You could do both, they’re different games to the point of not really being sequels as far as mechanics are concerned
Trading and grouping
d4 used to be igg no idea if that changed, for d2r it’s fg on jsp and hrs + 32020s on that other site that doesn’t use fg. If you enjoy the rush of trading id go with d2, d4 is an unimaginable slog unless you’re doing mats
If you play solo play d2, if you have a gang of chucklefucks with you do d4, d4 always has some bullshit mechanic that’s better exploited by groups, we have one of those mechanics now with heralds in d2 but it’s getting patched to go back to solo viable and surprisingly pissing off the sweaty unemployed Diablo boomers because they can load 8 accounts at the same time while the Diablo dads have to farm on their own. If anyone reads this comment watch this be the part they latch onto.
If you want to be competitive with something don’t bother on either, unless you have 7 other sweaty autists with you there’s no point racing for the ladder firsts in d2. Anything competitive in d4 is similarly a joke
Gameplay
If you like killing screens of stuff in the exact same places and farming currency play d4, if you like killing groups of stuff in randomly generated versions of the same place and farming items play d2.
If you like the idea of bricking your 1 in 1k drop because you rolled it badly play d4, if you like the idea of just being able to use or sell your drop but never seeing that drop to begin with play d2r
If you get bored doing the same things over and over play d4, it has a greater variety of end game activities that at least feel different from each other. If you are touched by the tism and enjoy doing the same things over and over again play d2. Your endgame activities in d2 are to kill the same bosses you’ve been killing for the past 2 decades. That new herald mechanic i mentioned earlier has slightly shaken it up by giving you reasons to go farm other areas but that’s it.
If you wanna play offline or if you travel a lot I’d recommend 2, offline single player is great. You’re SOL if you want to play d4 with slow internet let alone no internet.
Story
If you like a shit ass waste of time cringe campaign story play d4, if you like a shit ass forgettable uninspired but not in your face campaign story play d2. Actually if you’re looking for story don’t touch this franchise at all go somewhere far away.
Itemization
If you like complex itemization play d2, it can be overwhelming to remember everything but it’s quite rewarding once you get the hang of it. If you just want to turn your brain off after work, relax, and only have a few things to remember as far as what items you need play d4. There’s nothing wrong with either approach just more what you’d prefer.
If you want your account/time to have value, play d2. A jah is a jah is a jah is a jah people will always need one, in d4 your items are worthless after the season ends. Like you couldn’t even pay people to take them from you worthless. In d2 you can sell your stuff in non ladder where losers like me still play, even years later.
Community
D2 feels more rewarding to play over time, d4 gets you on the dopamine train really quick but will eventually fall off due to the player base being Diablo dads who still believe they’re hardcore gamers and demand the same rewards and items streamers get while only putting in 30 minutes of time a night. They buy cosmetic packs to make themselves look totally badass bro and then circlejerk on Reddit about it while complaining that they haven’t gotten a 1 in 1000 drop after clearing content a handful of times. Because they buy the cosmetics they’re who blizzard caters to wholeheartedly. in d2 it’s exceedingly clear that it’s largely cynical over 30 year old autismal losers playing and that kicking the proverbial hornets nest isn’t a great idea so changes are glacial in pace, if they happen at all.
In closing
Neither of them are bad games, they’re just related in name only. I’m more biased towards 2 due to the longevity but I have nothing against 4 and got a few hundred hours out of it before getting bored. I’d say try d2r first, if you get hooked on it you’ll get way more than you’d get out of getting hooked on d4.
When I first saw the text, I thought it had been generated by AI.
But after reading it, I realized I was wrong.
I agree with every point it makes.
Well-written.