Remember the PS1 version of Diablo? Yeah, me neither

Like a long time Diablo heck, I'm pretty familiar with most of the entries in the franchise, and I strongly believe that Diablo 4in its current state, is the best the franchise has ever been. However, Diablo 2 can be credited with doing Diablo series to what it is today and groundbreaking for the ARPG genre as a whole. Even before Diablo 2 took the world by storm, the original Diablo laid the groundwork for its successors to thrive, but most gamers, myself included, have probably forgotten about the franchise's console debut, and you'd be forgiven if you did.

While Diablo series is mostly associated with PC gaming, most modern editions can also be accessed by console players. Diablo 3 really pushed the series to home consoles, with PS3 and Xbox 360 versions released just a year after the game's PC launch. While these ports paved the way for Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 4 to find success on consoles, the first Diablo game to ever appear on a platform other than PC was the original game's PlayStation 1 edition, which has been largely 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 7, 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 feels more like an icon of 90s PC gaming, along with Downfall, Quakeand Warcraft. Still, PlayStation 1 owners could access Diablo on the console back in 1998, with the port from EA coming just a couple of years after the PC version's launch.

Balance the critics' averages

Light (6) Medium (8) Hard (10)

The original Diablo has its quirks and plays almost like a survival horror game rather than an ARPG. It was much slower than even its successors, Diablo 2because there was no option to run, meaning players have to walk everywhere. Enemies also moved much slower, but it was still incredibly easy to find yourself surrounded with little to do but succumb to your fate. Fight off Diablo also required more patience than its successor, with slow attack animations and cast speeds making combat more precise and methodical encounters, and this was especially true of the PS1 version.

How Diablo 1 on PS1 differs from the PC version

No online play, but local co-op for 2 players
A “Story” option on the main menu with a narration of the game's story
Possibility to increase the speed of the game
Lower resolution graphics, but reflective water
Large 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 of the Diablo is the lack of online play, with the console port opting for 2-player co-op split-screen instead. This version also removed the classic mouse and keyboard controls of the PC version, requiring players to use the d-pad on the PlayStation controller for movement. Some quality of life additions to the PS1 edition of Diablo included an option to increase game speed, which was much needed given the game's overall slower pace compared to modern Diablo entries. It also condensed the game's lore into a narrated “History” section of the main menu, remaking the story Diablo easier to follow than finding books hidden throughout Sanctuary's world.

Graphically, Diablos resolution was reduced for the PS1 port, making it look a little blurrier than on PC. However, some areas included graphical improvements, such as reflective water surfaces. A big kicker for many PlayStation fans was the huge file size for Diablowhich requires 10 of the PlayStation memory card's total of 15 data blocks to create a save file. This also meant that Diablo had notoriously slower loading times on console compared to the PC version.

Is Diablo 1 worth playing on PS1?

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