Here we go again back into hell, to take on the hordes if hell and to fight possibly the hardest boss ever Lylith in Diablo VI. As a fan of Diablo, the concept of a live-service version of the long-running series was a hard concept to swallow. ‘Games as a Service title’ have recently shown an inability to survive for the long haul, and though Blizzard worked miracles with Diablo III and completely turned the tables after a rocky launch, it wasn’t clear whether the team could deliver a live-service concept that would feel like its iconic series.
Not only could they, but they even took note of criticisms over Diablo III’s art style and returned the series to its gothic-horror roots.
Going GaaS
It was the reveal that would surely kill Diablo, and yet, after many hours slaying demons in the Sanctuary, I find myself quite excited about Diablo IV’s ongoing content. Even after umpteen hours in, well beyond digging Lilith a deep grave, money has never been a concern. Because, unless you want premium cosmetics, the game doesn’t make you feel like you’re missing out on anything substantial.
Another concern players had regarding Diablo going GaaS was the quality and amount of future content. While that concern can’t quite be quelled yet, the future is promising. Just a day before Diablo IV was released, the development team confirmed it was already working on two major expansions. On top of that, quarterly seasons will also introduce new questlines to keep the adventure going rather than just introduce new items.
But the future of Diablo IV only matters if you enjoy the core experience. And if you like Diablo, there’s a very good chance you’ll enjoy your hellish journey through Sanctuary.
A Return to Formula
Right before jumping into Diablo IV, I restarted Diablo and Diablo II. If you remove the third entry from the canon, these three titles would make for a very fluid progression in both story and mechanical enhancements. That’s not to say Diablo IV is a massive improvement over the typical ARPG format, and it does borrow a little from its fast-paced predecessor, but sticking to the formula isn’t necessarily a bad thing here.
Some of the biggest changes show up as more extensive customization, specifically to each character class’s skill tree. While Diablo II’s version of the Druid and Diablo III’s Necromancer was a little more enjoyable, Diablo IV really lets you tinker with your play style. As expected, the Barbarian, Rogue, Necromancer, Druid, and Sorcerer all play very differently. Some are harder to master than others, and some, like the Druid or Sorcerer, take a little while before they’re fun to play as.
If you’re at all familiar with Diablo, you know what to expect from each character. The Barbarian brings brute strength, the Rogue is a swift master of daggers and bows, the Druid calls upon nature, the Necromancer summons help from down below, and the Sorcerer enjoys slinging magic spells at hordes of demons. Little has changed here, and if you enjoyed one class in a previous entry, you’re likely going to enjoy them again.
Coming Out of Beta
Before its official launch, Diablo IV entered a brief beta period, during which Blizzard noted changes that would improve the finished product. Overall, the game is the same, though there was definitely some balancing going on. The Necromancer class is toned down quite a bit and may have actually been a little more fun to play during the beta, especially since minions are quick to die in the finished build. It’s still entertaining now to raise the dead and blow up corpses, but that extra boost in power added to the chaos the character brings.
Skill cooldowns, damage buffs, and more were on Blizzard’s target list, and for the most part, the changes work to enhance the game. I didn’t get a ton of time with every class, but it was evident that Druid and Sorcerer played slightly differently from the beta.
Surviving the Sanctuary
Surviving in Diablo IV boils down to the series’ typical formula of having the right gear and mastering your skills and abilities. If either is lacking, the Sanctuary will eat you whole and you’ll never get that one-on-one with gaming’s latest crush, Lilith. Unfortunately, like in Diablo II, the skills you choose are the ones you’re stuck with. Diablo III’s fluidity is completely removed unless you want to spend a ton of gold to reset your character’s tree. So, choose your skills carefully and think about what may help as enemies become more difficult.
Thankfully, Diablo IV isn’t light on armor and weapons, though it doesn’t feel as overburdening as Diablo III did with its constant drops. You’ll cycle through early-game swords and bows and staffs fairly frequently but expect to hold onto gear a little longer than in the third entry. You definitely won’t be in your inventory every few minutes weighing options.
This time around, travelling with a party is partly mandatory. You can complete the main campaign alone, much like every other Diablo game, but once you start tackling dungeons (and there are over 100 in-game) and World Bosses, you’ll need to have friends at your side. In World Tier 3 (Nightmare mode) there are even brief events called Helltide, where Lilith empowers her forces and you have only an hour to locate and decimate them for unique loot and resources.
World Bosses are one of the game’s most significant changes, and you can kind of look at them as one reason for Diablo IV’s always-online connection. Think similarly to the raids of World of Warcraft, where players gather and strategize. These massive foes are unlike anything seen in the Diablo universe, and they will test your might in the worst way. Sponges to all types of attacks, you’ll need to band together to bring them down and secure legendary gear and bragging rights.
The Same Tired Lore, New Visual Aesthetic
For everything that Diablo IV does well, there’s one aspect that it struggles with, and that’s the lore. Diablo lore has always kind of been bloated and weird, and this entry is more of the same just with a new character that’s been alluded to in previous entries. To be fair, it does what it’s supposed to and engages players just enough to drive their adventure deeper into the bowels of Sanctuary, but the game’s visual design, gameplay mechanics, music, and a bevvy of monsters are the real standouts here.
Whereas Diablo III went for a brighter world and stylistic artistic design, Diablo IV leans heavily into the dark and grim visuals of the original title. Despite still being more focused on waves of enemies than Diablo, the world and character design lend to an approach more centred around horror.
Immortalizing Diablo
As a live-service game, Diablo IV could be the last entry we see for quite some time, and that may be okay. What the first few weeks have presented is a promising turn from other ‘Games as a Service’ titles that have fallen flat. It still feels like Diablo, and the future of the game is quite exciting.
I’m still not thrilled that the game is online only, and much of my concern was justified when the game’s first Level 100 player was brutally murdered by a server disconnect. When you gather a posse to take down a World Boss, it’s a little more forgiving, but the risks that come with online-only when you’re playing solo for much (if not all) of the campaign are aplenty.
Anyways, be sure to get a PSN Gift Card from OffGamers here to secure a battle pass in the game.
Diablo Trailer
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