An avid game modder by the name of Ram has created a high-quality mod aptly named Reign of Terror that that allows players to reexperience Diablo 2 within the more recent ARPG Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods. The mod has been around since 2016 but initially featured only Act I. Since then, the project has received steady updates with Acts I-IV complete and Act V expected in 2019.
Fans of the Diablo series were burned last year at BlizzCon 2018 by the announcement of Diablo Immortal and the patronizing response from Blizzard to its longtime fanbase. While there is a chance that Blizzard may finally announce a proper sequel to Diablo 3 at this year’s BlizzCon in November, it would likely take a couple of years before anything is released. This mod by Ram is not only well made, it is perhaps the closest that fans will ever get to an HD remaster of Diablo 2.
Apart from having Acts I-IV completed, there are a number of other features included in the mod. The classes of Amazon, Assassin, Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Paladin, and Sorceress are available with all skills from Diablo 2 scaling to level 60. There are also instantly recognizable Unique and Set items, Runes and Runewords that can be crafted via the Horadric Cube, Rainbow Facets, and new weapons types in the form of bows, spears, and wands.
An unexpected inclusion is a fully working Pandemonium event with keys dropping from The Countess, Summoner, and Izual on Hell Difficulty. The event is a difficult gauntlet of some of the most challenging bosses in the game, and required a connection to the Battle.net servers in the original game, which was not something everyone had access to in 2000. For those wishing to feel the wrath of angry bovines, the Cow level is also included.
Finally, there is something new in the secret uber boss areas that include “one shot” chests, which drop a guaranteed unique or set item, once per difficulty.
The mod can be played single or multiplayer, which is where the nostalgia shines. Ram has stated that full support for multiplayer will come after the full content release. For now, as long as the hosting player completes a quest first, there are few issues.
In every way, the Reign of Terror mod feels like a fantastic recreation of Diablo 2. The audio and voice acting are seamless, the level layouts are true to the original, and the classes feel as they should. Players are also free to develop their character class as they would within Grim Dawn, adding an entirely new element to the experience.
With BlizzCon a full five months away and the likelihood of the Diablo series taking a permanent place among mobile platforms rising, this is a great opportunity to check out Reign of Terror.
The mod and all updates can be found here. Special thanks to Ram, your dedication to the project is much appreciated, and one of the earliest comments in the forums from user Doodfella sums up how we all feel when booting the game up, “D2 mod looks good!”