Game Details
Price
  • $30
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Genre
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Diablo II/Diablo II Expansion (Windows)

common sense media says

Well-made, but not good for kids.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this game contains almost constant fighting -- there is very little storyline. In addition, young players could be frightened by the cinematic interludes, which contain torture, demon possession, and battles.

Educational value: None really: The ideas of Heaven and Hell could open a discussion on religion and theology.
Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence: Majority of the game involves violence, either physical or magical. The battles can be quite bloody--larger monsters, in particular, can explode into a large puddle of blood and guts. Multiple scary themes, demons, battles, blood, violence.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Diablo II/Diablo II Expansion

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the violence in this game. Do you enjoy the constant action, or do you prefer more of a story?

What's the story?

What's the story?

The premise of DIABLO II involves the character taking on Diablo, which is, of course, another name for the Devil. The expansion pack picks up where Diablo II leaves off, by having the character fight Diablo's "brother" Baal. The idea of Heaven versus Hell is prominent throughout the games, with the player being assisted by an angel of sorts while taking on various demons and monsters, all the while building up to the battle with Diablo, and later Baal.

Diablo was one of the first popular games to employ a "real-time" aspect of gameplay: With every click of the mouse, the player can move a sword or cast a spell to attack enemies. Strategy primarily involves choosing the best weapon or spell your character can use.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Diablo II and its expansion pack contain a rudimentary story that, while well done, only serves as a weak link from one battle to the next. Perhaps one of the more worrisome aspects is the direct correlation between player action and violence.

The battles can be quite bloody -- larger monsters, in particular, can explode into a large puddle of blood and guts. The potentially scary segments are mostly contained in cinematic segments between the main "acts." These scenes tie the overall story together, and contain some of the most disturbing scenes, including battles, possession by demons, torture, and fires. Although undoubtedly a popular and well-made game, Diablo II isn't a good choice for kids.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Windows
Not available online
Genre: Role Playing
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Released on: May 20, 2003
Price: 30
ESRB Rating: M

This review was written by Jeremy Gieske
 
 

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What parents & educators say

13

Most useful reviews by all members

 
Good game, old graphics
I've played this and the original Diablo for quite a while. While there is a lot of violence, most of it is pixilated, and it is fairly old graphics. Also, you never kill a real human (at least as far as I've gotten, I've never beat it, because my little brother kept deleting my saves), so while there's violence, it's against made-up creatures. Overall, a good game.

 
Diablo II/exp. is amazing, but awfully gorey.
Diablo is one of the best games. Sure, it's violent but it's fun. Though sometimes the gore can get out of hand, such as when you encounter a monster that is 'fire enchanted' killing them causes them to explode in a gorey mess. Some skills such as the necromancers corpse explosion has the same effect. So gore is a pretty big issue here. Language,drugs,alcohol, they are not in the game, besides a bar in the second act. The game can and will make your hand go numb if you play it to long however, since it involves lots of clicking both mouse buttons. The game is pretty long and will take time. There are very minor maybe you can call them sexual issues, as in the first and rarely in other acts you encounter female undead warriors who are scantily clad, if you even look that close. And your first AI partner you can recruit is a bit the same. The first act boss however is another story, as she is immensely tall and show her chest completely. However, chances are you won't notice as you should be to busy trying to survive her attacks to pay attention. There are some nightmarish things, such as giant bugs,the act 2 boss is a key one here, large mosquitoes,swamp monsters,big foot like beasts etc..though admittedly, the boss in the 3rd act is nightmarish crazily. The cut scenes are also that you would see straight from a horror sci fi movie so beware there. It's a game that is incredibly fun,which is doubled with a online friend, and one you should try before you buy.

jfbrown42
parent of 14 year old
 
lots of gameplay for your money, but not for kids
Diablo is an older game, but it still sells, with good reason. It's a great game that you can literally play for years without getting tired of it. Unfortunately, it's not kid stuff. The online chat is totally unfiltered and the community that plays Diablo is almost totally taken over by cheaters, griefers, trolls and other miscreants. It's possible to play the game offline, single player, which is safe. However, the game has graphics and imagery not suitable for younger kids (although the graphics are small and crude by today's standards) - thing like people that have been impaled on stakes, torture chambers, (small, pixilated) blood.

 
Perfect for kids any age but only if you feel like talking to them
Well when I was a little kid as in 3 or 4 I played the original Diablo Oh so much fun it was. Then came out Diablo 2 then LoD. I was level 98 one month into the game about to fight Baal only at the age of 6! Yes I had the Heaven and Hell talk but. Just say "Heaven is where good people are. Hell is where the devils are." P.S I played Heros 3 at the age of 2. Also you can set the GORE off in Diablo 2.

 
Think good versus evil!!
I've played this game since it was first released, having come over from Diablo. This was one of the few games I allowed my son to play, though it is "violent" it did not portray violence against anything realistic. In this, you are a hero, for good, against all the evils out there. It does not have you killing people, unless you count online duels, which is another story all together. That is more of an individuals choice, not the games doing. The story is a little thin, but if you started playing Diablo, then it would make a little more sense. This game is a great game. A bit repetitive but always great to pick back up after a break from it.

jackthekat
teen, 14 years old
 
everyone can play this game!
I was playing Diablo 2 seince i was 3. I know it might be a shocker but when i was 3 i did play it. There is rarly any secenes that would scare any one. The game is a great game if you understand it.There is no nudty and the cuss words are damm,damned,and hell all used in how they were used in the bible so there not cuss words. The blood is bad but half the time it is too dark to see the blood. Then there is the plains where you have to kill bug and they expload diffrent colors and cmon haven't you ever kill a bug. All I have to say is dont judge the game by its cover. I bet half of you haven't even played the game to know about how bad it is. THINK ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU POST!!! PS. Runescape sux!!!!!

AnAdult
adult
 
VIOLENSE!! But there is a cool online feature...
THIS GAME should not be played by childs under the age of 15. From what i could see, this game was violent, plus there was no language filter online, so i saw players with names that include the f word, and was called the f word by multiple people. If you want the online thing, go to runescape. Runescape may have very mild questionable things, but trust me, it is blue's clues. compared to this.

Penguin King
teen, 16 years old
 
Addicting, just addicting
This game is very addicting and can tear apart your grades, friends, family, and mind, if you don't regulate it. Limit yourself to playing it 1 hour a day max. If you play this game too much it can get to you. Listen to music while playing this game or simply turn the sound off. Often times the sounds are disturbing. Since the story is pretty pointless, don't bother listening or reading what they have to say. Just do the deed and get out. Play outside, listen to music, and have friends. It's when you don't get out is when Diablo really gets into your life.

Skuld
adult
 
This is just common sense
People, the game is called Diablo. Its intention is to be satan in a box. (I say that in all the best and most amazing ways possible.) Now, I'm not saying this is a bad game...because it is FAR from that. Diablo is one of the most amazing games of all time; however, I wouldn't let your spoiled 13 year old play it unless you really dont care about the language, and the violence. The rest of you who dont care, this game is a MUST if you are a PC gamer. M U S T!

Gameaddict
teen, 14 years old
 
AWESOME
I have been playing this since i was 8 and the blood is to pixelated to be graphic it has lots of language on multiplayer and its a good game.

KiPunk11
teen, 15 years old
 
Violence is unrealistic, game fueled by greed, effing awesome game.
This game, if nothing else, is fueled by greed. You want more loot. To get it, you'll do anything. Crawling dungeons and murdering tons of daemons all for the loot. While, on the whole, that's not the best message to send to kids, it's the same as a points system, and the violence isn't really that major, as it's very fantasy-fueled. I'd say if your kid's 13 (or really mature and 12) he can handle this amazing action-rpg. Parents should play through it with the lilluns. If not to supervise, than to experience a truly amazing, visceral experience.

Plague
parent
 
Diablo ll
This game is very fun, but has intense gore, violence, and sexual themes that is most definitely not for kids.

elitzur
adult
 
For No One
blizzard is a total zatanic company just like Activision. this games promote zatanic prayers in latin( that is why i gave it a safety concern) violence is over the top. language overt the top is the zatanic prayers that contains in game. messages are not good. it puts you on an idea that the devil is relative. not for any age in the list of catholics banned games is included.

Cm20014
teen, 16 years old
 
Gothic but hard.
i played the 1st diablo at my girlfriend's house. and does this game hav religion on it? i think defeating satan is better than defeating god. all hail the light. ill be the hero on every rpg even if its light or gothic!

MissBlackShadow
teen, 16 years old
 
Fine for 11+.
I don't really see why it's rated NOT FOR KIDS, I've been playing this game for years! It's easy enough to play, once you get used to it, and it isn't too bloody.

Shotgunned
teen, 14 years old
 
Not scary , but a bit confusing.
This game isnt poorly bloody , i played it , it is just really screwed up on 2 player mode , cause 1 time , i dueled my grandpa , and i got his ear! XD. Well , it does feature a lot of weapons , but i didnt really find anything bad.

Kentr Wrolfsong
teen, 17 years old
 
Enjoyable, but very violent
I got this game for my thirteenth birthday, and have been playing for several years.

 
Very fun, but is violent.
Diablo 2 is a very fun and adventerous game. Although very fun, this game contains bones and blood when monsters and demons die. When a necromancer casts the spell " raise skeloton " on a corpse, the dead body enplodes, splashing massive amounts of blood, about fifteen times the regular amount when a monster just dies, and when a fallen dies, its head gets departed, and spills blood more than the other monsters do. Once you reach deeper in the acts,you will see more blood.But in the options, you can change the graphics and colors, making blood seem more "purple" . You might learn a bit from the game, and i personally think that this should be rated "T" . Also in the monastery, you can see partial non sexual nudity of anderial, a strong boss. It would be friendly if Diablo 3 had a blood off option.

greendaylover1994
teen, 16 years old
 
This is one of the best computer games i play
If you do buy this game keep in mind that it will take a while to play expansion or no expansion (be sure to only install the oringinal, then after finishing act 4 then install the expansion) yes it is really violent and other stuff bit its not like we dont see it in newer games or on tv

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