Bow Before The Publishing Giant
While the announcement regarding Diablo Immortal has earned mass push-back and scorn from gamers everywhere, there’s no denying that Blizzard still stands tall as one of the most beloved and successful video game developers of all time. After all, these five contributions alone manage to take the community by storm, and in some cases redefine the sub-genre they inhabit. Pitfalls aside, these five titles proves that when Blizzard gets it right – they reach the pinnacle!
#5: “Overwatch†(2016)
A MOBA, an MMO, a card game, and an RTS, Blizzard nearly has all the competitive markets cornered; all they needed was a FPS. With Overwatch, it seems like Blizzard’s near unstoppable company has just grown stronger. Combining elements of classic shooters like Team Fortress and Quake, with that of modern shooters, Overwatch is a game for any shooter fan. Picking the right character for the situation is paramount, even if you have to be Mercy once again, teamwork is always a key factor. With Blizzard’s regular free updates for new heroes, balances, seasons, new cosmetics, maps and so much more, Overwatch is a welcome addition to Blizzard’s roster.
#4: “Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness†(1995)
Sequel to the game that helped establish Blizzard’s popularity, Warcraft 2 managed to not only help the company rise to power, but helped blend storytelling and gameplay into RTS games. Where Warcraft was very cut-and-dry with its story, the sequel created a much more in-depth narrative, which would soon become a staple of the series. While not a huge overhaul with gameplay, Warcraft 2 also benefited greatly from a later expansion that includes Battle.Net support. So while you may not have Warcraft 2 to thank for gameplay, it is thanks to its deeper narrative, that the world of Azeroth could be expanded further…
#3: “Starcraft†(1998)
With Warcraft winning the hearts of many, and heroes busy kicking demonic butt in Hell, Blizzard decided to take a more sci-fi approach. Utilizing their already acclaimed RTS development skills, Blizzard dove headlong into the new genre to create a brand new game, and thus Starcraft was born. Starcraft would not only be beloved, but rival even Warcraft’s RTS crown. Boasting faster paced gameplay than Warcraft, and 3 playable factions instead of two, Starcraft helped to revolutionize strategy games as we know it. Plus with the game getting the remaster treatment, now is as good a time as ever to jump into the series if you’ve never played it before.
#2: “Diablo 2†(2000)
Hailed from heaven and hell as one of Blizzard’s greatest games of all time, Diablo 2 not only proved to be a true sequel, but an overall fantastic game. Diablo 2 provided new classes, story, and a much, much longer campaign. On top of that, it managed to revamp many mechanics and features – introducing new tiers to gear, difficulty settings, and even a PvP mode. While it may be quite dated, fans of the series still play it today. Receiving support to this day, Diablo 2 has stood the test of time, thanks also in part to the series introduction to online multiplayer support.
#1: “World of Warcraft†(2004)
As if we wouldn’t choose this. World of Warcraft has come a VERY long way as an MMO; taking the crown as MMO king, it has seen the most concurrent subscribers of any MMO in history. Nearly 13 years old, World of Warcraft has outlasted many of its competitors, blowing them out of the water. A game has achieved legendary status when even those who haven’t heard of Blizzard or aren’t gamers know what your game is. It has had its lows in the past years, but millions of fans still remain faithful. Whether you are Alliance or Horde, you can agree that Blizzard is number one for keeping Azeroth alive for so long.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Blizzard Villains.
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