In the current update to Diablo 4, Blizzard not only presented how flexible the interface and the control are. With the cannibals, a new monster family was introduced and the developer also explained how the Action RPG opponents work exactly.
More peaceful creatures
The enemies in Diablo 4 are divided into different types such as demons, humanoids or wild animals. The different creatures should not only shape the scenario, but also ensure a lively world. Therefore, the developers were keen to include animals that are not aggressive towards the player, but fit the individual areas.
Of course, not all creatures in the world of Diablo 4 are peaceful: To make the encounters with monsters more interesting, families come into play. There are the traps, the drowned or the newly introduced cannibals, all of them own archetypes and mechanics contribute.
Monsters and their families
Each family has its own fighting style and should challenge the player differently in confrontations. The Drowned, for example, bring massive melee, ranged, small opponents who want to overrun you or even their own dungeon boss.
Every guy aims certain counter-abilities of the player and should ask him to make other decisions: The nimble Swarmer, for example, should make it easy for area-wide attacks that cause damage over time. Heavy opponents, in turn, stand in front of the ranged units like protective shields, so that the player has to decide whether he should first take the harder chunks or still try to reach the back rows.
Due to the different combination possibilities of the archetypes, every encounter with the Drowned or other families should feel different.
The cannibals: hungry and bloodthirsty
This opposing faction is a once-displaced barbarian tribe that likes to eat people. They live on the steppes and raid villages or caravans to kill them and eat their meat. The cannibals stand for brute force, madness and blood cravings. A narrative, the Blizzard also wants to convey playfully in the encounters
The four family members use their own weapons and silhouettes, which helps the player to select. In melee you have to face a slow but very powerful greatsword fighter, as well as a light-footed halberd carrier who can jump at you from a great distance. The massive Bruiser swings a stick studded with spikes that can paralyze you if you are not careful. The nimble Swarmer meanwhile storm towards you with two axes each.
The monster class is extremely brisk and aggressive. Because they are always attacking the player head-on, the cannibals do not use ranged units. So the player doesn't have much time to think about smart positioning. You can learn more about the gameplay of Diablo 4, as well as the classes, skills and the endgame, in our large article overview.
