Diablo 2: Resurrected: This is how good it plays with the gamepad
Diablo 2
The big announcement of Diablo 2: Resurrected also came with a nice surprise: Blizzard's legendary Beuteklopper is not only being reissued for the PC, but also appears for the first time on consoles. Great news, but one that also raises questions: How would Diablo 2 feel with a gamepad? The first Diablo was subsequently implemented for PSOne, the third part was ported to all consoles - but part 2 was a pure PC title for 21 years, tailored to mouse and keyboard.With the first alpha Version we were able to play Diablo 2: Resurrected for the first time in detail. What the options menu doesn't reveal yet: This early PC version already offers controller support. This enabled us to try out the new gamepad controls. First impression: surprisingly good! Although not all features have been developed and implemented yet, the action RPG can also be carried out easily with a gamepad. Blizzard dares a few innovations here and there, some of which even overtake the mouse.
Table of contents
1. More precise movement 2. Adjustments in combat 3. Six slots for faster action 4. That changes in the inventory 5. Useful links 6. What do you think? In our gameplay video we show you the special features of the new gamepad controls, explain the more action-packed feel and show you where Blizzard should maybe improve before the release.Recommended editorial content At this point you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration.
More precise movement
On the PC, you can switch between mouse and keyboard or the gamepad at any time. After one to two seconds, a new HUD will appear and the figure controls will be switched over suddenly. The first surprise is already waiting here: Somehow, Blizzard has succeeded in installing an analogue control system, thanks to which you can set the moving speed of the characters more precisely. (For comparison: In Diablo 2 there were only two movement modes so far, run and run.) Together with the new 3D engine, the heroes can be moved and turned much more smoothly, making the game feel much more modern than in the original game. If you like, you can switch to the classic 2D graphics at any time at the touch of a button, because the old Diablo 2 runs around the clock under the new 3D engine. And yes, even in the old-fashioned view you can now play with the gamepad - at the latest here the difference to mouse and keyboard becomes abundantly clear.Graphics comparison New 3D graphics Old 2D graphics Full HD comparison
Unlike in Diablo 3, there is no new evasive role in the second part. Since the figures can be steered more precisely in 3D and with the analog stick, it is actually a little easier to avoid enemy projectiles with the gamepad. A real win!
Adjustments in combat
A slight aiming aid now ensures that your lightning bolts and arrows hit the enemy reasonably reliably, melee fighters are also gently aligned towards the enemy. That feels good, but the names and life bars are now displayed directly above the opponents; In the heat of the moment, the display often jumps around wildly between the enemies, so Blizzard has to do it again. In addition, some talents still have to show how effectively they can be used with the gamepad - especially with spells like Meteor, Hydra or Teleport, a certain accuracy is ultimately required. Here the mouse could have the edge in the end.If you play with a gamepad, you have six skill slots available Source: PC Games Dropped items can be shown with the LB key. A bit impractical, however: the standard attack of your class is on the same key that is responsible for picking up loot. This is particularly disadvantageous for hand-to-hand combatants, because in the heat of the moment you can unintentionally pick up things that you don't need at all. An optional loot filter could provide relaxation here, but whether it will still come is questionable - after all, Blizzard has emphasized several times not to make any changes to the gameplay if possible. At least there is a useful innovation that gamepad players can also benefit from: Gold is now collected automatically and does not have to be clicked individually. That ensures speed.
Six slots for faster action
If you play Diablo 2: Resurrected with the mouse and keyboard, the user interface remains almost identical to the original. This means that, as usual, you only have two slots available for skills that you have to switch through using hot keys or the mouse wheel. That was already a bit cumbersome back then and has unfortunately not gotten any better until today.A gentle aiming aid makes the fights a little easier. Source: PC Games It looks different with the gamepad, because Blizzard has donated a new HUD that is a little reminiscent of Diablo 3. At the bottom of the screen there are now six slots for skills that you can distribute to the corresponding action buttons in the talent trees. In addition, abilities trigger instantly. The effect is clear: by mixing up to six talents at will and using them in quick succession, the feel of the game is noticeably faster and more action-packed than with the mouse.
The other functions also remain intact: You whistle your potions with the digicross in and the L3 key toggles between running and running back and forth. With the right analog stick you switch through the weapons or select chat commands. Only the new zoom function and switching between the two graphic modes is not yet possible with the gamepad. However, Blizzard has already stated that the controller control in this first alpha is not yet final and will be improved until the release.
This also raises the fundamental question of whether Blizzard would not be better advised to do so to make new HUD available for mouse-keyboard players as well. For purists, the old interface could simply be offered as an option. It would be the fairer solution.
Thanks to the analog figure control, it is easier with the gamepad to avoid enemy projectiles. Source: PC Games TIP: Did you know that Diablo 2 would probably never have existed without Superman? That there is a Gameboy version of the first series part? And that Diablo 2 originally had big online plans? You can find out all this and many other backgrounds and details in our big trivia special about Diablo.
That changes in the inventory
Menus such as character sheet, talent trees and inventory are now displayed full-screen. If you have opened a menu, you cannot see whether an enemy is sneaking up on you. Maybe Blizzard will come up with a better solution for this. In terms of content, however, only little changes in the menus. There is now an extra window in the character sheet that shows additional values (e.g. Magic Find), which is very useful. And in the inventory, all players now benefit from the possibility of comparing the values of two items with one another.You can now sort the inventory and trading window automatically if you wish. Source: PC Games While Diablo 3 got a new inventory on consoles, Diablo 2 uses the old backpack grid, in which objects have to be moved by hand over and over again in order to make the best possible use of the limited space. This is actually a bit more cumbersome with the controller than with the mouse, since a cursor is also used here. At least there is a sorting function especially for gamepads that tidies up the clutter a bit at the push of a button. This is better than nothing and kindly also works at the dealer or in the significantly enlarged, shared storage chest (shared stash). Interesting: The sorting function is another innovation that has been missing in the mouse and keyboard variant so far - here it will be interesting to see whether Blizzard will take heart and simply offer the feature for all control methods.
Useful links
The Alpha for Diablo 2: Resurrected will run until Monday, April 12th at 7:00 p.m. We have already accompanied the start with a stream and distributed several keys to a few lucky winners. If you are interested in the graphics, we have a video comparison for you. All important information about Diablo 2: Resurrected can be found here in our special announcement. The finished game should appear later this year, there should be at least one more alpha phase before the release.Recommended editorial content Here you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration.
