Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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Diablo II released 26 years ago, and yet the entire ARPG genre is still wrestling with many of the same design problems it solved remarkably well.
In this video, I break down why Diablo II’s influence still hangs over games like Diablo IV, Path of Exile, Path of Exile 2, Grim Dawn, Last Epoch, and more, from loot and itemization, to progression, buildcrafting, replayability, friction, and the way great ARPGs make you want to keep playing even when no quest marker is telling you what to do.
This isn’t an argument that Diablo II is perfect. Plenty of its systems have aged badly. The more interesting question is: what did it get so right that developers are still trying to recapture the same feeling decades later?
What do you think Diablo II still does better than modern ARPGs? Or has the genre finally surpassed it? Let me know in the comments.
Time stamps:
00:00 Intro
01:35 Preface
03:22 1. Loot
06:52 2. Power
09:53 3. Friction
13:11 4. Endgame
15:18 5. The Player
17:12 6. Chasing Diablo 2
19:33 7. Copying D2
21:36 Conclusion
Links:
Chris Wilson on breakpoints: youtube.com/watch?v=YCO63TsDp4I
Chris Wilson interviews Moon Beast: youtube.com/watch?v=d-5RHd7vTfk
My gear on Amazon: https://a.co/d/047uawZl (I earn commission!)
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCRl31PWkfF0a3j3hiDRaCGA/join
▬ Subscribe for more videos ►bit.ly/RhykkerSub
▬ Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/rhykker
▬ Follow me on Twitch to join me when I play: ►bit.ly/1v5gqDu
▬ Follow me on Twitter for updates: ►twitter.com/rhykker
▬ Visit my website: ► rhykker.com
▬ Buy Raider merch: ► rhykker.creator-spring.com
Check out the official Diablo 4 Discord: discord.gg/Diablo4
and the subreddit: reddit.com/r/diablo4
Executive producers: Kiskaloo, Zaeith
Special thanks: John Dwyer, Joshua Dotson, MaiaNashira, Nazgren, Arcthorin, Lamer of Sweden , Neme5i5, Nicholas Lautner , Remiehneppo, Toioiz, Tony Duran, Valentine Judnich, zoomsp
#Diablo2 #Diablo #ARPG
Head to squarespace.com/rhykker to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code RHYKKER.
Diablo II released 26 years ago, and yet the entire ARPG genre is still wrestling with many of the same design problems it solved remarkably well.
In this video, I break down why Diablo II’s influence still hangs over games like Diablo IV, Path of Exile, Path of Exile 2, Grim Dawn, Last Epoch, and more, from loot and itemization, to progression, buildcrafting, replayability, friction, and the way great ARPGs make you want to keep playing even when no quest marker is telling you what to do.
This isn’t an argument that Diablo II is perfect. Plenty of its systems have aged badly. The more interesting question is: what did it get so right that developers are still trying to recapture the same feeling decades later?
What do you think Diablo II still does better than modern ARPGs? Or has the genre finally surpassed it? Let me know in the comments.
Time stamps:
00:00 Intro
01:35 Preface
03:22 1. Loot
06:52 2. Power
09:53 3. Friction
13:11 4. Endgame
15:18 5. The Player
17:12 6. Chasing Diablo 2
19:33 7. Copying D2
21:36 Conclusion
Links:
Chris Wilson on breakpoints: youtube.com/watch?v=YCO63TsDp4I
Chris Wilson interviews Moon Beast: youtube.com/watch?v=d-5RHd7vTfk
My gear on Amazon: https://a.co/d/047uawZl (I earn commission!)
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCRl31PWkfF0a3j3hiDRaCGA/join
▬ Subscribe for more videos ►bit.ly/RhykkerSub
▬ Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/rhykker
▬ Follow me on Twitch to join me when I play: ►bit.ly/1v5gqDu
▬ Follow me on Twitter for updates: ►twitter.com/rhykker
▬ Visit my website: ► rhykker.com
▬ Buy Raider merch: ► rhykker.creator-spring.com
Check out the official Diablo 4 Discord: discord.gg/Diablo4
and the subreddit: reddit.com/r/diablo4
Executive producers: Kiskaloo, Zaeith
Special thanks: John Dwyer, Joshua Dotson, MaiaNashira, Nazgren, Arcthorin, Lamer of Sweden , Neme5i5, Nicholas Lautner , Remiehneppo, Toioiz, Tony Duran, Valentine Judnich, zoomsp
#Diablo2 #Diablo #ARPG
