For those who have never played this game, Diablo is an action RPG that lets gamers fling a sword, fire off powerful spells, and battle the devil in the deepest parts of hell, all in a realtime environment.
Although this game isn't as good as the PC Diablo, EA has managed to add a lot of new features that make the PSX run really enjoyable. For example, a zoomed-in 25% view, so you can actually see what you're hitting and picking up. Another cool feature is the added effects in the environments. Not only will birds fly across your home town, but you can actually see reflective images in streams. And one of my favorite additions is the double-speed mode. When you're down to your last resources, and you want to get back home, this mode will double your speed and you'll be able to get back home in minutes, rather than hours.
Now I've bragged about some of positives in Diablo, but there a few negatives I should mention. The player interface is a hassle. That's not EA's fault, it's just the PlayStation controller can't handle all the options that appeared PC version. Diablo was all about killing stuff quickly and getting all the gold you can grab. Constantly scrolling through nasty looking menus just slows the game down. And the two-player mode. This was a good addition, but not being able to wonder around freely with a friend or foe makes it annoying -- I need my space. A split-screen/link feature would have given this game a flawless two-player mode.
All in all, if you're looking for a game with action and RPG elements, Diablo is a fine choice. But if you're a big fan of Diablo for the PC, you may want to hold off, you'll have more fun jumping back onto the PC version.
Douglass Perry
