Diablo (Value Series): Prima's Official Strategy Guide

Rating:
Summary: An almost essential guide to "Diablo" on the Playstation
Review: "Diablo" isn't brain surgery, but as an import from computer games to Playstation, there's a fair amount about the game that doesn't mesh with Playstation logic. The game is also the first computer game-style RPG (as opposed to the category of games console gamers call RPGs), and this manual serves as an excellent guide to the game.

The book details each of the three classes, gives advice on strategies, has write-ups on all the equipment, lists and explains the magical suffixes and prefixes, gives a complete shrine list, goes into detail on the spells, gives stats and strategy for each of the many monsters and describes the quests (broken down into the random "minor" quests and the required "major" quests).

The few surprises in the game can be spoiled by this book, although they're really not what "Diablo" is about, really -- and the fun of smacking around the monsters in the dungeons beneath Tristram is undiminished.

The book also provides information on things I wouldn't have thought to ask -- like where those extra staircases in the dungeon lead to.

Advanced gamers, or those who played "Diablo" on computer likely won't want or need this, but for everyone else, this book is an excellent companion to the game, and is a quality product, attractive to look at and clearly written.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a 31st level Sorcerer calling me back to Tristram ...

Rating:
Summary: An almost essential guide to "Diablo" on the Playstation
Review: "Diablo" isn't brain surgery, but as an import from computer games to Playstation, there's a fair amount about the game that doesn't mesh with Playstation logic. The game is also the first computer game-style RPG (as opposed to the category of games console gamers call RPGs), and this manual serves as an excellent guide to the game.

The book details each of the three classes, gives advice on strategies, has write-ups on all the equipment, lists and explains the magical suffixes and prefixes, gives a complete shrine list, goes into detail on the spells, gives stats and strategy for each of the many monsters and describes the quests (broken down into the random "minor" quests and the required "major" quests).

The few surprises in the game can be spoiled by this book, although they're really not what "Diablo" is about, really -- and the fun of smacking around the monsters in the dungeons beneath Tristram is undiminished.

The book also provides information on things I wouldn't have thought to ask -- like where those extra staircases in the dungeon lead to.

Advanced gamers, or those who played "Diablo" on computer likely won't want or need this, but for everyone else, this book is an excellent companion to the game, and is a quality product, attractive to look at and clearly written.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a 31st level Sorcerer calling me back to Tristram ...

Rating:
Summary: Cool
Review: I got this book a very long time ago and I still find myself pulling it out to check on things. This book lists all the types of weapons, their damage ranges, requirments, every helmet, every piece of armor, every shield, their armor class ranges, and requirments as well as every magical prefix and suffix and what each does. You'll also get a full list of the spells as well as a 1/2 page to 1 1/2 page description of the spell. Also listed are all the quests in the game. Before long I got a level 50 warrior and a level 50 sorcerer with mainly the help from this book plus 15% skill and 85% luck on my part. All in all, this is a great book and even if you think you've mastered the game, this book is worth the price of admission.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad at all
Review: I have become a fan of role playing games since I purchased Diablo for the Playstation. This Prima Guide helped me to reach level 16 mastery in no time at all. The stats are accurate and tips and tricks galore help you to jump in and enjoy the game experience. Definitely a good buy.

Rating:
Summary: The Prima Strategy Lie
Review: The Prima Strategy Lie, as it's know amongst the popular Diablo community, is riddled with technical and strategic inaccuracies and tonnes of misleading information. Do NOT waste your money on this guide.

Rating:
Summary: Have you been talking to that guy at EB?
Review: There is absolutely no need for a strategy guide for Diablo! Diablo is a hack and slash game, go around, beat up monsters until you are strong enough to beat up bigger monsters, rinse and repeat.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with hack and slash games, especially not Diablo or DII, they are my favorite games, but my little brother can beat Diablo without help from a strategy guide, and he was 8 when he did that.

Rating:
Summary: The Prima Strategy Lie
Review: This book allows you to look things up as you play. You don't have to put to memory what certain weapons are used for.

Rating:
Summary: All the info you could possibly want.
Review: This is definitely the best Diablo guide available. Unlike some of the others, the information is complete and accurate. This guide lists the information necessary to complete every side quest in the game, and then some. Also, it gives a complete list of all the prefixes and suffixes for the magical items. At the end, you can find stats on all the enemies and shrines in the game. This guide is definitely worth buying.

Rating:
Summary: Useful
Review: Yes, the book is useful. It is not fantastic, beautifully written, crucial to success, or even 100% accurate. This book, with all of its typos, feels as though it has not been proofread more than once. Some of its tables have incorrect values or are poorly organized.

But it is useful.

The book is accurate about 90% of the time, and the quests are well outlined - though I certainly don't believe the quests are difficult enough to require this guide. The primary use of the game is in its tables (when they are accurate), and in their explanations of the actual mechanics behind the game (such as how the game chooses which quests are included in a particular single-player game).

Though all of the information in this guide can be found with a moderate amount of replay, this guide makes it available immediately. I would not use it as a strategy guide, I would use it as a quick reference to keep open while you are hunting for something in particular.

To be fair, I don't believe Diablo requires a strategy guide at all. The game is fairly straight-forward, with none of the mind-boggling complexity of some real RPGs (i.e. Final Fantasy).