Diablo II: Resurrected is an impressive and faithful remaster of the iconic action-RPG, one that managed to keep the core gameplay whilst giving the visuals a proper modern makeover. And now, after a patch that introduced new items and balancing to the game for the first time in many, many, years, Diablo 2 is getting a new mode of sorts.

A feature called Terror Zones. With the goal being to offer up more things to do when trying to reach the level cap. "We want to offer an alternative to repeatedly farming Baal, Diablo, or Nihlathak," writes Blizzard. "We also want the journey to level 99 to be accessible to a larger population of players, full of variety, and most importantly, challenging."

Here's the description.

When playing a Terror Zone-enabled game, every hour, the armies of the Burning Hells will focus their demonic might on specific zones, terrorizing them. The monsters in these zones will be at least two levels higher than your current level or their original level, up to a maximum per difficulty. The experience received and the loot dropped by killing a terrorized monster will be based on this new level. In addition, terrorized monsters will also grant additional experience points.

Monster levels will be based on the host/creator of the game - scaling up to offer more challenge and better rewards. Terror Zones are entirely optional, but when enabled players will be informed of the areas currently affected via the Chat Box. Plus monsters will have a special icon, with cues in the map too.

Blizzard is clear to state that this is an experimental feature and that it will be thoroughly tested in PTR before going live. That said, it sounds very cool and quite extensive with the first bath of Terror Zones being:

Act I - Blood Moor and Den of Evil, Cold Plains and The Cave
Burial Grounds, The Crypt, and the Mausoleum, Dark Wood, Black Marsh, The Forgotten Tower, Jail, Cathedral and Catacombs, Tristram, Moo Moo Farm

Act II - Sewers, Rocky Waste and Stony Tomb, Dry Hills and Halls of the Dead, Far Oasis and Maggot Lair, Lost City, Valley of Snakes, and Claw Viper Temple, Harem and Palace Cellar, Arcane Sanctuary, Tal Rasha's Tombs

Act III - Spider Forest and Spider Cavern, Flayer Jungle and Flayer Dungeon, Lower Kurast, Kurast Bazaar, Ruined Temple, and Disused Fane, Kurast Sewers, Travincal, Durance of Hate

Act IV - Outer Steppes and Plains of Despair, River of Flame, Chaos Sanctuary,

Act V - Bloody Foothills, Frigid Highlands, Glacial Trail, Crystalline Passage and Frozen River, Arreat Plateau, Nihlathak's Temple, Halls of Anguish, Halls of Pain, and Halls of Vaught, Ancient's Way and Icy Cellar, Worldstone Keep, Throne of Destruction, and Worldstone Chamber

"We are testing Terror Zones as a new, experimental feature with the expressed desire to inject additional fun into Diablo II: Resurrected," Blizzard adds. "To ensure Terror Zones provide an experience that best serves our players, we will need your assistance and urge you to provide any feedback you may have."

No doubt there'll be some purists who don't want any changes to the game, but these being optional it's hard not to be impressed by the effort to inject some more variety into Diablo 2's endgame boss rush.

Patch 2.5 also introduces a big list of changes and fixes - head here for the full update.