Diablo II

RPGs are even rarer than adventures - Final Fantasy VII, Ultima IX and... well that's about it as far as upcoming titles go. Those and Diablo 2, of course. The original was a bridge between RPGs and action games, but for the sequel Blizzard are making a more rounded role-playing experience.

For a start the world is far bigger, with a more focused story. You can also build highly personal characters with individual skills and abilities. The enemy have been given greater levels of intelligence and employ better tactics, rather than just wading in as before.

Online, Blizzard are hoping to do for online RPGs what Ultima Online did for online RPGs; a server-based world with rare and fabulous treasure to encourage more gaming and less hacking.