Nostalgia trip: This is how "Diablo 1" plays in "Diablo 3"
Blizzard has recreated "Diablo 1" in "Diablo 3" to mark its 20th anniversary. The gates of hell are now open and you can play through the retro levels. Pure nostalgia for "Diablo" fans.
The sound, the movements and the pixelated graphics. It warms my heart immediately. The corpse in front of the cathedral lies unchanged, as if it has been waiting for 20 years for me to search it again for loot. Just like back then, it marks the start of 16 eerie levels that await brave adventurers until they come face to face with the hell lord Diablo himself at the end.
This nostalgia trip was made possible by Blizzard with the Anniversary Patch 2.4.3, which was released to mark the 20th anniversary of "Diablo". This means that "Diablo 3" owners can now enjoy "The Darkening of Tristram". An annual event that will only be playable in January.
Homage instead of remastered
Blizzard has paid loving homage to the first instalment of the action role-playing game and recreated "Diablo" in "Diablo 3". However, "The Darkening of Tristram" is not a 1:1 replica, but rather a remake with a retro look. The graphics have been given an extra pixelated look, but it still looks much nicer than the original. You can see the stark difference to "Diablo 3" when you port back to the safe camp, then the graphics change from retro to normal. In addition, movement has been restricted to eight directions, as was the case back then. The characters also move much more slowly and jerkily - something that also characterised "Diablo". All 16 levels have been recreated and the iconic bosses such as The Butcher are also back.
Blizzard recommends taking a level 1 character. Presumably so that you get the real "Diablo" feeling once again and you also unlock an achievement with it.
How do you even get there?
I asked myself the same question at the beginning. You go to New Tristram in Act I with a new character or an existing one, more precisely to the waypoint "The Old Ruins". It is labelled "The Darkening of Tristram" on the overview map. From there, walk a few metres south, where you will come across a portal labelled "Tristram". As soon as you have stepped through, you will be greeted by a wonderfully pixelated "Diablo". Then run northwards along the path until you reach the cathedral. That's where the fun begins.
Don't miss this opportunity. The familiar sound alone put a big grin on my face and the encounter with the Butcher was almost like back then. The fat butcher is still dishing it out. Blizzard has also hidden a few interesting easter eggs. All in all, a marvellous piece of nostalgia.
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Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.