of a corpse, and other wonderful things. A secret scene revealed by a patch shows The Butcher (a main boss character) chopping up a body and throwing it onto a meat hook. This can only be seen with the help of the mentioned patch which can be obtained here (follow the link on the front page).

After you get tired of single play, you will be pleased that Diablo has been built around multiplayer interaction as Quake was. You can play over the modem with a friend, over serial cables, over a network, and over the internet. The internet connection is incredibly easy and completely free. All you do is log onto your service, load up Diablo, and select Battle.net (Blizzard's free internet service). There, you can lock up with thousands of Diablo fans at any time of day or night.

Something to mention about Battle.net. There is some corruption; some people have figured out ways to increase stats, duplicate items, and to initiate an attack in town. Whether you feel this is good or bad is your own opinion, but if you are a new player, be well aware of these cheats. And yes, they are cheats, not trainers. The most (in)famous of them is Enigma's Diablo Trainer. This is no trainer. It asks you to agree not to use your edited character on Battle.net by clicking on two check boxes. Now, how is that going to stop anyone from cheating? The answer: it won't and it didn't. I would say at least thirty to even fifty percent of Battle.net players have duplicated items or edited stats, to their knowledge or not. Be very wary of who you chose to play with.

Once you get into playing Battle.net, you might want to join a guild. These are gangs of people who help each other out and play private games together. Some guilds have problems with others and there are guild wars. Some guilds just exist to create havoc by letting all of their members cheat and Townkill. I have no problem with a guild who just kills players...as long as they don't cheat.

So, if you are looking for a cool drink in the role playing game draught, pick up Diablo somewhere. The game is packed with action and replayability and some of the best multiplayer options next to Quake. I guarantee that you will be pleased with your purchase.