Hellgate: London satisfies Diablo cravings
Every time Blizzard sneezes, I think Diablo 3 is coming, but now that I have tasted a little of Hellgate: London, my Diablo needs have been satisfied. Yes, it's buggy, but if you tried to get on Battle.Net for Diablo 2 updates when it was first released, you ran into huge issues for a few days there, too.
Other than the lore, what do you look for in a Diablo game?
Demons? Check.
Undead? Check.
Basic combat archetypes? More to choose from without an expansion.
Intuitive and innovative UI? Check. Check. (Though the spousal unit disagrees.)
Cutting edge graphics? Check.
Story quests and side quests? Again, more to choose from out of the starting gate.
Grid inventory screen for creative item arranging? Check.
Single player and online multiplayer options? Checky McCheckerstein.
It is obvious that the core creators of the Diablo series created Hellgate: London by the very familiar gameplay, look and feel of the game. There are differences of course. Hellgate: London is a 3D world that pushes the current technology. It is set in an alternate future of Earth instead of a fantasy D&D derivation, making the setting and in-game technology vastly different from the Diablo world.
If and when Diablo 3 is released, I will be there with bells on. Until then, I will be happily questing for people who live in subway stations and helping make London safe for the living, while still remembering the dead.
