Diablo 2 is the beloved and groundbreaking action RPG originally released in 2000, and since then the community has supporting the game long after its release. This is seen through the addition of mods that aim to rework some of the game's systems and mechanics, mainly character builds, items, and the endgame. Diablo 2's gameplay loop came in the form of item acquisition, where players would repeatedly run through an area, a boss, multiplayer lobbies, or the really difficult endgame challenges. Some players' goals were to find elusively epic drops that players who grind for years might still not find due to an extremely low drop rate.
As Diablo 2 is quite an old game at this point, so many of the various mods will add quality of life changes that didn't exist back then. This includes the ability to pick up gold automatically, a limitless stash, higher resolution, loot filters, and more. Many of these features will be included in the Diablo 2 remaster, Diablo 2: Resurrected, which should please fans of the modding community and the original. One of the more recently released mods of Diablo 2 is called Project Diablo 2, which aims to do everything above and more.
What is Project Diablo 2?
Project Diablo 2 is a free-to-play mod of the existing Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction game, created by fans and spearheaded by twitch streamer SenpaiSomething. Project Diablo 2 aims to maintain the Diablo 2 experience while providing updates to the game as if development had never ended. As such, the mod will be worked on full-time and will have its own ladder season that resets roughly every four months to keep the game fresh, much like Diablo 3's seasons or Path of Exile's leagues. The mod also introduces new endgame systems, new skills, new items, and more, making it a substantial project compared to the average mod out there.
Project Diablo 2's goal is to improve items and increase build diversity so that all of them have some purpose in the mid-to-high-end character builds. Every item in the game has been reviewed and most have been reworked, sometimes with higher affix values or a complete overhaul. For example, the unique Scale Mail Hawkmail had its Maximum Cold Resist affix nerfed slightly but now adds +1-3 to Ravens, a Druid only skill in Diablo 2. Windforce is another example where it has a chance to cast level 25 Twister upon striking. These are changes that add more character to these items, while also giving them more utility options than they otherwise had originally.
Every skill in the game has been looked over to make sure the pool of builds is greater than ever. Anyone who would like to specialize in a skill or build that in the original game was not viable can do so now with confidence. A Golemancer build for the Necromancer can now summon additional golems for every 5 base points put into Golem Mastery, while Skeletal Mages' elemental attacks now pierce enemies for example. These small changes have a large impact on build diversity when coupled alongside the item changes.
Project Diablo 2's New Features
Alongside various tweaks to items and skills, there are also many new additions in Project Diablo 2 to help facilitate a more modern enjoyment. Firstly, over on Project Diablo 2's website is a trading page where players can list items they wish to trade away for what they need, typically for High Runes. The website features the ability to copy a message to send to the recipient in-game or directly on the website through a quick chat system. The mod also allows players to play in widescreen with the option to upscale the game to any resolution without affecting gameplay, so players can play in 4K if they have the appropriate hardware.
Project Diablo 2 borrows a couple of features from the highly popular Path of Exile such as the ability to corrupt and risk precious items and the endgame mapping system. If a player would like, they can use a new item called the Worldstone Shard to corrupt an item with varying outcomes. Ideally, a player would want the outcome of a new modifier to be rolled onto their item, though there is a small chance of their item bricking, much like the Vaal orb in Path of Exile. The end game includes a new mapping system, similar to Path of Exile's map system, with four tiers of maps, the highest being incredibly difficult challenges more suited for groups of players.
Alongside these two features is a new item that forces a random amount of sockets onto a viable item called the Larzuk's Puzzlebox. This item is about as rare as the High Runes and cannot be used on items that cannot have sockets or items that already have sockets on them. Project Diablo 2 also includes minimap and chat notifications when rare items drop giving players the chance to never miss out on rare drops. Two more nifty features are the ability to inspect other players, as well as having a more advanced character sheet, something Diablo 2: Resurrected will also have.
How to Play Project Diablo 2?
All a player would need to give Project Diablo 2 a try is a legit copy of Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction and then safely download the mod itself over at ProjectDiablo's website. Fans of Diablo 2 who want to give the mod a try need not worry as it is a free mod and it updates roughly every 4 months keeping things fresh. The mod is currently in the middle of its second season, with more improvements on the way. Though with it being a new mod that is less than a year old, and Diablo 2: Resurrected on the horizon with its own quality of life improvements, who can say how long Project Diablo 2's staying power will be.
Diablo 2: Resurrected releases 2021 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.