Best Diablo Games

Since the first Diablo game launched in early 1997, many have been obsessed with venturing into hell and maiming its people before escaping with loot. Every Diablo game follows the hero of Tristram in the dark world of Sanctuary – a realm existing between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells – and all the angels and demons that the hero encounters. Indeed, Diablo is an excellent franchise created with an epic world to adventure and extensive lore to accompany it.

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Diablo games, produced by Blizzard Entertainment, are popular because they have superb gameplay mechanics, rich environments, and a unique system to replay levels at increasingly higher difficulties. Moreover, hunting down and killing the devil and his hordes is thrilling. While some Diablo games released over the past three decades may have performed dismally, others have thrived tremendously.

Updated May 03, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: The loot-based gameplay loop of the Diablo series is as compelling now as it was in the late 90s. Modern games like Borderlands, Destiny, and The Division echo the looting mechanics at the heart of the Diablo series and have found success in their own right. The atmospheric dark fantasy setting offers players multiple meaningful playthroughs, tons of classes, and the pure fun of slashing through hordes of nightmarish demons and monsters. This list has been updated to include the specs and information for each title and the one missing game fromt he Diablo series.

10 Diablo Immortal

Metascore: 67

Although causing controversy again with the announcement of Diablo: Immortal at Blizzcon in 2018, Blizzard created a Diablo game that adapts quite well to mobile devices. It features tight animations with weighty abilities, and each class has a unique identity, without mentioning excellent loot in appropriately crafted armor.

Apart from these positive points, however, Immortal’s gameplay lacks weight and features frequent lifeless voice acting. Furthermore, Diablo Immortal has horrendous microtransactions, to the point where the game has been banned in the Netherlands and Belgium, shaming the game. Blizzard should have offered the game with a price tag instead of a pay-win system.

9 Diablo 3

Metascore: 88

Many gamers had anticipated much from Diablo 3 after waiting over 10 years for the game’s release. However, despite scoring well with critics, it failed to meet fan expectations. Most who bought it kept staring at Error 37 instead of playing the game.

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Even after Error 37 was addressed, its in-game auction house was still unappealing, as players had to purchase items from the auction house to progress further in the game, which caused even more controversy. Other issues that seemed to have watered down this gameplay were the disappointing loot system, poor character development, and underwhelming visuals.

8 Diablo 3: Rise Of The Necromancer

Metascore: 76

• Platform: Mac OS, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
• Released: 2017
• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

The Diablo 3: Rise of the Necromancer expansion was released in 2017 as the second expansion for Diablo 3. Unlike Reaper Souls – the first expansion – and other Diablo games, Rise of the Necromancer did not make drastic changes to the preceding expansion but instead opted to err on the side of caution.

Blizzard added new class characters, for instance, the Necromancer class, zones, and Shrouded Moors. Although some agreed that the Necromancer class was slightly overpowered, these additions provide different challenges and rewards to discover. The slight changes were minimal to Diablo 3, which was more successful by this time, thanks to the Reaper of Souls expansion.

7 Diablo 3: Reaper Of Souls

Metascore: 87

• Platform: Mac OS, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
• Released: 2014
• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Reaper of Souls significantly improved the initial Diablo 3 mess; it seems Blizzard realized what made its earlier games great. They discarded the infamous in-game auction house and brought a new class with the new boss. Apart from optimizing the loot drops, it introduced a new class, the Crusader, which specialized in defense and heavy weapons. Generally, Reaper of Souls compensated for what had earlier glued its fanbase.

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It’s the norm of Blizzard to revamp and expand the game. The graphics were noticeably upgraded, and the art design improved, as with Westmarch. The introduction of new classes provided unique gameplay. At last, Diablo’s massive fanbase had every reason to return to this franchise. Despite scoring slightly lower on Metacritic, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls is significantly better than the vanilla version.

6 Diablo 4

Metascore: 86

Diablo 4, was received poorly during the game’s Beta, but once released, it proved to be a success for Blizzard. Blizzard appeared to take feedback on board and learned from its previous mistakes. They succeeded by fine-tuning the combat, offering various build options to each class, and providing the game with a strong live-service foundation.

Moreover, the graphics in Diablo 4 are impressive, and it has received good reviews all around. Nevertheless, some feel that the story is rather dull, and that the game only starts once one has completed the campaign. Some parts of the game are also very repetitive, requiring a lot of mindless killing. Diablo 4 is not the worst in the franchise, but certainly not the best.

5 Diablo: Hellfire

Metascore: N/A

• Platform: PC
• Released: 1997
• Developer: Synergistic Software

Surprisingly, Hellfire, Diablo’s first expansion, wasn’t created by Blizzard but by Synergistic Software. This is why many Diablo fans were bothered about the franchise’s future. However, the worries seized as changes weren’t too radical to the game. The expansion of the original Diablo offers improvements and quality-of-life mechanics, making it a smoother experience. In particular, Hellfire’s new levels and monsters were introduced, keeping the loot and the feeling of grind more alive.

Diablo fans loved watching their characters getting more powerful as they navigated through the hostile dungeons. On the downside, Hellfire never featured a multiplayer system as it was to its predecessor. This is why many have yet to experience improvements in the online arena.

4 Diablo

Metascore: 94

Diablo started it all in 1997. Many could never anticipate the effect of the game. While several action RPGs had been released before, few games matched the original Diablo. What made this original production more interesting was the ability to choose the player’s favorite character before delving into Tristram town.

The fantastic soundtrack cranked up the atmosphere. More importantly, its loot system kept gamers pouring in many hours in the game. While playing online was somewhat new back then, Diablo was at the forefront of the multiplayer revolution. Up to date, the game still holds up, although it certainly feels archaic compared to the latest games in the series.

3 Diablo 2

Metascore: 88

Diablo 2 is an incredible milestone for the larger franchise. In fact, to date, some of its fans have kept this role-playing action game alive, so they keep moving all along together forever. Blizzard made several improvements in this game. While the first game laid the foundation with few details, Diablo 2 advanced, creating more unforgettable experiences.

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The sequel had justifiable reasons for the return of the main villain. The game witnessed a vast world of adventure with new fantastic lore. Hack-and-slash combat was redefined and improved.

2 Diablo 2: Lord Of Destruction

Metascore: 87

• Platform: Mac OS and PC
• Released: 2001
• Developer: Blizzard

Despite the lower Metascore, Diablo 2, is viewed by fans as the best sequel, and its expansion, Lord of Destruction is considered the best version of Diablo 2. Some fans believe that if Blizzard didn’t release this game, no one would be playing Diablo 2. Lord of Destruction brought a more substantial connection between the Hellfire expansion and the first game. Moreover, its expansion introduced two new classes, the Druid and the Assassin.

Both classes featured different skills and items distributed everywhere, giving a fresh opportunity to the experts and a warm reception to new players. But that was not enough, Baal, the new demon, was introduced. The merger of old and new classes was a perfect innovation for adventure. The fanbase of this game could spend more hours playing because of its more complex settings.

1 Diablo 2: Resurrected

Metascore: 80

• Platform: Mac OS and PC
• Released: 2021
• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment and Blizzard Albany

Despite its lower Metascore, Diablo 2: Resurrected is the best version of the classic game for modern players. It’s a faithful remaster of Diablo 2 and its expansion Lord of Destruction all collected in a single package. As a result, the mechanics may feel somewhat dated compared to Diablo 4, but that doesn’t hurt the experience of what was always considered the benchmark for action RPGs since the game’s initial launch in 2001.

The 2D sprites have been updated with beautiful 3D character models, along with other visual improvements, but Diablo 2: Resurrected allows players to switch between the old and the updated visuals on the fly. Interestingly, this is the first time console players have been able to play Diablo 2, with the port holding up well on a gamepad, and are only slightly let down by the lack of local co-op.

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