What Makes Game A Legend?

I am one of many people who are waiting for Diablo 3.  I am included in the title series fans, that talking about the mysterious announcement from Blizzard about their new game that lately we know it as Diablo 3.  I am talking about it like a broker talking about the chance of a stock rising or falling.  I did short message some of my friends about the news.  I put it as a tag of my MSN message.

So this friend of mine, asking:

“Why are you so excited about this Diablo 3?  What so great about Diablo 3?”

…

…

…

I just stare at him and wondering, “Dude, where have you been?  It’s Diablo that we are talking about.  It’s a LEGEND!”  Seriously, even during this article is written, the number one vote from MMOSite votings, about which title should be brought online is Diablo!

I understand that my friend just asking that without even thinking, because I know that he’s also a fans of Diablo.  He’s just asking that, because I am so excited about this title.

So we were stopping at a café and talking about some game that can be considered a legend.  We started specifically with Diablo series.  And as we talked about it, my friend finally agree that this series are legend and has some points that make them one.

And here’s what they are (at least, these are what we have think) and what I expect from Diablo 3 that make it so great:

Extraordinary Among The Ordinary (during their time)

Diablo is the initiator of its genre.  I rememberred that during 90s, computer RPGs were getting through their dark ages.  No good game, no great title, everyone just copy another without any new innovation (sounds familiar with current condition of MMOs?).  Even some great series were loosing their touch during that time (example: worst Ultima ever, the 8^th series: Pagan).  But what Diablo did was very different.  Diablo give us entertaining action RPG for the first time.  Of course Diablo was not the first action RPG out there, but it was Diablo that gave us the real entertainment with this genre.  It show us that good polish is important.  And while other company thinks that RPG market is just a bunch of people who only care about story, Diablo improved well in graphics, music and sound, replayability, and features, besides the story itself.  And they didn’t loose the essence of RPG although they entered the action genre.  They did something extraordinary by introducing fun in new genre.  What kind of fun?  Here’s some of them: great story, high replayability with random map and items, and multiplayer feature.  Please note that during that time, RPGs were stick to the linear fix environment with no multiplayer feature.

After Diablo, we suddenly been introduced with similar game, including the addictive Neverwinter Night series.  But still, they can’t match the initiator.

In the late of 80s and early 90s, Mike Tyson do something extraordinary that makes him a legend.  The youngest heavyweight boxing champion of the world, and he win most of his fight with an early KOs.   While other heavyweight matches always adopt the modern hit and run from legendary “move like a fly, sting like a bee” style of Muhammad Ali, Tyson was breaking the ordinary style of that time.  No wonder, he is the only man who can make my country’s street empty cuz everybody was watching his match.

Both legend show, that you need something extraordinary to become one.

The first two Diablo series has done what needed to be legend.  Of course I’m expecting another one from the third series.  And up to the trailer, I have a high hope about it.  When I watch the monster coming from under the bridge where the barbarian character fighting the other monsters, I can imagine how other monster might come from unexpected places where no other RPGs has gone before.  It’s remind me on how some monsters crawling to chase the fellowship of the ring in Moria mountain from the Lord Of The Ring movie.  Yes, it is worth to wait for extraordinary feature from legendary series!  Not to mention when the barbarian slam the wall to pass the path, and although Diablo is not the first game that give interaction with environment as additional features, but do you pay attention on how they polish the effect of every crumbling stone of the wall???  It IS extraordinary!

For all of you otaku or anime lover, many of you will agree that the best thing about Studio Ghibli’s work is how they polish every animation!  Sentou Chihiro (Spirited Away) is not so strong in terms of story, and I have to say that it take some ideas from Alice in Wonderland.  But if we pay attention on how they draw the background, and how every little move was being animated, it’s wonderful.  No wonder it won the Academy Award.

And when I see the trailer of Diablo 3, I found similar feeling when I saw many of Studio Ghibli’s work.

Performance Exceeding (or at least meet) Expectations

When Diablo was first being promoted in Computer Gaming World magazine, I was expecting great graphics and story.  What I have after I played Diablo was not just graphics and story, but a great variety of magic, items, quest, music, and dark environment.  Not many games ever did something like that.  What usually happened were high hope and low performance.  Diablo meet my expectation and even more!

After I take a look at how Mohammad Ali a.k.a Casius Clay become a legend, was because he always live up to his words.  He is big mouth one, yes he is.  But when he promise, he give hope to people, he has proved many time that he can do it.  Yes, he can’t for some of them, but for some critical points, he really can do it.

Now what should I wait and expect from the legendary series?  First of all, the story!  Diablo, Mephisto, and even Baal has ended during Diablo 2.  What more conflicts are there after these 3 brother of all evils has destroyed? 

A little off topic: Blizzard is one of the best company in creating story for their games.  For all of you who has download the cinematic WotLK, many of you must be waiting how every race is trying to forget their conflict and they’re ready to face Arthas together!  And when Arthas summoned the Frost Wyrm during that scene, the voice of King Terenas, his father, start to affirm him as the true ruler of Lordaeron.  Not many company trying to weave a story like that!

Second, is the concept of the game.  I hope (and believe), the variety of skills, items, and magics, in Diablo 3 will offer so many fun in playing the game, where I can’t get from other game.  If I take a look at how the Barbarian and Witch Doctor tag team on facing the boss, and how the boss behave (it’s not acting like the butcher in previous series) I have a high hope that more bosses in the future will require much strategy to defeat.  So yes, I expect something fun from the series.

Lay A Base For The Future Style (at their own genre)

Many of Blizzard’s games, lay a base for other game in their genre.  I played Dune II as my first RTS, but it is Warcraft and Starcraft that really emphasize players to create strategy.  And they were games series that can gave player freedom to create mods.  Although, once again, I have doubt with Starcraft II, but I still believe that Blizzard has the tradition to set a base for the style.  Look at WoW, and how they are now talking so much about that series killer!

And so were Diablo series!  Diablo has inspired many other games such as Dungeon Siege, Mu Online, Sacred, Nox, RF Online, Titan Quest, Mythos, Spellforce, Champions of Norrath, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Drakengard, Dungeon Lords, Fate, Divine Divinity, Conquer Online, Darkstone, Throne of Darkness, and Dungeon Runners (taken from Wikipedia). 

I believe that the birth of battlenet and Diablo, lay a base for today’s MMORPGs too.  So I hope I am not too optimistic and with the birth of the third series, I really hope it can inspire more great games in the future!