Diablo 2 is so old that some boomer parents probably have some pleasant stories of how they promoted good Christian values back in the day by killing Diablo over and over again in Hell difficulty. If fans are lucky enough to have such cultured forebears who probably introduced them to Diablo 2, then they'll also have those pleasant memories.
So, what's stopping them from firing up the game again in your modern rig? Oh right, the graphics look like they were ravaged by a hurricane. The pixels are all over the place and if they squint closely, they can probably see individual ones. On top of that, the experience can get repetitive so they might also want to spice it up. Thankfully, mods are available in case waiting for the remaster is too much.
To install them, simply follow the instructions on their linked mod page. Some of them also have specific ReadMe files for instruction located within the downloaded files.
10 MultiRes
First up, do your eyes a favor by ensuring that Diablo 2's resolution is something that won't give you extensive eye damage just by looking at it. Grab the fabled MultiRes mod; it adjusts the game's resolution to fit modern monitors better.
The mod supersizes the game's graphics, adding more rendered pixels in the screen so players can finally enjoy the old game in 1080p or even 4k. That's a huge step up from the native 800 x 600 resolution. The only downside for this mod is that the UI will look weird and sometimes too small but that's a small price to pay.
9 Gamepad Profile - Xpadder
One of the biggest health concerns in playing Diablo games is how it can quickly lead to some nasty carpal tunnel syndrome. Too much clicking is bad for the wrist. So stop that early sign of aging dead in its tracks by switching to a healthier gaming peripheral: the gamepad or controller. There's a Diablo 2 mod for that.
It's called the Gamepad Profile - Xpadder-- a small program that does all the controller mapping so players can finally play Diablo 2 on a gamepad. The best part is that the cursor-to-analog mapping is flawless whereas other gamepad profiles map the movement to the direction pad instead because they're masochists.
8 Dreamaker Mod
Now, as for other quality of life improvements in Diablo 2, the Dreamaker mod should be a nice addition. The Dreamaker mod adds in some useful tweaks that aren't invasive enough to be considered cheats (though we're not recommending them for online play, use it at your own risk!).
One of those benefits is the increased stash size as well as a shared storage space. Other good stuff includes rune availability and Cow Level access among many things. Some of the tweaks are even going to be added as permanent improvements to Diablo 2 Resurrected.
7 Pandora's Trials
Pandora's Trials might sound like a bad thing in any context if you're familiar with the mythology but this mod is nothing but goodness. It adds tons of mechanics to the game to make it more interesting and to give players better control.
Moreover, the leveling is made easier, reducing the amount of grind players need to do in order to get results. Among the added mechanics is the Wisdom system which gives a full set of passive bonuses and an Alchemy system for crafting because the Horadric Cube is too basic.
6 Dark & Focused
All these easy mods turning the player base soft? Well then here's something more hardcore: Dark & Focused mod. It's like the Dark Souls of the Diablo 2 modding community and gives focus on making the game more challenging. On top of that, it also makes the game literally darker.
Dark & Focused also removes some player luxuries such as the mini-map, NPC traders, crafting, and runes. In summary, players are left to their own devices, alone and afraid in a darker world of Sanctuary as they fend for themselves. Facing Diablo is bound to be more monumental with this mod.
5 Guild - The Mercenary Overhaul
Mercenaries offer a small semblance of hope and companionship in Diablo's rather bleak and isolationist world. However, they tend to become useless in the mid-late game. They simply won't do as meatshields at that point because they also die too easily.
That's why something like the Guild - The Mercenary Overhaul should work wonders for them. It makes every mercenary worth having so that magic-based classes can finally have their bodyguards. The hirelings will also adapt to the player build and comes with at least one skill passive.
4 The Puppeteer
For another angle to the Diablo 2 story, perhaps The Puppeteer mod can sate that craving? It's a mod that focuses more on the story and even introduces its own tale that's independent of the main storyline yet contained in the same timeline.
The Puppeteer tells a different and new story where what is told also happens in gameplay. Moreover, it adds new items, enemies, bosses, and even voice lines. Think of it as some mini-DLC for the old game. It's a labor of love, don't miss it as a Diablo fan.
3 Escape from the Afterlife
Escape from the Afterlife turns Diablo 2 into somewhat of a new and different game. It adds a new UI, new gameplay mechanics, and even overhauls all the classes, skills, and items. The only difference is the storyline remains the same.
However, it's worth checking out if players are tired of the usual vanilla gameplay. The mod turns the old classes into something else and also gives them different names as well as skills. It turns the whole game into something more dynamic and intricate.
2 Battle For Elements
Players can consider Battle For Elements as a global combat overhaul mod that changes most of the mechanics in Diablo 2 to make it more challenging. Battle For Elements scraps the game's balance and turns it into something that requires more thinking or tactical flexibility.
This was done by tweaking lots of numbers in the Diablo 2 combat metric. On top of that, the mod also adds additional story and dialogue to the game. Think of those as icing on the cake or auxiliary rewards for persevering.
1 BMPK Custom UI
Apart from Diablo 2's ancient 2.5D graphics and animation, its UI is also heavily outdated and unrefined. In fact, even that alone makes the game feel too old or at times, less functional. A new coat of paint such as the BMPK Custom UI ought to do wonders for it.
Granted, this mod's changes aren't exactly that dramatic. One can only do so much for the rigid Diablo 2 visuals. It still offers a refreshing crispness to the already existing UI and menu design though and should keep Diablo feeling fresh until Resurrected hopefully releases soon this year.