Remember the PS1 version of Diablo? Yeah, me neither

How long Diablo fan, I know most of the items in the franchise well and strongly believe in it Diablo 4in its current state, it's the best the franchise has ever been. However, Diablo 2 can be credited to production Diablo series into what it is today and pioneered the ARPG genre as a whole. Even earlier Diablo 2 took the world by storm, the original Diablo laid the groundwork for its successor to thrive, but most gamers, myself included, probably forgot about the franchise's console debut, and you'd be forgiven if you did.

While Diablo the series is mostly associated with PC gaming, most modern versions are also accessible to console players. Diablo 3 really pushed the series to home consoles, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions coming just a year after the game's PC launch. While these ports paved the way for Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 4 find success on consoles, first Diablo game that ever appeared on a platform other than PC was the original PlayStation 1 release, which was forgotten for good reason.

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Diablo 1 on PlayStation 1 is one of the franchise's strangest relics

When I think of the PlayStation 1, I think of games like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot, Silent Hilland Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. One game I definitely don't associate with the PlayStation 1 is Diablowhich acts more like a 90s PC gaming icon, along with Fate, Earthquakeand Warcraft. However, PlayStation 1 owners had access Diablo on console back in 1998, with EA's port coming just a few years after the PC version.

Match the critics' averages

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original Diablo it has its quirks and plays almost like a survival horror rather than an ARPG. It was much slower than even its successor, Diablo 2because there was no option to run, which meant players had to walk everywhere. Enemies also moved much slower, but it was still incredibly easy to find yourself surrounded by nothing but succumbing to your fate. The fight for Diablo it also required more patience than its successors, with slow attack animations and casting speeds that made battles more precise and methodical, and this was especially true of the PS1 version.

How Diablo 1 on PS1 differs from the PC version

No online play, but 2 player local co-op
“History” option in the main menu with the game's story telling
Ability to increase game speed
Lower resolution graphics but water reflective
Huge file size requiring 10 blocks of PS1 memory card storage
Controller support but no DualShock support

One of the biggest differences between the PC and PS1 versions Diablo is the lack of online play, with the console port opting for 2-player split-screen co-op instead. This version also ditched the classic mouse and keyboard controls of the PC version, requiring players to use the PlayStation controllers' d-pad to move. Some quality of life additions to the PS1 release Diablo it included the ability to increase game speed, which was much needed given the overall slower pace of the game compared to modern Diablo records. It also condensed the game's lore into a narrated “History” section in the main menu, making the Diablo easier to follow than find the books hidden throughout the world of Sanctuary.

Graphic, DiabloThe PS1 port has been downscaled so it looks a little blurrier than on PC. However, some areas included graphical improvements, such as reflective water surfaces. A huge kicker for many PlayStation fans was the huge file size Diablowhich requires 10 of the total 15 blocks of data on the PlayStation Card to create a save file. It also meant Diablo had infamously slower load times on console compared to the PC version.

Is Diablo 1 worth playing on PS1?

Although now largely forgotten, the PS1 port Diablo was a great way for console gamers in 1998 to experience Blizzard's original ARPG without needing access to a PC. Today, however, this console port is a far worse way to experience the former Diabloespecially with the PC version of the game available on GOG and the physical disc versions of the PS1 port at ridiculously high prices. The GOG version also includes the Hellfire pro expansion Diablosomething the PlayStation never got.