There's nothing wrong with the variety, the thing is that the intensity of the experience is smoothed by that. If you feel like there's a threat, and that every obstacle you face has that threat's signature you embrace the experience in a completely different way than if it isn't. In Diablo 1 pretty much everything is focused around Diablo. All the problems in the village are some how related to an evil presence and you see the whole story unfolding in front of you, building up to the point were you fight the prime evil (which, by the way, was from being the hardest part of the game).
In Diablo 2 you do quests here and there and you don't get that feeling that there's something greater behind it. Of course, in Diablo 1 you didn't knew the story right away and the game could explore Diablo. If they stick with that in Diablo 2, it would probably be boring. But making you kill Mephisto, then Diablo and then even Baal is like saying "You're the biggest hero in the world". In the first game killing Diablo felt like something unique. In Diablo 2 it's like "two bad guys down, one more two go".
It's true that the "those little murdering psychopaths from the Kurast jungle" were a pain in the ass, but the thing is that there need to be a bunch of them for them to be threat. The game was more hack and slash, and that isn't wrong. That's pretty good, but I still prefer Diablo 1 were you needed to stay in front of a door so only one enemy could attack you at a time and stuff like that. In Diablo 2, you could try to face a lot of enemies at the same time and succeed, whereas in Diablo 1 if you got surrounded by 6 or 7 enemies you'd probably be dead.
The enemy was a threat in D1? Only if you were some kind of incompetant, water headed caveman. Granted, in D2 a majority of the enemies weren't too big of a threat alone, but when you put together a horde of 20 thousand, you'll quickly find your moistest meat being served at the demon bar-be-que. Not to mention some enemies were quite the thorn in one's testicles (see above for midget cannibals and demonic gnats). The bosses in D2 were fair challenges ,though in some instances, quite unfair. (Go back to your fecal pit, Duriel and take your holy freeze with you.)
Lastly, I do hope you realize that all of these trailer and examples of the various classes abilities are just EXAMPLES. They will not do that much damage in the final game, this is all just to show the ignorant masses that grenades explode and molten arrows burn. None of these abilities will instakill all enemies or make the game a cakewalk (I know...)
You were expressing yourself so well, why did you need to use the "incompetant, water headed caveman"? Apart from that, you said something that is quite truth full.
the enemies weren't too big of a threat alone, but when you put together a horde of 20 thousand
It's true! Diablo 2 is a harder game than Diablo 1. No doubt there. But like you said, a horde in Diablo 2 as opposed to few in Diablo 1.
The boss fights were great and I really remember Duriel (actually it's the part that I remember best from Diablo 2).
I do know that this vid is just an example of how awesome and indestructible they want you to believe that the Demon hunter is, but as I said before (and more then once) the game focus on killing hordes instead of having problems with each enemy. Diablo 2 was and is a great game, but it's not the same genre as Diablo 1. That's not bad, it's just different. It's a matter of taste which one you prefer. I personally loved Diablo 1, beaten it more than ten times and yet, in Diablo 2 I've never felt even compelled to beat the game twice. I've finished it once and it was enough for me.
Wrapping up here, see above posts concerning how most enemies are easy alone, hordes rip out your flesh, certain monsters, bosses, etc, etc. I'm not going to say that you're stupid, because that would be rather presumptuous of me. What I will say is that you are a tiny bit naive in assuming trailers and ability examples would work the same way in the final product.
Wrapping up here, I didn't say that Diablo 2 was easier, I said that individual enemies don't oppose as much of a threat when compared to enemies from Diablo 1. The game went from being hidden and killing one enemy at a time to out in the open, mass killing machine a la hack and slash (it changed in genre). Being the two games different and with different genres, I prefer the first one above the second one (but that's a matter of taste). Saying that Diablo 1 is better then Diablo 2 would be something stupid to say, since they are different at their very core. What I said was that I preferred it.
