The first Diablo is a rather special title to me, as it’s the very first “grown-up” game I’ve ever played. Its style was just such a departure from the kid-friendly programs and flash games I was familiar with, and the 10 year old me was absolutely fascinated by it. I’m not sure if showing such a scary, gory game to a small child would be considered good parenting by the majority of people, but I’m very grateful to my father for doing so regardless. It might just be the reason why I enjoy dark fantasy so much to this day. So…

„STAY A WHILE AND LISTEN!”

You find yourself in the center of a small village. It’s dark out, and the surrounding area is lit only by dim candlelight filtering through the windows of nearby houses. Despite the late hour, some citizens are still out and about. One of them, an owner of the local tavern, notices you, smiles, and beckons to come closer.

"Thank goodness you've returned! Much has changed since you lived here, my friend…”

As you take a look around, you get a bad feeling. The local blacksmith is repairing various pieces of gear – all of which are damaged beyond anything you’ve seen before, even on the most brutal battlefields. The village’s healer is standing outside his cottage, soaking in the cool evening air. His apron is covered in dark, red stains, and he himself seems exhausted, even more so than everyone else. A foul stench permeates the air – the water in the well is stagnant and certainly not fit for human consumption anymore. You decide to come up to an old wise man standing by the basin and ask if there’s anything you can do to help. He points towards the imposing Cathedral in the distance. This ancient holy site is apparently the source of all misfortune that has befallen Tristram in the recent times.

Without further delay you set off, confident that you’ll be able to easily complete the task at hand. But before you’re able to take your first step inside, you’re stopped by the sight of a mutilated, dying man. With the last of his breath, he tells you what transpired within the Cathedral. It was a massacre. A rescue party was led here by Archbishop Lazarus, but a demon called The Butcher slaughtered almost everyone as the clergyman fled deeper into the dark corridors. The townsman begs you to avenge him, and not too long after, succumbs to his wounds. You tighten the grip on your sword. You are Tristram’s only hope against an ancient Evil that has awakened in the labyrinth below.

THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

Diablo (1996-1997?) is the first installment in the most iconic Hack ‘n Slash series, like, ever. It pretty much pioneered the genre and continues to inspire countless titles to this day. And yet, after all these years, it remains an outlier. It is unlike any game that came before or after, including the sequels. And this uniqueness is precisely what keeps me coming back. It’s probably the only game in the series which invokes the horror aspect of dark fantasy. The atmosphere on display here is unparalleled, and it’s due to both its gameplay and sound design.

"THE SANCTITY OF THIS PLACE HAS BEEN FOULED."

No two runs of Diablo are going to be same. Every level is procedurally generated – and it’s not only the layouts and items, but also the quests and sets of enemies you’ll encounter during your crawl. Also, most enemy types have unique mechanics. For example, The Fallen scatter as you slaughter their kin, and Scavengers feast on fresh carcasses to recover HP, just to name a few. You get more power through gear and levelling of course, but you may also come across shrines.

Their effects are often only partially beneficial, if not outright detrimental – so choose wisely.

Coupled with a relatively short amount of time needed for one playthrough (around 5.5h for a semi-experienced player), the game is very replayable. Resource management plays a pretty big role as well, especially in early game. Inventory is limited – Diablo features a grid system which forces you to meticulously organize and make decisions on what loot to throw out or keep based on the amount of space it takes up. And while itemization and spell systems in Diablo are rather primitive by modern standards, it isn’t where the game gets its depth from. It instead requires you to be smart about your positioning and picking the right fights. Getting surrounded is a death sentence, and so you must use the environment to your advantage. This is especially apparent if you’re playing Warrior, as he can get absolutely shredded by ranged attackers before getting even a single hit in. This encourages a slower, more tactical approach. A lot of these elements are very reminiscent of roguelikes, and it’s no surprise as that was actually the original vision for the game.

Proper positioning is key in The Chamber of Bones

Just like its gameplay, the soundscape of Diablo seems rather simple on the surface level – it only features 6 soundtracks in total (In fact, you’re listening to one right now!). But it’s definitely a case of quality over quantity - each track perfectly compliments its respective level. Town’s somber, acoustic guitar and violin bring a strange sense of comfort – you’re safe here, for now. It stands in great contrast to tracks that play in combat zones. The deeper you go, the more otherworldly and unsettling it sounds, and it really feels like a slow descent into madness. My personal favorite has got to be Caves with its intense drums and the low shrieking of an electric guitar. I highly recommend you listen to the tracks yourself, as I can’t do them justice in words. Matt Uelmen is simply a genius composer.

Of course, we also can’t forget about voice acting and sound effects – as both are equally superb. Every line of dialogue in this game is fully voiced, and it’s pretty fun to go around and talk to NPCs just to hear the performance. Monster sounds are also great – every creature type has its own set of SFX, and hearing their death sounds is always incredibly satisfying.

Diablo has earned its spot on the list of timeless classics in gaming. Despite its 30th birthday being right around the corner it’s still very easy to just pick up and play it. I think this is a game that everyone should play at least once, and now is a great time to get into it! Both Diablo and its DLC "Hellfire" are available on PC via GOG and Battle.net, and the official multiplayer servers(!) are still up to this day. You can also get it to work on a plethora of other devices thanks to the DevilutionX mod, which I also highly recommend on PC for quality of life and controller support. I hope to see you in Hell!

COOL LINKS (BEWARE, SOME POLISH INSIDE)