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Diablo II Expansion

The Specs

The as yet officially unnamed expansion for Diablo II will add another act to the game with six full quests, set in some battle-torn highlands populated with over a dozen new creature types. There will be two new character classes: 1) a lithe female assassin with kung fu moves, two handed blade attacks, psychic blasts, and traps she can set, and 2) a towering druid who can transform into beasts, summon creatures, and cast offensive spells based on the natural elements. Both were going to be included in the initial release -- indeed, enterprising players were able to dig out vestiges of code for these classes in Diablo II long before Blizzard announced them. The expansion will also include more unique item sets, more room in the stash, and new bonus abilities for certain classes using certain items.

The Speculation

Tom's Comments: It's not like I need another reason to keep playing Diablo II. Really. There's still plenty of variation in the classes and skills for me to experiment with. Maybe Blizzard should just stop already. To quote one of the monologues of a fellow named Joe Frank: "Some is enough. Enough is sometimes too much. A little bit is more than you need. And too much is more than you can bear. Or, put another way, a little of some is good. Some more of a little is better. And though more of some is perhaps better than some of more, the sum of its parts is probably more than it's worth." I'm not entirely sure what all that means, but it puts me in mind of the expansion pack for Diablo II.

Mark's Comments: I'm pretty sure Blizzard's Bill Roper has "I Luv MOTS" instead of "I Luv Mom" tatto'd on his arm right next to a tatoo of a mermaid whose seashells jiggle when he flexes his muscle. More of the same seems to be what Blizzard does best, though I like to think that they innovate within the familar framework they present to us. I expect Blizzard to use this expansion as an opportunity to polish the gameplay of Diablo 2 as well as add new content. Don't expect the save system to be altered or the resolution to be enhanced, though. You'll also have to play the two new character classes, assassin and druid, through all the previous acts to get to use them in the new act, which might bother some.