Is the Diablo Prime Evil Collection on Nintendo Switch Worth It in 2024? An Enthusiast‘s Take

For hack-and-slash aficionados who‘ve yearned to play two of gaming‘s defining ARPGs anytime, anywhere, the answer is a resounding yes. Despite some technical compromises inherent to Switch ports, the Diablo Prime Evil Collection delivers hundreds of hours of demon-slaying action supplemented by quality of life changes that make it easy to recommend for most nephalem. Across two fully-featured titles packed with varied progression systems, mountains of loot, and endless enemies to cut down, this bundle provides outstanding value and remains the definitive way to play Diablo on-the-go.

As a content creator and hardcore ARPG fan with over 500 hours across the Diablo series, I‘ve analyzed this ambitious Nintendo Switch package in depth – and in my judgement, the sheer breadth of content coupled with the pick-up-and-play portability propels the Prime Evil Collection into must-buy territory for gamers itching to loot and plunder whenever inspiration strikes. Should the thirst for slaying hordes of demons in Sanctuary grab you anywhere, your Switch has the cure.

An Impressive Amount of Content and Playtime

With both Diablo 2 Resurrected and Diablo 3 Eternal Collection bundled together, the sheer breadth of gameplay content is staggering for the $49.99 asking price. Based on HowLongToBeat, here‘s a comparative look at the content playtime:

Adding it all up, gamers can expect over 477 hours of content chasing the perfect drop. Considering most new singleplayer Switch releases clock in around 20 hours for main stories, this collection outpaces most gaming budgets multiple times over.

Both titles also offer serious endgame appeal through infinite Nightmare/Hell progression, seasonal ladders, Set Dungeons, and couch co-op scaled for 2-4 players. Bounties and Nephalim Rifts constantly remix objectives and layouts to prevent repetition. Throw in fully-featured PVP modes for both titles and you have endless replayability on tap.

For gamers craving long-haul value who wish to take their adventures on-the-go, the Diablo Prime Evil Collection overdelivers substantially.

Visual Upgrades Bring the Classic to Life

As expected, the Nintendo Switch realistically cannot match the 4K smoothness possible on PC, but improvements made modernizing Diablo 2 Resurrected’s visuals shine brightly on the handheld screen. Reviewers praised how well lighting and particle effects translated for Switch, while small touches like flowing banners or flickering fires in Andariel’s lair showcase detail absent from blurry old sprites.

These visual enhancements especially shine while gaming untethered through Switch OLED’s fantastic screen. And for nostalgic purists wanting original graphics? The legacy view is still available anytime with a button press.

Meanwhile Diablo 3 positively bursts with colorful special effects, physics interactions, and intricate environmental touches that showcase the series evolution into modern times. This makes it easy to play for hours without noticing thanks to varied vistas and smooth combat flow.

Suprisingly Steady Performance When It Counts

Now for the question many prospective players have: How well does Diablo 2 Resurrected actually run on the Switch, especially in handheld mode?

The answer is admirably well, all things considered. Analysis from Digital Foundry demonstrates how Blizzard North adopted a variable resolution scaling targeting 30 FPS to reduce instability. When mob density spikes things can get choppy, but performance generally hovers stable during normal play.

My testing showed resolution dips to ~540p when things got extremely hectic weren’t overly noticeable on the smaller handheld screen compared to docked TV play. Slowdown mainly occurred against huge packs of extra strong enemies or when spamming high particle effect skills.

Critically, single player runs smoothly with nary a hitch across all three difficulty modes. Solo grinding never feels impacted negatively. Considering the age of Diablo 2‘s engine and Switch‘s lower horsepower compared to PS5/Series X, Resurrected holds up well enough for the target platform.

Meanwhile, Diablo 3 positively sings on Switch, holding 60 FPS easily outside extreme elite packs spamming tons of effects simultaneously. Blizzard‘s engine expertise keeps the experience feeling every bit as responsive as its console and PC counterparts.

Quality of Life Changes Create Definitive Editions

Beyond the graphical overhaul, both remastered titles add a litany of subtle yet meaningful gameplay improvements:

• Shared Stash – Muling items between characters is now dead simple instead of relying on alt accounts or friends. Streamlined progression let‘s you play longer without inventory juggling.
• Automatic Gold Pickup – No more pixel hunting for gold piles! Quality change to reduce annoyance.
• Minimap Tracking Improvements – Waypoint paths now show clearly which help navigation tremendously.
• Charm Inventory – An entirely new gear slot for charms reduces clutter without sacrificing power. Gamechanger!
• Stackable Gems/Runes – Huge pickup since gems/runes now require 1/10th the inventory space. Makes crafting less painful.
• Endgame Difficulty Scaling – New Torment difficulties keep challenges fresh in late progression.

These are just a few of many smart tweaks that reduce legacy game design frustrations. Purists can certainly play with original rules, but modern touches make jumping back into Sanctuary more palatable for contemporary gamers on-the-go without altering core balance. Why struggle with archaic limitations when you‘d rather be slaying?

A Legendary Value Proposition For Demon Slayers

While the Diablo Prime Evil Collection may not hit a silky smooth 60 FPS at 4K resolution like a high-end PC, the tradeoff grants you the ability to embark on your quest for loot anytime, anywhere. Across two fully-fledged and content rich titles packing hundreds of hours of gameplay, this ambitious collection delivers outstanding value at a very reasonable $49.99 price point.

For ARPG enthusiasts eager to enjoy these genre classics on Nintendo Switch, this package remains a must-buy in 2024. Considering each game sells for $39.99 individually, bundling them together makes no-brainer financial sense on top of the portability perks. There‘s never been a better way to play Diablo on the go.

So for nephalem wandering Sanctuary in search of epic gear upgrades to topple the Prime Evils, be sure your gear includes a Nintendo Switch with the Diablo Prime Evil Collection. Slaughtering demons together with friends needn‘t chain you to the living room – your mission awaits wherever you wander!