I was a naked mage once.

In the days of Diablo 1, Pisser, Mischief, and I played together on screen to fight the forces of evil. Having the typical bravado of marines, both Pisser and Mischief chose to be warriors, so I chose to be a long-range attacker in the form of a mage. I did my reading on the Internet, and found out that the mage was so powerful people played a variant called the naked mage in order for it to be more challenging. Simply put, the mage walks around without any armor.

Well, Pisser and Mischief got tired of watching me die in the early levels and told me to put on some clothes. I did. Thereafter, I would boldly walk into a new room and smite everything with fireballs. This was particularly fun when the two warriors ran from the room, while I stood calmly in the center and slaughtered the horde. I admit that I did die a few more times on the higher levels, but it became a rare occurrence.

If the world is to be destroyed once, I choose fire, but if it is to be destroyed twice I choose ice.

In Diablo 2 the option of being a naked mage becomes ridiculously hard. This time around I play an ice mage, which is still rated as one of the most destructive characters. With the expansion pack and the advent of v 1.10, the various character classes—warriors, barbarians, sorceresses, assassins, and on and on—can even be further modified into a complex web of specialists. There are those who specialize in having the right equipment, while others build their skill trees into a surgical weapon of war. On top of the regular armor and weapons, you can also carry charms in your inventory which further enhances defenses and increases your probability of finding magic items. Diablo 2 is a very different game from Diablo 1 indeed.

Blizzard has kept the fast pace and addictive nature of the original Diablo series, making this game a thrill to play. It’s not about spell formation, or a tactical strike, but more about a squad working well together. The sounds are entertaining, and the graphics sufficient for what the game does. There really isn’t much of a story line, but that wasn’t the point, was it?

And for those of who wonder whether gemmed weapons are better than the super uniques, I’ll save you the trouble. Most of the time, the super uniques are better. So stop looking at every drop, and get on with the game already!