Summary
The Coolness factor.
The Good
It's a good, solid expansion. Many of the original requests for the game were filled, especially the need for higher resolution and more powerful items. The two classes add a lot of neat possibilities for the game, and there are enough tweaks for the old ones to promote completely new gameplay style.
The new acts deserves a mention. Unlike the later acts of the original game, it doesn't require hours of traveling in open spaces in order to complete it, but is rather very straight forward. If you liked the first act of the original game, you'll like that one too.
The Bad
It's the same old Diablo II, nothing out of the ordinary here. You go around the place, smack critters around, hope for good items, on and on for more and more addictive hours.
Another problem is with the game's economy system. As time moved on, powerful items became more and more common, and so Blizzard had to release the expansion with better items. Soon those items will become average on the hardcore gaming scene, and another expansion will have to be released- this is an endless cycle, and other than completely resetting the ladders the only solution is even more expansions.
The Bottom Line
If you're an avid Diablo II gamer, purchase the expansion; if you're going for the most powerful on-line character, purchase the expansion; if you're just having fun with the game, get the expansion.
