Diablo: Hellfire Summary

Original Diablo design docs show it was to be a classic turn-based rogue-like

It may seem hard to believe now, but back in the mid-90's, the roleplaying game was dead in the West. Every publisher was pumping out new first person shooters and real-time strategy games, while few if any major roleplaying games were being released. This led to the rise of the JRPG, as console gamers were getting franchises such as Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star, and even ports of the classic PC game Ultima. But for PC gamers, the cupboard was bare in terms of roleplaying games.