Diablo 2: Resurrected has given fans plenty to be excited about. The original Diablo 2 defined the ARPG genre, and fans are understandably excited to return to the game. What has been shown of the game has focused on its improved visuals, which are obviously a drastic improvement over the original. However, one of the other enticing parts of the remaster is that it will maintain the original Diablo 2's gameplay, mechanics, and controls. This is great for fans of the series who are looking for a more classic experience or who were not fans of the changes made in Diablo 3.
Of course, this also means that the game will feature the same classes as the original Diablo 2. This is both a great way for returning players to revisit the classes they know as love, as well as players new to the series to go back and try a modernized version of the classic dungeon crawler. However, with Diablo 2 boasting 7 distinct classes, new players would not be blamed for wondering how each class plays or what they are like. Thankfully, each class has some pretty basic pros and cons that should help any player figure out what class they want to play when the game launches.
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The Amazon fills the role of Diablo 2's mobile ranged class. The class focuses primarily on attacks with bows, javelins, or spears as well as infusing her attacks with lightning and poison damage. Amazons are particularly strong using ranged builds, especially ones that focus on dealing heavy amounts of damage to one strong enemy, making them great for boss fights or PvP battles. However, Amazons are not very strong in close-quarters fights. She can get out of sticky situations with some of her skills but any prolonged close-quarters fights will get messy for Amazon players quickly. This makes her a prime class for co-op playthroughs or for any players who love Diablo's various Rogue classes.
The Assassin in Diablo 2 has a unique mechanic that allows her to build up to three charges that can be used to unleash devastating skills. She also utilizes claw weapons and traps to deal magical damage to enemies, but she does not have very many ranged options. Still, her traps do make her good at dealing with crowds of enemies while her martial arts skills make her very proficient at taking down tougher enemies. Her skill trees also offer players a lot of options to customize her playstyle, but that does also make her a more technical and difficult class to play. Regardless, Diablo 2's Assassin offers a very unique way to play the game that is great for any players looking to mix things up or be challenged.
Barbarians are the de facto tanks in Diablo 2. The class has many skills built around survivability as well as being able to control crowds of enemies. The Barbarian features a number of options for unique builds that allow them to survive in a variety of ways while also buffing their and ally stats with a number of war cries. This makes the Barbarian a great option for co-op playthroughs, as they can stand punishment while also adapting their buffs to best fit the rest of the party. However, the Barbarian's lack of offensive skills can make him a bit more repetitive to play, so players looking for a more diverse character should try to avoid him if possible.
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The Druid is one of Diablo 2's most challenging classes and requires the most specialization from players. However, he also features the most unique mechanics and playstyles, which makes him very rewarding and fun to master. The Druid's skill trees allow them to summon weather disasters, turn into different melee animals, or summon minions to do their fighting for them. This makes the Druid great at fitting into different multiplayer party compositions while also making the class a blast to play for experienced players. However, the complexity can be overwhelming for new players, as every build for a Druid has to be very carefully done to not make them weak in too many areas.
Diablo 2's Necromancer is a pure caster that focuses on dealing with the dead and has been featured across the Diablo series. The class's trees give the player a number of options for how to approach combat, from summoning the undead to being a more direct damage caster. The Necromancer is an all-around great class to run as they can counteract strong enemy forces by reviving dead enemies to fight for them, or by deflecting damage off of players onto their summons. They also can get a number of curses that can be used to debuff stronger enemies and make the fights much more manageable on higher difficulties. However, the Necromancer is a very difficult caster to play and can take some time to get set up which can make him feel weak when playing solo.
The Paladin in Diablo 2 is the second melee-focused class and is best used with a shield. However, the Paladin also receives a number of aura skills that allow him to buff himself and allies with a variety of different buffs. This makes the Paladin a strong class for any group while also making him a great option for players who don't want the complexity of a casting class while finding a Barbarian a bit too simple. However, solo players may not get as much out of the Paladin as they would in multiplayer since their buffs would only impact them. Either way, Diablo 2's Paladin is a great melee class with a bit extra for players to check out.
Diablo 2's final class is the Sorceress, who focuses entirely on wielding elemental attacks. She has one tree for each elemental type: fire, cold, and lightning. Each tree has its own benefits and downsides, making Sorceress builds pretty customizable while heavily relying on other party members to support and protect her. This makes playing a Sorceress solo very difficult, but she is one of the best classes for dealing direct damage to enemies. She also requires a lot of combos with her skills as well as resource management, so players who don't want to watch meters too much should look for a different class. However, the Sorceress does offer a pretty unique experience in Diablo 2, even when compared with Diablo's other casting classes.
Diablo 2 Resurrected will be available September 23, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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