In our Diablo podcast, we revisit our youth with classic hack-and-slash adventures. We dove into “Diablo II Resurrected,” shared Tom’s top five co-op gaming experiences and battled a demon lord in the board game “Sanctum.” Stay awhile, and listen.
- 11:16 – Diablo II: Resurrected
- 1:26:29 – Tom Awesome’s Top 5 Co-op Experiences
- 1:50:01 – Sanctum
Diablo II Resurrected
For most of us, Diablo II defined the hack-and-slash genre since before we grokked the phrase action-RPG. Originally released in June 2020, many of us left- and right-clicked our way through many happy hours battling Diablo and his bros during our formative years.
Diablo II has always been one of my favorite games. When I ranked the Top 40 Games of my Lifetime Blizzards masterpiece ranked just outside the top five. For our Diablo podcast, it made sense to revisit the classic title in its remastered form in advance of Diablo IV releasing next month.
As we discussed on the podcast, Blizzard has recently re-released several iconic titles to varying degrees of success. While the original game celebrated a hangover from its twenty-first birthday, the company released “Diablo II: Resurrected” in 2021.
Fans of the podcast know I’m openly critical of old games. With limited gaming time available, I want to play fresh, new experiences. Can this beloved classic still cut it in the modern gaming landscape?
As we discussed on the Diablo podcast, for better or worse this is still Diablo II. It looks incredible with a shiny new coat of paint. Mowing through armies of demons is still fun. Ladder seasons and an expanded stash are all welcome improvements. Inventory micromanagement and stamina restrictions are unfortunately also still part of the experience. For better and worse, “Diablo II Resurrected” delivers the classic Diablo II experience.
Sanctum
As a companion to Diablo II, we played the board game “Sanctum” by Czech Games Edition. Designed by Filip Neduk, this demon slaying adventure pits you as one of four unique characters attempting to take down the demon lord corrupting the titular city.
Released in 2016, “Sanctum” captures the hack-and-slash theme beautifully. You battle demons, gain experience, grab loot and level up on your way to the final confrontation. Each of the four characters has unique skills to unlock.
Battle consists of rolling, manipulating and placing dice. Each of the demons you fight is red, blue or green. When you defeat one you move gems of their color up your skill tree, allowing you to unlock skills. As those gems reach the top of their columns they are also used to equip gear. For instance, if you have a level two green helmet, you need two green gems to equip it.
After eight playthroughs across the four characters, I couldn’t identify a surefire method to victory. The random nature of the demons that appear keep you from locking into a consistent strategy. Instead, you are constantly trying to make the best of the options available.
Do you battle a level three red demon for the level three armor you’ll receive, or do you go for a level two blue demon with a weapon and a level one green demon with an accessory? The correct answer depends on the skills you want to unlock and the gems you need to equip the loot you have stashed away.
After you make your way across the countryside you ascend to the gates of Sanctum to confront the demon lord. The game does an excellent job emulating a boss fight from video games. The demon lord is going to hit you like a mack truck, you better get a good start with your dice, have good armor and a big bag of tricks to refresh your armor between rounds.
Bring a +1?
While both of these games are fun, neither truly stands out as a must-play cooperative experience. Having spent significant time playing on my own and with friends, neither mode really stands out.
As far as onboarding new players – Diablo starts simply enough, just click and use this ability. As you grind loot a new player may struggle with the nuance of the benefits of extra mana versus one damage for attackers. I try to picture myself explaining the importance of fitting everything into your inventory perfectly to my wife. I can picture her asking why this is fun and necessary, and all I can say is, “it’s part of the experience.”
At the table, “Sanctum” can be visually overwhelming at first. There are five sets of demons on the table. Everyone has a unique set of skills so you can’t just ape what your partner is doing. At its core though, the board game can be broken down into three key actions: move, fight or rest. Yes, there is a learning curve, but I think it’s a more accessible option. The first game is largely a waste, you could consider onboarding someone with just the first game board and then reset for a real game.