How ‘Diablo’ continues to provide the definitive dark-fantasy game soundtrack

For the past 30 years, gamers have been going up against the forces of darkness in Diablo. Set in the fictional Kingdom Of Khanduras, the original game had late ‘90s computer addicts battling through 16 randomly-generated dungeons to save the market town of Tristram from the titular Lord Of Terror. It didn’t matter whether you were a hulking warrior, an agile, bow-wielding rogue or a sorcerer who could tap into the mystic arts to vanquish hell beasts, each descent brought you closer to death with Matt Uelmen’s haunting ‘Tristram Theme’ ringing in your ears. READ MORE: AI, vinyl and indie supremacy: what’s shaping video game music in 2026? Three sequels and several expansions later, Diablo has evolved into one of gaming’s biggest fantasy franchises with a complex lore and intricate history. Released in 2000, Diablo 2 took players beyond the nightmarish underbelly of Tristram to lands inspired by the Middle East, Mesoamerican jungles, lost Mayan civilisations and ancient deserts before 2012’s Diablo 3 featured hugely-improved graphics, a wider range of plucky heroes to choose from and a twisting story that blurred the lines between good and evil. “Every time we make a new iteration o...