Diablo III has been the talk of the town for the last couple of weeks and will most certainly be one of the most hotly anticipated games of… well whenever it comes out! The Diablo franchise has a cult following and though the third game will undoubtedly go global on the back of WoW and the rest of Blizzard’s recent success, there are those who still remember Diablo’s humble beginnings.

Ben Hoose, an inventory artist on both Diablo II and its expansion, has been sharing his opinions and impressions of how the new game is shaping up to DIII.net. The first thing Hoose wanted to get off his chest was his relief that the game was finally announced and that he no longer had to be a keeper of one the biggest secrets in gaming. Speaking on the game’s announcement he commented, “What really made me sit up and pay attention to the announcement was to see how beautiful D3 had become! I remember back at Blizzard North when Jason Regier was first designing a rough game engine, and how it was always so exciting to see the new features added, day by day. So imagine how I felt to see this stunning demo.”

When asked on whether he felt that Diablo III fell in line with the game’s signature moody and dark ambience he said, “I remember plowing ahead and making those green pastures and meadows in D2, and thinking ‘Oops! The original Diablo was so dark and moody; did I screw up the atmosphere?’ But it all worked out in my opinion, because we were able to take the player to various darker environments. You can’t judge the atmosphere of D3 from a short demo. Who knows what incredible sights await the player of Diablo 3?”

In other Diablo III news, Blizzard have released a plethora of new concept art for our viewing pleasure! Check them out in the gallery.

[See also: Diablo III gallery]