So how do you bring one of the greatest games of all time back to life? That’s the question Rob Gallerani, studio design director, and Kevin Todisco, lead graphics engineer, had to figure out with Diablo 2: Resurrected.
It’s a puzzle they’re all too familiar with at Vicarious Visions, which is now part of Blizzard Entertainment, working on the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Remastering and remaking classics is what they do. However, the studio’s most daunting task yet has come with remastering Diablo 2, a game that almost single-handedly revolutionized action RPGs and made loot-centric games what they are today. No pressure.
We’d like to note Activision Blizzard is currently facing multiple lawsuits over allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. While Diablo 2: Resurrected is a Blizzard release, its developers (Vicarious Visions) are not implicated in the allegations. This interview has been edited for clarity.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.