How do the new graphics in Resurrected compare with the old ones?

Blizzard wrote:

Luckily we had a tonne of good inspiration from the original D2 art. Our primary focus is always nostalgia; we want to make sure we focus on getting this right and deliver an authentic experience that players remember from 20 years ago.

Every choice we make with the art, the models, the environments should really ignite that nostalgia and then reinforce that emotional connection from the original game. We came up with a 70/30 visual guide:

70% is basically the classic - this is where we don't touch what works - we want to maintain those iconic shapes, colours, tones. Everything should be 1:1 and faithful to the original. We want things that feel authentic and preserve the original designs.

With the 30% new that's kind of like where we're going to elevate that art. Every change we make sure we signify that step forward visually.

Chris Amaral - Lead Artist 04:02 19th Feb 2021

All of the footage we've seen is astonishingly close to the original art direction. Whether that's the emulated 3D lighting with those dark and unlit corners from which monsters appear, to the original re-used and upscaled textures or even the icon artwork itself. The art team(s) working on this have a very good understanding of what makes D2 look like D2.