It's been 24 years since the launch of the Diablo franchise in 1997, and in celebration of this epic milestone, players can explore the game's origins with the annual Darkening of Tristram event. Launching January 3 and running until January 31, Blizzard Entertainment promises players old and new a retro-style dungeon crawl designed to pay homage to the original sprite-based style that started it all.
The anniversary tribute began running annually each January in 2017. It offers players the opportunity to explore the first 16 levels of the original Diablo in Diablo III. Broken into four sections, the bosses and quests have been slightly modified and (in some cases) simplified in an effort to recapture that familiar retro style.
Offering a virtual smorgasbord of rewards and loot, there is even a special achievement and award for characters who enter at level one and beat the event in a single playthrough. The event also offers significant experience points, with level one players generally coming out the other side at level 30 upon completion.
The event begins with the player investigating the activities of a mysterious cult wreaking havoc in Sanctuary. In adventure mode, the player hunts down these cultists and discovers a portal to Tristram, as well as details surrounding a terrible darkness that gripped the town in the past. Clues lead players to a blast from the past, as the Cathedral beckons them forth to explore its depths and challenge the Dark Lord himself.
To open the portal to Olde Tristram, the player must find an especially rotten mushroom to put into the cauldron. Note that this will only open the portal if the game is in adventure mode, so be sure to turn that on before attempting to launch into the event.
Diablo has come a long way since its original release, and the first thing players notice upon entering is distorted pixels that create a retro look and feel for the dungeon. The frame rate has also been modified to give the game a choppier look and feel while playing, and players cannot zoom in to analyze things from a distance. There are numerous monsters from the original dungeon run, along with four mandatory bosses: Dark Lord, Archbishop Lazarus, Skeleton King and the Butcher.
Players can expect to find transmogrification effects, portraits, pets and achievements among other rewards while exploring the labyrinthian depths of the Cathedral. Some of these are relatively easy to stumble upon, while others require careful attention and exploration to unearth. Two transmogrification weapons can be earned: the Butcher's Cleaver and Wirt's Leg. There are also the pets, the Butcher and Royal Calf. Additionally, players can earn a variety of achievements, including "Thank Goodness You Returned Alive," which is earned after killing all four of the dungeon's bosses.
With tons to explore and earn, and plenty of time in which to do it, the Darkening of Tristram event launched at 4pm PST on January 3, and it will close on January 31, 2021 at 4pm PST. It provides a great opportunity for long-time fans of the Diablo franchise to revisit the nostalgic past, while giving newer players a glimpse at the series' origins.