The fact that Diablo III still has such a large and active player base, eleven years after its release, speaks volumes about how intriguing the Blizzard universe, its gameplay, and its attractive loot system is. Add to that the constant updates and seasons, and it’s understandable that some have questioned the need to pay for this sequel. Well, after spending over 100 total hours playing Diablo IV, both Eirik and I can safely say that the game is well worth the price.
This is evident right from the start, as the game opens with a stunning and compelling cinematic that showcases Blizzard’s world-class filmmaking and storytelling. Intricately detailed characters and environments, fantastic voice acting, background music and fantastic camera work make every key moment of the story so entertaining that it’s easy to overlook just how predictable and cliche some parts of this adventure are. These shortcomings are particularly common in many side quests, where the reasons for doing so are so tenuous and hackneyed that you’ll forget them before the conversation is over. Still, the main story and its amazing scenes are more than enough to keep you in suspense until the end. However, what really made us want to come back and what made me want to start over and spend 100+ hours playing Diablo IV after removing my character from the demo is the gameplay.
Advertising:
Because Diablo IV takes the great fights of Diablo III and makes them masterful, adding and changing a handful of things. It doesn’t matter if you choose a barbarian, druid, necromancer, rogue or sorceress, all of the battles are very satisfying. From someone who doesn’t like RTS games or anything like that where you just pick a target and let the action unfold with a single button press. Granting every class a dodge is one of the reasons this is different. Keeping track of the cooldown (or cooldown if you have gear that gives you a perk) and getting out of trouble using the invincibility frames is really exciting and adds even more depth and options to every fight. But that’s nothing compared to the unique abilities and perks of each class, and it’s clear why the developers spent so much time discussing player selection and customization ahead of release.
Those of you who’ve played the betas know what we’re talking about. Be it the wide range of options each class’ skill tree offers for different playstyles (and which can be traded in for a small amount of gold), the ability to fit anything you want into any team you want, or the often game-changing skins the legendary and unique gear offerings, the ability to level up even further after reaching the level cap with the Paragon system, and much more. Yes, we confuse the gear and loot system, but that’s because the gear and abilities create such amazing synergies.
For example, I decided to try the new Necromancer class and I have to say that while I enjoyed the game, I will definitely choose a different class for my new character. It’s not that it’s worse or harder to master, it’s just that there are some abilities that are a little unbalanced (in its favor) and I felt the campaign was made too easy ( fortunately with honorable and applauded exceptions). . Using corpses as a summon that fights for you while wielding a huge, long-range scythe is tremendously efficient and useful, but I missed more of a caster’s flashiness or the simplicity and closeness of the barbarian’s strikes.
Eirik chose a villain instead. He was very successful, activating an ability that infused my other abilities with ice and then using the ultimate ability that rained arrows down over a large area as he approached with the Twin Blades. This strategy worked well for him early in the game. When she later transferred the skin that created a barrier around her when she damaged an elite bow to her favorite bow, she had gems that increased the cold damage of many pieces of gear and unlocked slots that reduced my ult’s cooldown, when using other skills from my skill tree and making some other adjustments that are quick and easy to do. It gets even more entertaining when you finish the campaign and enter the endgame, which for many is also the beginning. Really the game.
Advertising:
As the video shows, and as developers have been commenting on for years, making the endgame varied and fun was a big part of Diablo IV, and the result shows it. Entering previously completed dungeons that may present new enemy classes and challenges based on certain criteria or custom seals is a lot of fun knowing that doing so increases the chances of even better loot. Even traveling between them can suddenly lead to unforgettable moments, thanks to huge world bosses that force you to team up with other players from all over the world (feel free to message us if you manage to defeat one alone) or small ones , solo playable world events that fill your screens with enemies to test your skills. We’ve had many mind-blowing moments that ended with super powerful loot and nice messages from other players. Add to that a dedicated PvP zone for those who want to test their superiority, and there’s no doubt Diablo IV will keep millions of players coming back for many years to come. At least if Blizzard fixes, changes and adds a few things.
It’s always rare to review a service game live, and Diablo IV is a good example. Let’s start with the things that can be fixed and that are said to improve with the Day 1 patch. Fighting attractive enemies and exploring beautiful environments isn’t that much fun when you’re all too often faced with missions that don’t progress as they should, namely corpses the T, textures that take some time to fully load , enemies that behave strangely and get stuck, dungeons that reset as soon as you exit them, subpar UI, stats and power-ups that don’t work properly, framerate drops on PlayStation 5 and stuff like that. On their own, they don’t pose major problems, but overall, they severely detract from the experience. The good news is that the patch notes confirm that many of these issues will at least become less frequent once you get your hands on the finished game.
Then there are a few things that the patch cannot fix. Variety is an important part of these types of games, so seeing the same dungeon layout over and over again is disappointing. It boasts that there are over 150 dungeons in Diablo IV, Blizzard, but that just makes it ridiculous when we go into different dungeons in different parts of an area and end up with the exact same layout. What fun is this? I understand that this is a live service game where the most avid of us will revisit the zones over and over again, but redesigning such dungeon layouts from the ground up could even see casual gamers parting ways with the game in just a few hours .
The loot system will likely be adjusted as well, considering that 90% of the gear you find is at least 5 tiers below you, making them pretty much useless. Is it part of the game, because it’s even more fun when you get something good? Maybe, but such a big difference and such a bad relationship makes me sad because it forces me to pass by so many shiny things or keep going into town to sell or disassemble things.
Note: For the sake of transparency, it must also be said that Blizzard gave us access to the store during the test period, but the sheet with the prices and other details that we saw made us suspect that the company will actually keep their word without Pay-to-win tricks or in the Battle Pass.
After all, we’ve gotten used to these flaws by now, which is why Diablo IV is a great and really enjoyable game that every fan should play. The main story, complemented by great cutscenes and excellent voice acting, takes you through an intriguing and detailed world. You won’t have or want much time to enjoy it when it’s so much fun battling everything from a giant dragon-like creature to hordes of tiny spiders, with your own character, alone, or with other players. It may seem a bit simple and unoriginal at first, but Diablo IV spreads its impressive wings as you unlock more skills, improve your stats and equipment, encounter new features that will keep you trying new tactics, yours make your character look cooler and watch those numbers go up.
