Diablo has a special place in the hearts of gamers. For many, it was their first venture into ARPGs. The franchise created an interesting world to explore, like the quiet town of Tristram and the bowels of Hell. At the start of your journey, all you have to your name is some armor, a weapon, and a few pieces of gold you probably looted from a corpse. Whether you’ve recently discovered Diablo or have been a long-time fan, here are the best Diablo games of all time, ranked from the worst to the absolute best.
5. Diablo Immortal
Such a polarizing game Diablo Immortal is. At its core, Diablo Immortal certainly nails the essence of the series. Animations are tight, abilities feel weighty, and the game transitions surprisingly well to mobile platforms. Every class has a distinct identity, not to mention sweet, sweet loot in the form of well-designed weapons and armor.
Unfortunately, it ends right there. The plot is flimsy, the voice acting isn’t bad but it’s often lifeless, and the microtransactions are horrendous and predatory, which is a shame because Diablo Immortal is genuinely fun in short, meaningful bursts. Had Diablo Immortal been given a price tag, minus pay-to-win mechanics, it would’ve been much higher on this list.
4. Diablo
The one that started it all: Diablo. This may be your parents’ Diablo, but it’s one you should definitely visit, even if you’ve been spoiled by modern ARPGs like Path of Exile. There’s just so much atmosphere, from the dark and dank catacombs to the walls made of bone and blood in Hell. It’s a beautiful mix of horror, roleplaying, and masterful storytelling.
Diablo still holds up, despite being released back in 1997, though it admittedly feels archaic at times. Only three classes exist in the base game, your character is limited to walking, and there is a bit of a learning curve with its mechanics. But if you give it a chance, you’ll undoubtedly be humming the haunting Tristam theme in no time.
3. Diablo 3
Diablo 3 received well-deserved criticism when it was first released. Fans who bought Diablo 3 (such as myself) spent more time staring at Error 37 than actually playing the game. And when it was available, the in-game auction house wasn’t a good look. With that said, it still presents fantastic gameplay and a good story.
All seven classes are incredibly unique, such as the Barbarian with its berserker rage playstyle or the Witch Doctor with their curses and summons. Best of all, Diablo 3 gets the loot right—especially the class sets. Though it isn’t as dark and gloomy as Diablo or even Diablo 2, the third installment still offers a way better experience than Diablo Immortal.
2. Diablo 2: Resurrected
There’s a reason Diablo 2 got the remaster treatment: it is frequently thought of as the pinnacle of the Diablo franchise. Diablo 2 goes the way of Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 2—taking everything from its previous installment and dials it to 11. Diablo 2 exponentially deepend the game mechanics, as well as story.
The number of classes goes from three to seven, each with their own unique playstyle. We learn all kinds of new lore, visit the World Stone (which is shattered in Diablo 3 and Diablo Immortal) and even meet up with the other lords of Hell and angels from Heaven.
The combat is much more satisfying and impactful, not to mention new mechanics such as the Rune system. Each class has distinct talent trees for min-maxing goodness, RPG flavor, and build diversity. Best of all, the loot is powerful and plentiful. What’s even better is that you can experience Diablo 2: Resurrected on console, PC, and even the Nintendo Switch.
1. Diablo IV
I was on the fence for a while, but I have to admit: Diablo IV feels like the perfect marriage of Diablo 3 and Diablo 2. It’s the best of both worlds by having the depth in builds, like Diablo 2, and a story that’s front and center (and actually pretty good, too), like Diablo 3. Lilith will forever be a fine example of a good villain in my mind.
For starters, the writing is tight, especially in regards to Elias and Lilith. While we don’t get to interact with her personally for most of the game, her influence on others tells the story of how ironclad her followers are. If you aren’t careful in your logic, you might even find yourself agreeing with her.
On top of having a surprisingly diverse set of activities to do (Tree of Whispers, World Events, World Bosses, and more), the combat you’ll utilize the entire time feels powerful and weighty, though power gains feel incremental at times. In addition to the paragon system, build diversity is where I feel the most accomplished. It’s the fun of improving my rotation through stat bonus manipulation and multipliers.
And that’s the best Diablo games of all time, ranked. Diablo 4 is a one-two punch of great story and gameplay—I won’t deny that. If the past is anything to go by, it’ll get better, too.
