When a game feels so good that you want to spend as much time as possible playing it, that’s always a good sign. But a bigger sign that you’re hooked is when you feel the need to try something you wouldn’t do in a similar game; playing courses you tend to skip, or playing around something you never thought was exciting build some roles.
I’ve seen this happen before with Elden Ring, a game that convinced a lot of players to try magic. Compared to previous FromSoftware games, I did find myself playing cast a lot more, which is saying a lot considering how much I’ve played these games.
But my latest obsession is Diablo 4, which in itself is no surprise if you know me. But what surprised me even more was how much I went on to experiment with the game’s classes and playstyles.
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In the vast majority of ARPGs I’ve played, my first character has always been the Warrior/Barbarian type: full-on aggression, where melee beats everything. When I played as a fighter, I found it easier to appreciate the nuances of the game’s combat, the reactivity of the game world, the weight of the animations (and ragdolls), and the game’s general physics engine.
Even after I’ve finished the game as that class, I’m usually more inclined to explore new builds for that same class (or ditch the game altogether).literally me Year Create a wizard in Diablo 3, it didn’t show up until I messed around with Demon Hunter for a while. Before that, there were barbarians and crusaders.
We’re just over a week into Diablo 4’s life, and I’ve played every class in the game. Technically, I’ve been playing this game longer than most because of the review period, but that’s still the case. I finished the campaign as a druid pre-release and as a rogue after release. Since then, I’ve hit level 40 with Bleeding Barbarian, 40 with Ice and Shock Warlock, and most recently level 23 with Bloodsucking Necromancer.
No matter which class you choose, Diablo 4’s action combat feels satisfying. When choosing a class different from what I’m used to, I find it enlightening to be able to experience the game in new ways and appreciate the action I crave from a different angle.
When lightning, ice shards, and arrows hit and feel as stout as my hammer blows, you bet I lasted a lot longer in each class than I thought possible.
But there’s another equally important reason why not having a class in Diablo IV feels bad. Each profession is actually a tree, and you decide how it branches. I don’t like pets in ARPGs, so my necromancer is basically a death mage. If you sacrifice the ability to summon corpses, you can go down clear paths that give you different options.
When I finished the game as a druid, I didn’t assign any shapeshifting skill points. My druid is a stormcaller, a bearer of nature magic. Rogues are equally adept at being mini demon hunters – wiping out most things from a distance with their rain of arrows, or agile close combat that can deal impressive damage very quickly, but they also need constant move.
Then there are the barbarians, who have perhaps the most complex level of character building. Since, as a barbarian, you can customize your loadout, you can rely on certain damage types and combine them with your preferred skills. For example, an overhead strike can be a helmet splitter with a sharp weapon, or a ground bash with a blunt weapon.
A big part of what makes roaming the world of Diablo IV fascinating is how different its different areas are. It’s great to see how Blizzard applies its material-based lighting to a rocky, arid desert like it does through snow in the wee hours of the morning.
Even at the end of the campaign, you don’t get to see a huge part of that world, so there’s always something to see about future characters. In addition to its appearance, each area contributes to enemy variety, either by having brand new enemies, or by having existing enemies theme-appropriate to the faction.
The ability to climb walls, roll down hills, and jump gaps adds a layer of verticality to an otherwise flat open world. I really want to see what’s around every corner, something only FromSoftware games can really do for me.
Blizzard almost knew that more players would be encouraged to try classes they weren’t familiar with in Diablo 4 than in earlier games. The game is designed to speed up the way you play future characters after completing a campaign.
Once any future character unlocks your horse, your horse will be available to all future characters, meaning you can start roaming earlier and faster. If you take the time to find Lilith Altars in various areas of the game, any character in that area will instantly gain extra skill points, more healing potion capacity, and other boosts.
And if you decide to take your time by sticking to world tier 1, your familiarity with the game will easily make it easier for future characters to swallow when world tier 2 starts – which in itself means they’ll climb the ranks faster .
This all bodes well for season/seasonal content to come. If I’m having this much fun right now, I don’t think I’d mind starting a seasonal character and trying out different builds and joining the race.
Check out our Diablo 4 Beginner’s Guide if you need help creating your first character in Diablo 4.
