Why No ARPG Replaces Diablo 2

DigitalBlizzNX: There is also one other aspect about Diablo II that is heavily lost in many modern ARPGs which I utterly despise- the always online model. I recently got back into Diablo II with the remake after a hiatus of years (recently being about two months ago now) and I decided that rather than playing online, I chose to play mainly offline, with some online play with my friends. Find all my gear myself. Build and level all my characters myself. No rushes, only some gear from my runs if I choose to use it and it has been by far the most fun I've ever had with the game compared to when I used to play online, at least in terms of progression. Finding my first jah rune was the biggest kick of dopamine I've EVER gotten in the game. Even some of the other rare items couldn't compete with that one rune. And getting that feeling online would be possible, but knowing it was my jah, my first jah for my first enigma in single player made it more special. That jah has since been used in said enigma, currently on my smiter as I level him to get my first torch.
majdo1704: One of the best games out there!
chrisschmid5212: D2 is humanities greatest achievement
bowlock9901: Itemisation. The fact a white/magic/rare item can become the most powerful weapon/armour in the game is what makes Diablo 2 so great. The item chase is like no other and you don't need a degree in skill trees to make them work. Its simple and less is more. Facets/GC Skilllers/High Runes/P Skulls and other crafting. No other game hits the spot like this. Even Chris Wilson admits it himself.

All hail the King Diablo 2.
nightcedargarden: Diablo 1 and 2 were peak of ARPG. No other Arpgs give a similar feel at all.
vieiradesu: i love the fact that D2 is sort of a sandbox ARPG
the holy grail, speedrunning, PvP tournaments, the trading scene, the many playthrough challenges with restrictions, these are all activities created by the players, D2 doesnt have an endgame other than endlessly farming for perfect rolls

and the itemization is in fact the best out there
for example, in grim dawn, a single random item can have a dozen of non sense affixes, and most are meaningless
in D2, getting that perfect 35% FCR roll for a monarch spirit is very meaningful
frznembo: 100% Accurate
Herms86: Great video, and i agree with every point you made, the slow building power fantasy feel so good
Popemaster09: PoE 2 has finally surpassed D2 for me. It fixes so many annoyances I had with D2, and has such stunning detailed environments, story, monsters, music, bosses, etc. And come on, acts 1-3 even follow D2. Forest, desert, jungle. The rightful successor.
leimad13: My biggest gripe with D2 (which I played for many years since the beginnings) are the charms. You actually talk about small inventory space and immersion and yet next view of your inventory shows it fully packed with them...It put me off Diablo for good unfortunately. I do agree with points on PoE (never touched D3 or 4), game becomes a zoom zoom mess later on.
neilbateman7039: Agrreed.
There's not been one other ARPG that has kept me coming back like Diablo 2.
I've got so bored, so qiockly with every other game I've tried since Diablo 2, but I can still spend hours running the same dungeons on D2... and loving it.
NavneetInfy: I think its very simple. All ARPGs immediately give AoE damage skills, so weapon types don't matter. The weapon itself is not used in mordern ARPGs, only their attributes. In D2, every weapon feels and sounds different, which is what almost the first 30-40 mins is about. Talking about mainly Barb and Paladin.
Hareru1: I currently only play poe and d2 love them both. My main gripe about d2 is the charms in the endgame, taking up so much inventory space. Yes we have the cube but there's no option to directly npc the items even if it's not necessary I still would like to do it. In poe, I absolutely love the skill customability. But in there are so many side upgrade systems that I get lost and never stick around too long after season starts.
jakubmucha6629: If I would not discover PoE I could still be doing those Ballruns... But after PoE (also 2000 hrs) there is no return to D2 :/
177silas: 2k hours in poe? rookie numbers, you bearly touched the game. for me poe overgrown d2 tenfold.
williamterrill3273: Based
ArcadiaBay11: Its a shame too, because its actually not a difficult formula to copy.

The problem is they always try to make it easier, more casual, more random, or add more noise into the mix, and that's where they go wrong.

That said, D2 itself is an accident, it wasn't intentionally made a masterpiece by geniuses or anything.

The 'genius' lies in the fact that its balanced around 8 people playing together online, yet its a game most people play single player. Thats what makes it difficult. Elemental immunes? Not supposed to be a problem, the devs think. You probably have multiple casters on your team. What's that? You're soloing....? Oh... Well, its not impossible to overcome.
elnightwolf1: Allahu Akbar
ryanirl2398: Solid material
Xero15: The Greatest ARPG of All Time.
ryuno2097: I prefer D1 over D2.
thalrasha02: D2 item loot table and affixes is the primary reason. And the second is the power curve.
senormarston: No one beats Diablo II in replayability
kuvaytcev: yes, you are completely right

I keep looking for this feeling of adventure and wonder in the other ARPGs and never get it. Never. D3, D4, poe, last epoch, wolcen, it's all just endless numbers and explosions all of the time instead of a meaningful immersion

only Titan Quest and Grim Dawn come close, but still not quite (and they have their own problems)
lAmSH0DAN: all the 'contentious points of friction' you mention are the reasons why D2 is good. I can't stand new arpgs. 'look better' is highly subjective. I think constant explosions of color on the screen looks worse, not better. And the slow paced gameplay of D2 is leagues better than anything modern ARPGs do.