Why play Diablo 1 (1996)?

[@BananaMana69]

I just realised Cains famous line "Stay a while and listen" is actually encouraging you to talk to the townsfolk as they all have a lot of different dialogue for different quests.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

They all have something to say about most of the quests you receive, it’s pretty cool.

[@rllmgr6117]

As a kid, I thought Cain was so annoying. Just wanting us to talk to him all the time... But this makes more sense! 😆😊

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

It was a minor attention to detail which made the world feel more reactive and real.

[@feitopuns]

everyone has iconic line

[@mrStraker888]

yeah no kiddin.. thats usually what "stay awhile and listen" means..

[@thraknar]

When I first got this game, it ran so slow the characters footsteps matched a ticking clock!!! But me and my friends would be glued to the screen as if every single monster was a huge deal and it actually felt intimidating and scary! That is an awesome achievement for a video game.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Diablo had a fearsome but well-deserved reputation. I miss the days when games had you on the edge of the, seat like you describe.

[@KajiCarson]

@@HeyBlondieGamer The game Signalis was really tense.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I hear great things about Signalis. I should play that sometime.

[@abrahamovicovski]

The initial design of the game was going to be turn based roguelike and midway through they decided to go real time. Probably why footsteps and slow movement is a thing.

[@df6597]

@@HeyBlondieGamer People often attribute that to novelty with it being a new experience at the time, and everything that came after not having that. I have always disagreed with that. Even Diablo 2, which is often praised as the best game, pretty much ditched 80% of what made the original great. None of the characters matter in D2, they fleshed out too much of the story and spent too much time telling you instead of showing you/letting you experience it through gameplay and meaningful characters in the world. There was also a lot less dungeon crawling, and mapping on the overworld just doesn't have the same feel. Where D1 was a masterpiece in many ways, D2 was the beginning of the divergence from a dungeon crawling arpg toward the more recent action-multiplayer online rpg. D4 has the aesthetic, but the tone only exists in a few cutscenes and they aren't representative of the game. It's kind of a shame, I was hoping they'd go back to the roots more with it. Dark Souls has more in common with Diablo 1 than D3 and D4, too bad they didn't veer more in that direction.

[@Grimlore82]

I want a Diablo 1 Resurrection more than any other game.

[@sophisticated]

It's the only masterpiece for it's time in the series. I like Diablo 2 but I remember being disappointed a bit when it came out.

[@sophisticated]

@@stefantorpeda yea I thought so too about the feel. Diablo 2 was a bit scary in the monastery in the prison and catacombs but the rest just didn't feel the same. Diablo 4 is good though. I'm enjoying it right now. It's a great action game.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

The first act captured that feeling well, though not as effectively as D1. The rest became globe-trotting flavour. I get that they were trying to grow the franchise into something epic, but it lost a big part of its identity along the way.

[@sophisticated]

​@@HeyBlondieGamer IMO Act 1 was dull. The cemetery was cool, the prison of the monastery was slightly scary as a kid but the rest wasn't fun. D2's environments are not fun nor scary.

[@AC-hj9tv]

Please diablo please

[@Indigo_Gaming]

This is a crime against humanity that you don't have more viewers/subscribers! This is excellent work, my man!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thanks, mate! Comments like this make it all worthwhile.

[@kingdunlap741]

Thanks for sharing this indigo gaming. Hey blondie you have a new subscriber o7

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

@@kingdunlap741 Welcome, and thanks for checking out the channel!

[@casedistorted]

I give him a sub right now. My only suggestion for this video was maybe a border on the outside of the 4:3 aspect ratio of the oldschool game.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I’ll keep it in if for future videos. Thanks for watching!

[@tenkenroo]

Diablo 1 had so much good atmosphere that was genuinely scary. Diablo 2 felt more story focused with the quests being strictly linear. I liked how in the first one sometimes you would just stumble on a quest. Like gharbad the weak.

[@Tyrian3k]

The thing about the earlier levels is that they gave you more options. In the dungeon, you have plenty of obstacles and even the bars that allow you to potentially cheese the Butcher. In the catacombs, there's no more bars and everything is sectioned off into rooms with doors. In the caves, there's little to no cover left and only occasionally you will find a door with a fence that could be used strategically. In hell, there is nothing but open rooms and corridors with little to no options for strategy left, save for hiding around a corner. It is meant to make not just the enemies, but also the environment you fight in, more difficult. As I see it, it makes combat less strategic as well and, with how much more challenging the enemies are down there, having less strategic options makes it a slog.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Great observation, I agree with this. The tactical options dry up the further down the player goes.

[@bradcallahan3546]

Lol.. ok. Putting more thought into this trash game than the developers. No strategy in the game whatsoever. Guess the little gaming community brains wouldn’t see that though.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Yet you took the time to read the replies *and* comment… I don’t humour surface-level rage-bait NPC comments here. Explain your stance. Provide examples. Be specific. Unless your thoughts are as vague as your platitudes.

[@Trendle222]

@@HeyBlondieGamer EXACTLY! i cant stand when people just Rage and give no actual facts, or reasons for their rage.

[@candlestyx8517]

@@bradcallahan3546 It was made in 97, you cant judge it by 2024 standards when gaming was only a child back then. What a brainless take dude

[@mightykitten4615]

You naming your sorcerer Xardas put a huge smile on my face. That's exactly what I do for most mage characters I play.

[@Pouilleux]

It's both weird and awesome to see a KZbinr with less than 1k subscribers making better content than a lot of 500k youtubers make. Your channel is still young, but the quality is undeniable. You've earned yourself a new subscribers with that amazing analysis, and I'm eager to see what's next for this channel

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you so much, comments like this mean the world to me! I write about the sort of things which interest **me** about video games, things which often pass without comment but which undeniably contribute to the experience. I appreciate the support 👍

[@xBINARYGODx]

I think people have romanticized the "smaller tuber with low skills -> now bigger with better skills" thing. I mean there is truth to it, of course, but its become exaggerated. If you see a good video from someone with very few subs, then really, your early - enjoy the ride.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I’m oblivious to whatever social movements are happening around the microcosm of longform content creation for games. I like making videos about interesting games, and I’m happy that people are sticking around for the ride.

[@Adamismmyname007]

the back story is chilling, like the screams you hear for the first time in the cathedral. this game is timeless

[@muffinman5423]

It took me 20 years to figure out you could start a new game with the same character. That made it a bit easier to beat the game if you got stuck or ran out of gold.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Oof! That makes it replayable, even with a soft-lock.

[@screenmonkey]

I believe that's how you are supposed to play the game, at least one soft reset each run as you go to each tier of location, as the difficulty jump can feel insurmountable especially when playing a sorcerer. Also, the town square is also useful as a bank to store extra scrolls, potions, gear and cash during a run.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I don’t believe that it was designed with mandatory restarts in mind. That wasn’t stated by David Brevik as a deliberate design mechanism in any of the literature that I read/watched.

[@Mytelefe]

Mage was the most op class in the game and you could buy almost every spell from Adria since her stock would reset every town visit or game load. There was only 3 two-handed weapons in the game outside of axes (which all were two-handed) and one was named Two-handed Sword it would be nice for it to be indicated in shops but unless you didnt pay any attention to the item system you would never be mistaken. If you move diagonally you can dodge most attacks since you move slightly faster. Great take on the atmosphere.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

My first run confirmed that statement, but the second run was a grind. Most definitely because of my lack of knowledge about the internal workings. I did notice that diagonal movement caused some hit detection issues with enemies too, so I guess it’s not just confined to player movement.

[@kato1kalin]

My fighter with the godly plate of the whale and maxed out chain lighting curbed stomped everything. Most op in my opinion.

[@Moment2Forever]

@@kato1kalin godly plate wasn’t a legit item though

[@ZeroXcuses]

This is one of the best videos I've ever watched on KZbin, and it's a shame that you don't have a hundred thousand followers because of it.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it!

[@andrewd4438]

Think that’s resolved now

[@piyushnandi6306]

Came here after Indigo's recommendation... guess I'll stay awhile and listen more! Please consider making a similar analysis of Diablo 2 Lords of Destruction.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

“I know of many myths and legends that may contain answers to questions that may arise in your journeys into the Labyrinth.” It’s not off the cards…

[@BluesInSeattle]

I was an original beta test player for Diablo 1 back in 1996. It was revolutionary. As much as DOOM, it was a total have changer. The *feeling* that I got from playing that game has not been reproduced on any other game since. It felt so damn good to play it in the dark. I was working my first job as a programmer. I would stay late after work to play it because my home computer was not as fast. So damn good.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Wow, that must have felt like quite the privilege, especially in recognizing that what you were playing was revolutionary for the industry. I’ve felt a handful of those moments and they’ve only ever been from around the 90’s/2000’s. I doubt that we’ll ever recapture that special feeling in games again.

[@CreamySenpai31]

Just brought all of the Diablo games in preparation for Diablo 4. Played Diablo 3 previously but now I really wanna play them all

[@Helaw0lf]

There is a Beelzebub mod that takes the hidden files of what would have been the original game and brings them to light. A more fleshed out game experience so I hear.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Yes, I've heard a lot of good things about Beezlebub. I might check it out at some point. Or perhaps Blizzard will give it the 'Resurrected' treatment...

[@Helaw0lf]

@@HeyBlondieGamer The current company would without a doubt treat it like it does not exist. Revamped would be nice but meh. As long as they do not disrespect the original vision and leave monster uncensored, especially the succubi. Otherwise, I leave it in the hands of indie developers to revitalize this lost property. The game itself taught me patience growing up. I remember starting a game over once with the Sorcerer to find more book drops to prepare for Diablo. It was not easy I recall. With the mod, I hear you get 25 quests without having to play multiple rounds to find ones you missed out on previously. I want to say they modded it more like D2 engine where you no longer can save on point where you left off. Dungeons do randomize and the inclusion of way-points can make it easier to keep tabs of where you have to go next. I want to say each level of the labyrinth has a quest(s). I do wish to know more of what the lore would have been for D2 prior to scrapping.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I’ve noticed that Blizzard flatly pretend that D1 doesn’t exist. They even misbranded some D1 artwork as D2 recently on Twitter. I’m glad that GOG was able to secure D1 and add it to the library. And, of course, it lives on in the modding community.

[@TheMagistrium]

@@HeyBlondieGamer Beelzebub is amazing. Its quite hard on the later difficulties but the struggle really fits into d1 atmosphere.(I mean d1 characters are just skilled warriors not some nephalems with god like powers,so it makes sense for them to struggle with forces of hell)

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I think you’ve hit on a really good point! The characters in D1 are human, nothing more. Their mortality adds to the grim feel of crawling under the earth.

[@seantaylor424]

I've long been interested in Diablo 1 for its restraint compared to 2 and 3 and its sad, but believable ending. I came to this video expecting a cursory look over the story and then deep dive into the game mechanics (like most game videos do), but I was overjoyed when I saw that the Tristram section of the video wasn't an analysis on buying items, but a treasure trove of character backstories and exploration of the game's themes and mood! That you dedicated most of the rest of the video to things like the game's ending (and the complex situation in which it was made) and the PHONEBOOK of pre-game lore was a joy and an eye opener to me that the wider story of the Great Conflict, Dark Exile, etc wasn't pulled out of nowhere in Diablo 2 as I thought, but present in the story since Day 1 (this actually improves my opinion of Diablo 2, as I now know it didn't just complicate a previously-simple story with a bunch of weird additions, but acted on the set-up of this game's ending). Thank you very much for shedding light on this series starter and pioneer in gaming and keeping us story-buffs in mind!

[@joaocaju3061]

I also used to think like that! I was pleasantly surprise - after GoG's launch of Diablo 1 - that many of the quests and characters of Diablo 2 were almost in D1.

[@seantaylor424]

@@joaocaju3061 So strange that they made so many quests for D1, like fully completing them and everything, and then didn't include them in the final release. Must have been a very good reason to cut all of that content they already went to the trouble of coding and voice acting...

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

It may have been a design choice, perhaps they felt that it diluted the experience past the original vision.

[@seantaylor424]

@@HeyBlondieGamer There's an interesting thought. I'm so used to things being cut just for reasons like budget, runtime or release dates that I never considered that there are also artistic reasons for cutting content. Would be nice if that was the reason they did what they did rather than being forced to do so.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

In many ways Diablo feels like a distillation of design choices. The only other reason might be that they were imbalanced for the inclusion of classes, or were built so heavily on the Warrior archetype that it wasn’t possible to change them before release.

[@V3x0r]

This game also holds the record for the fastest install ever for those of you who owned a CD of the original.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

A record never to be broken as games ballooned in size with the adoption of the CD XD

[@Maibuwolf]

Probably because it installed next to nothing from the cd which is why it checked to make sure the cd was in the PC.

[@mateuszkwietowicz2470]

If you think Diablo has slow movement or gameplay - you should've tried playing it in the 90s on an old 486DX2 66MHz processor (Pentium 60 was the minimum requirement for game) - the characters moved at half the speed showcased in the video - for me personally it added to the atmosphere - you were slowly exploring a scary dungeon - the intended speed is unnatural. The sword in the intro for me is the same as the ending - something added by the Blizzard cinematic guys and not talked over with the actual game devs either due to lack of contact, or just plain wanted to add something of their own to the game. Game has unique swords that can be found - someone thought a magic sword would be needed to slay diablo, and just animated it. Back in the 90s I also wondered what is this sword, but after learning that cinematics were made without David Breviks consult - I think they just added it for no reason. For the end gameplay it differs from play to play. You can have late stage with only knights and serpents - and this is great for all classes. I first played a Rogue character - and I really had no trouble with any of the late game enemies, excect of course for Diablo which still was quite a challenge to beat at mid 20th level. For my Warrior run - I was level 32 and Diablo was basically a pushover. Only many years later I tried to play as a Mage, since all my friends spoiled him as being overpowered and I have to agree . Overall, a great video. I love Diablo 1 more than any other game and I feel the music, the atmosphere of Dread, and even the art design was near perfect for such a game, and has not been matched to this day.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Wow, it ran even slower in the day?! That must have felt glacial, but as you said it augmented the atmosphere and tension which I'm all for. From a storytelling perspective, the sword is made to feel important by being given a lot of emphasis. I kind of like the mystery that surrounds it now, it was almost a shame to shatter the illusion by digging through old articles for the truth. My second run was with a warrior and it was a cakewalk, Diablo went down on the first attempt. The spawn rates for magic gear needed a tweak to have them appear a little more often. Mods like Belzebub balance some of these issues and have done a good job retaining player interest in D1. Thanks for the comment, it was a great read!

[@ryuno2097]

@@HeyBlondieGamer even the loading the game was slow. ( for my pc back then at least) Can't remember how long it took to load a stage/level but it was a while.

[@RazeAndJadith]

I had a 486 dx2 133. it actually ran almost as good as a pentium but definitely not quite there. My bud had a pentium 90mhz and omg it ran so good in comparison. I think you are right about the slowness adding to the atmosphere, was an amazing experience.

[@DennisDJSaklak]

Back in those days, you were better off with a commodore Amiga instead of a 486 , hehehehe

[@mateuszkwietowicz2470]

@@DennisDJSaklak It depends - for some arcade ports like Street Fighter 2 or old classics like Settlers or Cannon Fodder 2 - Amiga was the better choice, because it had much better sounds and less visible pixels - it looked smooth and nice. But for more "modern" games like Diablo or Doom - which required more force to render better textures - those were impossible to port to the poor Amiga. The 486 was the middle ground - it could play games as well or better, but with less detail and much worse sounds (even if you had a sound blaster, or even any dedicated sound card, amiga games still had better sounds and music), and at first, my 486 didn't have dedicated sound, so I spent months listening to pc speaker - it was fine in wolfenstein 3D, but terrible in doom 2.

[@MoxieCatte]

Coincidentally, I just bought the GOG version of Diablo 1 + Hellfire and replayed it last week. Loved this game as a child but never was able to finish it, and now I can finally say I've beaten it as the Rogue. It's super simple in concept but massively addicting, I'd even say I prefer the simplified gameplay to Diablo 2 in some ways. Maybe I am just a sucker for roguelike-ish games, as it has just enough randomness (and consistency) to keep you coming back for another playthrough. The only real flaw is how slow you move, but that serves to amp up the tension - especially if you're playing as the Warrior and you round a corner and see a huge mob of projectile-spitting demons waiting for you.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Enemies feel more potent than in later games. Getting swarmed often results in death in D1, and that fatalism has a dark charm.

[@MoxieCatte]

@@HeyBlondieGamer Definitely...the monsters in D2 feel threatening (doubly so for the champions and uniques) but nothing can top the tension and strategy that goes into each encounter of D1 in the lower levels of the dungeon, especially if you're playing 'hard mode' aka the Warrior.

[@1thevm1]

Resources aren't really finite, you can always restart the game with the same character to farm books, potions and such. Depending on your level, the shortcuts will be open right away too. In fact it almost feels like you have to do it because it's very rare that you'll get proper loot just by relying on RNG alone. There's also a big standalone gameplay mod called The Hell which addresses a lot of the shortcomings, but changes are vast, adding lots of new classes, unique items, maps, and so on. It has its own direction on a lot of things, yet still retaining the original spirit without going too far like MedianXL for example. Another mod is called Belzebub (and its multiplayer successor Tchernobog), which positions itself as an "HD overhaul", improving the resolution, restoring cut content such as quests and dialogue lines, adding map waypoints like in D2 and so on. It's worth checking out just to see how the original quests were supposed to play out, for example Butcher's quest had its own separate map that you had to portal into. There are several lore videos you can find on youtube that use the mod.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

That’s an interesting point about almost feeling like it encourages you to start over. I’d be curious to hear Brevik’s take on this. I think the original intent was to be able to replay the campaign like an endless adventure, but I could certainly see restarts factoring into this design philosophy. You’re right about RNG not always delivering what’s needed. Many have pointed out Belzebub, which looks good. The Hell sounds interesting too, I’ll check it out. Cheers!

[@majorgear1021]

What does “RNG” stand for?

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Random Number Generator. A dice roll to determine an outcome.

[@DanielLopez-zt4ig]

I also miss old manuals, you see, my favorite games back then when this was released used to be first person shooters, and the manuals had story-background... in FPS's! So nostalgic.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

The amount of worldbuilding and information that Blizzard North supplied in the D1 manual was above and beyond what was required, but it grounded the world and the struggle. Such care and attention to detail. I have a box of original game manuals which I could never bring myself to throw away.

[@donniehoffman4738]

The Diablo book Legacy of Blood really fleshes out lots of nooks and crannies of the D1/D2 era lore. It was written in 2001 by R.A. Knack of Dragonlance fame and is a great piece even for people who have no background in Diablo

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I wouldn’t mind reading it. Perhaps I’ll get lucky and find a copy online.

[@pandahsykes602]

I remember playing Diablo 1 with my brother ,he was so into it but I loved d2 when it came along - probably because i was finally old enough to understand the game 😂 so many amazing games in the 1990s .

[@CultoftheCyberSkull]

This is an excellent breakdown of Diablo that covers everything so elegantly! I was hooked from the moment you started analyzing Tristram and its inhabitants, the overview of just how scarred they were from all of the preceding events was awesome! This is good stuff. Defintely looking forward to seeing what else you've got cooking up!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. We can sometimes be guilty of taking characters at face value. It was fun to get into the bones of the setting and reveal the humanity.

[@marcusmcginnis2558]

Amazing video, glad people are still giving this gem a look. What I was disappointed in finding though is the lack of mention of the Diablo 1 HD mod which brings back cut content, expands with new quests, and brings all mentioned quality of life updates alongside a Diablo 2 handling of death and monster respawns. Seriously, if you want a fantastic 1st or 95th go at the old D1 game, don't forget to look into the mod first, it's free and made by a dedicated team of Polish nerds.

[@4as]

1:02:43 Oh god, I remember this. When the game released there were no wikis, blogs, or whatever to document that stuff, so most of what I remember is from word of mouth and seeing what the game magazines wrote back then, but apparently the cinematic shows the "Diablo's sword," the ultimate weapon for the warrior that dropped upon Diablo's death. Supposedly the item still exists in the game, you just need some hacking software to add it into your inventory. I even seen some screenshots of player's inventories "proving" the existence of the sword. Looking back at now, I guess it could be possible? Since they were building the game around the warrior character, it would make sense to reward the completion of the game with a sword... and then they removed it once they added more classes.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

If they were sticking with a single warrior class, it would have made sense to include a special sword for the final battle with Diablo. I love the mystique that rose around it.

[@faketoddhoward7280]

Best thumbnail ever

[@clappagemcphee]

Man, i keep coming back to this video of yours. It's probably the third time I've watched it. The script is incredibly tight and i really appreciate the analysis. Thank you as always for all the work you put into your videos

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thanks, I really appreciate that 🙏

[@InfiniteClouds]

The most important (IMHOtep) quality of life improvement from Hellfire was not mentioned -- Search! It's the Monk's default ability but it seems you can learn it from a spellbook or scroll. Being able to have all the items dropped on the ground highlighted and appear on the minimap is huge and probably very necessary in those vomit colored expansion levels.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

That sounds pretty handy. It shouldn't be seen as a justification for the messy colour palette, but definitely a great standalone feature.

[@Boston2George]

What a marvelous review and analysis. I was 15 when this game came out and me and my friends played it over and over. You really nailed that point with that grim and despaired atmosphere. 👍👍

[@EthanOrTorr]

I ended up playing and beating Diablo 1 about a day ago. I wanted to play it after seeing Acting Males video and Diablo 4, so I got it on GOG Galaxy. I played the standard version instead of Hellfire just so I knew what the based experience was like, so here’s my story of going into this game blind. (sorry for the long comment by the way) I started as a Sorcerer because I like magic and spells, and named my character ‘Azoth’. I always name the first character of any game I play Azoth and have been doing it since my first play through of Dark Souls 1 in 2020. Now to start I really like the voice acting in this game, it’s clear and concise and tells you about each character without even knowing who they were. Cain and Griswald ended up being my favorites by the end. Level 1 was pretty straightforward, but I knew from the beginning the movement speed would be a quirk I needed to get used to; along with the controls. I also realized very early on that sorcerers were incredibly reliant on mana. However early on I decided to invest in health potions and bigger mana pots, along with splitting my points into health and magic instead of just pure magic to increase my mana pool. As you may know our character is incredibly broke early on, so me spending all this money on useless crap didn’t do me any favors. Another thing to know is I tended to full clear every level for experience points and gold. An hour goes by, I’m level 5, and I decided to exit out of the game. This was a mistake. What I hadn’t realized was this was a manual save game, meaning I have to save myself in order to keep progress. The last time I saved was when I was level 2, so I just lost an hour of progress in one go. YIPPEE!! However, this was a blessing in disguise as I would go on to constantly save in close or tough encounters later down the line. An example being during the Butcher fight. I cleared our level two, leaving this carcass filled room in the middle for last, and saved before entering it. I open the door, hear the Butchers signature line, and proceed to die in four hits while being stun locked. I was throughly surprised by how fast he was and how he was able to close the distance in a matter of seconds. I knew for a fact I wasn’t going to beat this guy normally, so I used the art of cheese. I’d picked up a Firewall scroll early on and found through repeated deaths that I can use this to kill him. I ended up seeing a video of a guy getting him stuck on the level three entrance and used that as a guide to kill him. I kill him, I’m happy, and save and portal to town to sell everything and prepare for level 3. I buy mostly mana pots and some healing and was on my way. Now to speed up my comment, here was what my process was for each level. I’d save at the entrance and scoure my way through area by area, saving before large rooms or when something new appears. When I cleared a level I portaled out, healed up and prepared for the next level. Now early on I wanted to know how I’d unlock more spells, so I looked it up and found out it was through books. My first learned spell that wasn’t fire bolt was actually Town Portal, the next spells I’d unlock would be inferno and firewall. Firewall would prove to be an MVP for the later levels. However, the main spell I wanted was the Lighting Spell due to how effective it was at clearing rooms. When I saw the book drop for the first time from one of those libraries I was ecstatic. As I went further and further down it became clear that enemy numbers were growing and so were their resistances. I could tell if they were immune to firebolt because it would go right through them, so I had to switch it up with lightning and vice versa. To summarize what spells I’d used most by the end at Level 16 it would be the following: Heal, Stone Curse (For Blood Knights), Fireball, Firewall, and Lightning. I favorite spell is lightning, but I’d be lying if I said I’d used it more than fireball. It really didn’t help that nearly everything in hell was immune to lightning. The Advocates (fuck them, even as a ranged character they were annoying), Blood Knights (Stone Curse, Fireball for the win), and etc. Heal was also a major player because it was a full heal that didn’t take up inventory space. I ended up beating Diablo by using Mana Shield (which I didn’t use at all though out the run even though I knew what it did) and spamming fireballs until he died. This was the only way I was going to beat him because he two shots me with that fire attack. Overall it was an incredibly fun time. I loved the atmosphere, the music, and design of everything. It’s a classic for a reason. I started Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction yesterday and loved its connection with the first, but was utterly saddened by having to kill an undead Griswald to save Cain. However, I did have a few gripes that mainly come from how old the game is. The controls took a bit to get used to, especially spell switching (press S and then tap the spell). I also wasn’t a fan of my fucking character stopping mid way through running while being chased down by a hoard of Blood Knights. Anyways loved the video.

[@cravex06]

Not sure what you meant by stopping, but the Blood Knights were maybe stun locking you. When you have low armor, it is easy to get stun locked. Fast Hit recovery stat helps against that. Holy bolt works on Diablo too. Now try the Hell 2 mod for a real challenge, lol

[@EthanOrTorr]

That might’ve been the case as I basically focused the magic stat for the entire play through. I’ll have to look into the Hell 2 Mod once I’m done with Diablo 2.

[@cravex06]

@@EthanOrTorr I was not totally serious with the mod recommendation, as it is extremely hard but it's pretty cool if you want an even greater challenge. It adds new features and like 30 subclasses which is really great and a lot more content, including from the Hellfire expansion. There's also the Belzebub mob, which Actman covered, which is more reasonable and adds a lot of D2 features as well. Anyway, that's awesome to a hear the first time experience/review and that you liked it. I agree with your assessment.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I watched Act Man’s D4 video, and I agree with many of his points. D1 is different in many fundamental ways, not the least of which is a linear and more focused experienced. This allows the player to feel hemmed in, locked up with the evil and with no other recourse than to confront it. Combat is deadlier thanks to more ponderous movement and the viciousness of mobs. The early game is fun thanks to great atmosphere and a relative greater power over the lower denizens of evil, but the dynamic changes as you descend and things get much tougher. I noticed the same thing about the mage build. Resistances can neuter a build which focuses on a single element. Thanks for dropping the comment, it was an awesome read!

[@patiencebear]

First video of the channel is already a banger. Well done

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

The Diablo Analysis is by far the most watched video even though the Dusk video was the first one for the Channel. Cheers, I'm happy to see people enjoying it!

[@Slappadabreeh]

Indego sent me over. Great job capturing why this game and world was so captivating all those years ago

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@Profesor449]

I love the atmosphere of this game. First played five years ago, blind. I like the gameplay aswell, I play it once every year or so as a sorcerer. During the night in a dark room preferably. There is something that modern games can't capture. Maybe It's suggestion, maybe the uneasy feeling of strange eerie enviroment, or unability to move fast and knowing that once you are badly caught, you are doomed. My favourite book: I can see what you see not, visions milky, then eyes rot when you turn, they will be gone, whispering their hidden song. Then you see whan cannot be, shadow move where light should be? out of darkness out of mind, cast down, into the halls of the blind.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

The buildup of tension for that quest was fantastic but I might have been over-leveled because the encounter was too easy.

[@DimensionDoorTeam]

Terribly underrated video, instant subscription!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@hodeman1546]

What a fantastic video, as someone who started on Diablo 2, I didn't know a lot of these backstories. So much interesting information and view points, keep up the great work!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Cheers!

[@TheJols]

Brevick says in a GDC talk that the cutscene people made the ending without his consent. The souldstone and taking it for the character player wasn't his idea and not what he wanted. He said in time he learned to like it.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I watched that video. I’m glad he warmed to the idea over time. A large part of the fatalistic feel of the Diablo series stems from the ending of the first game which broke the archetypical “hero saves the day” afterparty. Thanks for stopping to comment! 👍

[@joaocaju3061]

​@@HeyBlondieGamer The hopelessness is such a present feeling in the series, even in Diablo 2, when you feel like aimless following the Dark Wanderer's path of destruction. Seeing how much powerless the narrative pictures your character is one of the reason why the main intro song from Diablo 2's experience is a powerful experience for me (it is the first non gothic, "heroic" theme).

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

The more we talk about D2, the more I want to cover it. 😝

[@jacob_swaggerz]

Great video! I always loved reading and re-reading the Diablo manual. It gave just enough lore to be detailed but left enough room for you to wonder. The artwork in early bizzard games like Starcraft, WC2 and Diablo was amazing. Do one for Diablo 2 next!!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I used to love reading the manuals cover to cover too. The artwork was incredible, chock full detail and expression. Blizzard’s art was instantly recognizable. It’s amazing how much effort went into lore which had no impact on gameplay or the immediate story.

[@rimjobledouche5201]

- Brilliant, unflinchingly dark atmosphere - excellent production values - outstanding soundtrack I'm only ever annoyed by no running option.

[@devingunnels3251]

You have the prose of a poet. I'm definitely going to check out more of your videos.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you, that's a very generous thing to say to this humble servant of the pen 🙏

[@Slim7073]

The gameplay isn't for me but I'm definitely gonna read that manual. I got really hooked in the 'World of Diablo' section of this video.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

They went above and beyond with the lore. It does a great job of setting the tone.

[@siechamontillado]

This is a great dissection and actually deepened my appreciation for how well Tristram is fleshed out. I played this game when it first came out and while I relished the atmosphere then, this analysis/review deepened the story for me. Awesome job mate!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Cheers, that’s greatly appreciated!

[@frogcake7142]

Excellent video. "..haunting and despondent but with a daring, plucky dash of hope"

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you, my friend 🤘

[@clappagemcphee]

The algorithm is the only thing keeping you from thousands of subs. This is genuinely top tier stuff!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I appreciate that, thank you! 🤘

[@crazyhatter5691]

Imma be honest I think I just found a new channel to put in the background while doing homework, keep it up your videos are really well done.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thanks for kind words, it's encouraging! Glad to have you here.

[@tydendurler9574]

Not really listening... Not really doing homework... Stuck in between, lingering in limbo Like Tristram and it's people

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

@@tydendurler9574 Unlike the horrors of Tristram, you are both safe and welcome here, traveller.

[@TheNarukill]

Haven’t played D1 through it’s entirety, but this vid could just be the push I need. Good stuff, man

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thanks man. 👍

[@annar.1275]

That was a really comprehensive and profound video, I did not expect it. I'm getting back into Diablo 1 as I never finished it, only played a few levels when it came out back in the day.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I played the demo endlessly as a kid. Recording for this video was the first time I played it to completion. Don’t forget to check out the Belzebub mod for even more options.

[@knightofvirtue613]

Great video, I checked it out because of Indigo Gaming's recommendation.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I greatly appreciate his shoutout, it was very generous. Thanks for the feedback!

[@ZacHawkins42]

Because it's awesome. Thanks for coming to my TedxTalk.

[@bandygamy5898]

You deserve more subs. This video is so on point about D1.

[@forsakenquery]

I'll add some recent experience. I am a long time, old school Diablo fan. I despise 3, but sunk a lot of my youth into the first two games. With that, it was little surprise that when I revisited the first game as a busy adult, I still found it enjoyable. What I did NOT expect, was this time I was joined with two much younger work colleagues. They have little patience for old school flaws, old graphics and lack of modern production values. So imagine my surprise when we began a 2021 playthrough and they all became addicted and demanded to party up daily on this ancient classic!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I love hearing stories like this, it inspires hope that others will recognize what made these games fun and demand these features in future titles. Modern games are often overproduced to retain that fleeting 20 second attention span with bombast. It’s disheartening how modern design philosophy has blurred into a generic sludge. Perhaps your friends will enjoy other older titles. I can’t recommend Thief 1 & 2 highly enough, and Gothic 1 & 2 stand among my all-time favorite RPG’s.

[@DemonicRobots]

Holy shit! I grew up right under Mt. Diablo in that exact area, I'm shocked that was the inspiration. What a weird coincidence.

[@SleepDepJoel1]

What a great documentary! A lot of love and effort went into this, and I appreciate the thorough attention to detail.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you so much, thats greatly appreciated! ❤️

[@pyramideddie7813]

Excellent stuff! Loved the video, definitely put your channel on my radar.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Cheers, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@Enigmaprince]

Just listen to the sounds in this game. They melt perfectly with the gameplay. The door opening the creepy eerie atmosphere everything is so unique in diablo 1, except the differencies between the pc and ps1 version

[@andrewd4438]

I really enjoy your videos. I turned this one on and fell asleep and was treated to the ongoing audio while I was dreaming! Very surreal

[@gmdhighvoltage]

Still playing D1 vanilla + hd mod - great game!

[@AvelierPlays]

Diablo 1 (and some other early Blizzard titles) are the perfect encapsulation of the phrase: “Less is more” These older games had inferior technology, but they made up in storytelling, music, atmosphere. Things that later Blizzard games were never able to recapture. The player was thrown into a world where you didn’t have all these flashy spells and explosions, overblown character armor and outfits, exposition heavy villains and fourth wall breaking auction houses and microtransaction shops. The manuals made the heavy lifting in terms of world building and lore, but that allowed the player to create these worlds and characters with their imagination too, letting then feel like they had a bigger investment. Some people here have mentioned how Dark Souls feels like a Diablo game in terms of its atmosphere and lore and I agree completely, its the closest Diablo game that isn’t one.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Imagination is the key component, and you’re spot: less is more. Is it a sign of the times that we (collectively as an audience) have lost our ability to imagine?

[@AC-hj9tv]

Pepperidge Farm remembers

[@exodus3461]

This video was absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for a walk down memory lane, lol. You were very thorough and it was cool to see the old drawings that were in the game manual.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you so much! 🙏 It was a blast for me too. Old Blizzard manuals had so much charm (check out D2 and Warcraft 1/2). I miss the time when games included them.

[@EggersEggers-pd6te]

I bought this game when it came out on playstation. I still have it & still play it. I've been playing it ever since. My characters are the best that exist. My weapons are the best that exist. I have reserve weapons for each of my characters. Each of them have amulets & rings suited for them, as well as multiple sets to fully boost them so they are highly versatile & powerful. Multiple bows, staves, armors & weapons of all types, kinds & combinations of the highest percentages & all numbers. I even have characters that just hold extra items, weapons, books, etc. It's one of the very few original games that I've enjoyed playing that much over the years.💎👍🤙

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

That is some highly dedicated time! You must have picked up a great deal of insight into Diablo’s inner workings. Where were you when I was putting this video together??! 😂 I get the dedication. I’m curious to try mods to see how they alter gameplay.

[@EggersEggers-pd6te]

@@HeyBlondieGamer Yeah this is one of my most favorite games ever. I couldn't tell you exactly how many hours I actually put into gameplay. I know more than most people do about it. The disc is only now just starting to do a little bit of skipping at the opening scene. But it plays like brand new. The only game I've ever put more hours into than Diablo, is The Legend Of Dragoon. I have two copies of that game. The first still plays good & the second one is still brand new & in disc skins. I literally have millions of hours of gameplay in that one & I know everything there is to know about it.

[@SpecShadow]

Still playing this game with The Hell HD mod sitting on my hard drives for more than a decade. It's that good...

[@andrewstencel]

I'm currently playing this on my vita, and despite some longer saving and loading screens, it's pretty fun. Never thought I'd play the first Diablo until completion, but the game holds up quite well.

[@trevormcclever9158]

What a very gripping video, well done!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you!

[@ryancole4015]

Favorite of the series bc of the nostalgia. Thanks for this. Very well done.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Lexilulz]

Wonderful video, I need to play this masterpiece again.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

There’s a link to the GOG page in the description, and people in the comments here have suggested a bunch of great mods if you want an updated experience 😊

[@SaturnineXTS]

I've had more fun playing Diablo 1 in multiplayer mode alone and trying to conquer the dungeons than I've had playing Diablo Immortal, 'nuff said.

[@AlexeiVoronin]

Short answer: because it's an awesome game, even in 2021. In fact, I prefer D1 over D3 ;)

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Can’t argue with that :)

[@PROSTO4Tabal]

I still play Diablo till 2024. Simply unique game

[@justinTime077]

somehow i viewed this twice, but i wasn't even annoyed. you knocked this out of the park, and you're a pleasure to listen to! thanks! (listned while doing d2r baal runs!) :P

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Twice the Diablo in more ways than one XD Thanks for dropping a comment, that’s very nice of you to say.

[@Thrashifice]

My uncle introduced this to me when it came out on PS1 when I was 13... played the hell out of it, no pun intended.

[@coolboy9979]

I never played it but really want to since the feeling and story are just so good. I love the world of diablo and no game captures what it means to be in the world of diablo than the first one. I just loved that no one had a happy ending of the main characters and you had to kill all of them in diablo 2 In hindsight the whole acts that the hero go through is also seemingly pointless, or even destructive. They were just in the way of the heroes in D2 and the warrior is the reason why Andrea could create the strongest version of diablo, which no angel could have stopped. Which to me just adds more atmosphere and flavour to Diablo1 than diablo 1 by itself

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Diablo 1 left a lot of narrative threads to tug on, and it left plenty to the imagination. It also had a much more focused plot and setting which made the experience feel more claustrophobic than it’s successors.

[@Belikel]

3:30 Tristram has only once been called a 'city' in the manual (page 67), whereas in all other instances (pages 10, 14-18, 49, 68 and 70-72) it is consistently referred to as a 'town' tho. 4:22 According to the _Book of Tyrael_ the rogues with their headquarters not too far-off from town, 'recruit women from all walks of life', so Moreina (aka Blood Raven) could've originally hailed from the village. The playable Vizjerei-sorcerer Jazreth, however, is hard to imagine as a former resident.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

The reference is interesting. Was it a typo; was it once a city; was it originally planned as a city then downscaled to a more manageable size by the dev team? Questions… The other classes were late additions so it’s understandable that their lore is less rooted in Tristram.

[@RetroActive100]

This game is phenomenal, I do not care what people say about it. Thank you for reviewing this classic game you are spot on with the atmosphere aspect! God I remember the first time seeing the butcher it scared the hell out of me! But once I beat him I thought it wouldn’t get scary, boy I was wrong! That’s what makes this game great! The catacombs soundtrack with the crying background noise really made you feel isolated, then the caves with the lighting demons! But by far the most scariest is hell. The fact that hell is depicted differently and gruesomely is petrifying and the fact that acid dogs, corrupt knights balrogs succubus and evil sorcerers is anxiety fuel. And the ending to this day still gives me the creeps. Fun fact: there was a cut-scene with the butcher but it was cut out due to being too graphic.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

That moment stepping over the cathedral threshold, bathed in blood red light, the chill twilight air kissing the hairs of the neck. The utterance as the warrior sets foot in this foreboding place and voices what the player sees, knows, and dreads: “The sanctity of this place has been *fouled*.”

[@bettinajensen7532]

Best diablo game of Them all , then i dont Care about the New graphics in diablo 2 remake and diablo 3 the graphic cant save the game only ,., diablo 1 hellfire has so much charme than the other games dont have . And more difficult to defeat bosses which is Good

[@kriswempa5171]

Great video ! It brings back so many fond memories. Multi-player Hellfire with a friend was amazing. I especially loved playing the Monk or Bard. The random dungeons and monster combinations were great. I'll never forget the crazy triple Succubi battles on Hell level. That was truly something to be feared.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Cheers! 🤘 Oh yeah, a group of succubi will wreck house. Everything in Hell is deadly in numbers, especially for a squishy sorcerer.

[@internisus]

You've done a wonderful job of unpacking what Diablo feels like and why, of looking deeply into all of the elements that are easily taken for granted. I enjoyed this very much.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you 🙏

[@eyeCU13]

Imagine a new Diablo game with the atmosphere of D1 and the gameplay of D2

[@niksatan]

Atmosphere from Diablo 1 is unmatched! Graphics, music, dialogue! By far better than 2, 3 and future 4!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Very curious to see how 4 lands but I'm holding my optimism in check.

[@niksatan]

@@radattk3145 D1 is greatest!

[@imkerrusin]

There is a cheat that you can do to get more gold. It's a fun trick I used to do when I learned about it although a bit of a pain. It's basically the duplication cheat. Set an item on the ground walk away about five paces, walk back to the dropped item and click on the potion on your belt the second the toon picks up the item. Timing it just right is difficult.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I wonder if that exploit still exists in the GOG version.

[@beatsandskiesmtg]

It does: I couldn’t be bothered to go back to my gold stash near the fountain to buy something off Wirt. I’ve otherwise resisted doing this - would be nice to double up a particularly good ring I’ve got!

[@strahm998]

I go back to this video all the time, would love to see you tackle D2!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Cheers! Not off the cards, I would love to tackle D2, even if just to play it again XD

[@DystopianDadd]

fantastic video - just wanna clarify that the character has a quote for every new environment. While it may not be enough to really flesh out the perspective of the player - it helps

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

It was a small touch, but I did enjoy those lines.

[@josepharnett7256]

I must agree with other comments, it is an absolute travesty that this review doesn't yet have more views. I found your review quite comprehensive, and being a fellow who also discovered this game in his youth, I really feel that you did the game justice. Excellent job, deserves more eyeballs. 👏 👍

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you, very kind and humbling words 🙏

[@cyborghobo7847]

"come to the hallway, you'll love it here" - The hallway filled with acid beasts

[@nathancawley8759]

This was fantastic, and as a result I may have to take a break from D2R and play OG Diablo again...

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Cheers mate. If you want to spice it up, plenty of the good folk here have suggested the Bezlebub and The Hell mods.

[@hyperboreen4854]

Mind-blowing that we still haven't got a remake of this game. Blizzard is long dead anyway.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

I wouldn’t let modern Blizz anywhere near this game. The original cast are long gone, and if Blizz finally remember it exists and remaster/remake it, I have little hope for the end result.

[@Ironcorgi2]

What Diablo one offers is atmosphere. To this the first quest and the line “ah fresh meat” is still burned in my mind. The fact you can’t run is also scary since you feel the claustrophobic corridors as you fight hordes of monsters

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

The sense of fragile mortality is incredibly strong with Diablo. On top of the tone it’s an aspect which is missing from the later power fantasies.

[@Ironcorgi2]

@@HeyBlondieGamer totally a lot of fantasy rpgs make you feel extremely powerful but diablos whole aesthetic is that you are fragile

[@cholohd32]

Such a good game. I remember getting the the pc magazine cover demo cd (pc format magazine i think) & had a blast because it was replayable & the map layout randomly generated. Really got me all hyped up & the only "bad" thing i can say about the game was that i thought that especially the later white stone area with the goats was a little dull designed. Later discovered that there is also a Playstation 1 version that is just as good & faithfull to the pc one. Having fun replaying the whole game with a playstation controller shows that i was well designed & not a lazy port.

[@thecourier6601]

I love finding new and awesome long form videos by hidden gems of channels in KZbin! I love this analysis! Keep it up!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thanks for the encouragement, I’m happy you found me!

[@InternetMameluq]

6:33: I lived in a place that is blanketed by clouds for months at a time, so I didn't give the darkness a second thought. I live in a nearby town that has much more sunlight though, so I know it's not normal now.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

If the sun is gone for the whole day in Australia, it’s probably an apocalypse 😂

[@Master20Bucks]

This game is so good, been playing it portably and it's so much fun. As a kid I could never have guessed that was a possibility. Good vid

[@masterlewzilla2116]

Amazing review! Instant subscription. One of my first games that I've started playing as a child on PC. I was about 6 years old..

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

What a grand introduction to gaming. Thanks for the sub and for watching the video!

[@hollyisbored]

OMG PLEASE continue this with the other Diablo games! I went into this kinda just looking to kill time (since I can't seem to kill Diablo at the moment), and wound up staying for the whole thing and loving it! I can't wait to see more of your other stuff. Thank you for this!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you for sticking around, I’m glad you enjoyed the video 😁 Others have requested more Diablo, D2 would be a fun one to visit.

[@pennzilla57]

God this is so well made. I could watch this channel for hours. I happily subscribed

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Much appreciated, thank you! 🙏

[@zipninja8499]

This video is so well done. I deem it VIRAL!

[@Pyro-Moloch]

It's a rarity to see this level of writing on youtube videos. I'm a writer myself, and I see what you're doing there. Well done!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

You got me. This comment made my day, thank you! 🙏 ❤️

[@JoyTuub]

This was a wonderful romp of nostalgia! Liked and subbed!

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you 🙏

[@yaasinm]

Amazing video! Just awesome and can't wait for more content.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

Thank you 🙏

[@solarlight10]

Just played thru hellfire again for the awesomeness. Playing melee was extremely frustrating against the ranged mobs, they'll run away across the whole map to troll you. I highly recommend investing some pts in magic and getting firewall & holy bolt to deal with them or you will pull your hair out.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

My experience too. Ranged attackers were frustrating, especially at higher levels.

[@nfinn42]

Hell of a review. Thanks for taking me back to the good old days. For some, D1 was just a passing phase. For me it defined about a decade of my life, and led to meeting some of the best friends I ever had. This review made me pause on my season 25 Crusader and dust off D1 and D2 for a quick stroll. :) DSF family... I miss you guys! ❤

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

It’s amazing how many people still remember this game fondly. It makes me happy and hopeful that we can still have nice things in our gaming libraries in the future.

[@edraith]

I've always assumed the sword growing bigger and stronger in the intro was a metaphor for war and violence.

[@HeyBlondieGamer]

That’s an interesting thought. Given the light which begins radiating from it, it could also be a metaphor for the call of the hero, the time of a lone warrior to arrive and cleanse Tristram.