The hotly anticipated Diablo 2: Resurrected has received a lot of press in a variety of different formats as its launch date approaches. Now, it's received another striking live-action trailer, this one featuring actor Winston Duke as he prepares to face down the horrors Diablo 2: Resurrected has to offer.
In the video, which is set in the darkened interior of what seems to be a Catholic confessional, Duke takes on the role of the penitent seeking forgiveness. The previous live-action Diablo 2: Resurrected trailer starring Simu Liu had the actor bluntly announce his intentions to descend into darkness, but Duke appears genuinely torn and distressed about his desire to sin. Of course, in this case, "sin" refers to the many activities gamers can carry out in Diablo 2: Resurrected that would be illegal in real life.
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As the lighting slowly turns red, Duke describes his desire to loot corpses, defile tombs, perform rituals to gain immeasurable power, let greed guide him to untold riches, and--most of all--to bathe in the blood of demons. When the priest he is confessing to asks why, Duke explains that there are signs of a second coming and he wishes to face Diablo the Lord of Terror. After hearing Duke out, the priest states that doing evil against evil is not a sin, but righteous, and orders him to give in to temptation.
Diablo 2 fans may find that this trailer does an excellent job of building an uneasy atmosphere, from its increasingly nightmarish lighting to its silky smooth voice acting. Winston Duke contributes an excellent performance and the priest is as menacing as he is comforting. Footage taken directly from Diablo 2: Resurrected only adds to the feeling of building dread. Diablo 2: Resurrected may be building itself up as a horrifying experience, but the original Diablo 2 was made under a brutal 18 month crunch, which may be considered even more horrifying.
As of writing, it appears that the new live-action trailer has been enthusiastically received by Diablo 2 fans. One commenter stated that they normally hate live-action trailers, but Winston Duke--who played M'Baku in Black Panther--was worth the watch. Another hoped that Winston Duke could play a Paladin in a theoretical Diablo movie. Several different commenters selected quotes from the video and gushed over the ominous tone the trailer created.
Diablo 2: Resurrected releases September 23 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.