#9: Diablo (1997)

#9: Diablo
Platform: PC
Release Date: 1997
Genre: Hack and Slash RPG

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I can still remember that creepy laughter that plays the moment you insert the CD into the CD Drive.

Diablo was one of the very first games I played on the PC and subsequently owned (pirated of course lol). A cousin of mine introduced me to the game when I was the wee age of 8, a few months after getting my first computer.

if Yggdra Union was my intro to the SRPG genre, Diablo would be my introduction to the Fantasy genre. And I don’t mean Fantasy games, I mean the Fantasy genre as a whole. I remember going crazy about spells, swords, monsters and all when I got hooked to Diablo – pondering for ages how to read “Ressurection”, wondering why were scimitars, rapiers and claymores called such instead of “sword”, trying to pronounce “Gargoyle” (Garrr-goy-lee?) and “Scavenger” (Scare-weng-gerr?) properly etc. There was even once during English class, we were required to write an essay about a Nightmare. I vaguely remember mine being something about an oversized cow wielding a bloody cleaver named The Butcher.

Although the sequel Diablo II had much more to offer in terms of gameplay and strategy, I’m still more fond of the original. The mechanics weren’t too hard to grasp for me as a kid (I remember picking Warrior every time and thinking that the Sorcerer sucked because his melee damage was crap), the atmosphere was creepy (The Butcher’s Lair, Leoric’s Tomb, The Catacombs, Halls of the Blind – I’ll never forget them), the spell effects were amazing (My favorite spell was the Firewall, followed by Guardian) and most importantly, everything felt fresh back then.

One major gripe I have with Diablo II is how the unique item system was changed. In Diablo, there were a few unique items that were specialized quest rewards or boss drops. The Butcher’s Cleaver, Arcaine’s Valor, Optical Amulet, Harlequin Crest and the Undead Crown almost immediately come to mind. The feeling you get when you finally slay Leoric and claim his crown as yours is indescribable.

Even though it’s been years since I last played Diablo, several terms, phrases and quotes still come ready to mind, such as:

“I sense a soul in search of answers!”
“What ails you my friend?”
“Psst! Over here!”
“Can’t a man drink in peace?” <– I swear it took me forever to catch that.
“What can I do for ya?”
“Hello friend, stay a while and listen!”

Just goes on to show how much the game influenced me as a kid

Diablo might not be one of the most perfect game out there, but it was certainly one of the most enjoyable and influential game to me. It also signaled the beginning of my Blizzard fanboyism, though that’s a different story altogether

In my eyes, a timeless classic.

Next up: A game many people love and hate, but have probably played it once in their lifetime