Since the last mainline instalment, Diablo III released, we have been treated with several versions of the game to keep our appetites satiated, but we have always been left wanting more, even re-releasing the acclaimed Diablo 2 couldn’t tide us over for long. Fans of the series have been crying out for more Diablo, and this past weekend their prayers were answered with the first of two weekends, assuming you were smart enough to pre-order the game. However, don’t panic, the next weekend is fast approaching, and it’ll be open to all. After getting to grips with it over the past weekend it’s safe to say the king of the ARPG genre is back, and it’s incredible.
The first weekend didn’t go without its hiccups however, the first day was plagued with queue issues, which for a title as anticipated as Diablo IV, that was to be expected, but once you got through that, the experience was very enjoyable, with very little few lag spikes or any other noticeable issues.
As with all Diablo titles, your first task it to create your character. For this first weekend you were able to pick from Barbarian, Sorcerer and Rogue, with Druid and Necromancer being made available for the 2nd weekend. The character creation is fairly well kitted out, giving you the option to choose hairstyles, jewelry and tattoos to give your character a look that will make them stand out from the rest, before the inevitable happens and they are covered head to toe in mismatching armour pieces.
Once you’ve chosen a class and created a character to your liking, you’re thrust into the much darker world of Diablo IV. Starting off in a thick snow-filled area within Sanctuary literally surviving for your life, you’re on the outskirts of what appears to be an abandoned town. When you arrive, it’s not so lifeless but there are cultists in town performing satanic rituals and you’re on the menu as their next sacrifice. Fortunately, you manage to regain your freedom and from here you learn of Lilith – the daughter of the Lord of Hatred Mephisto – and her plans to unleash hell once again, with your job to now track her down.
You are first tasked with heading to your first main hub city, Kyovashad, and you will of course find yourself very quickly getting to grips with the games many paths and wanting to explore this huge open world map, and you will want to explore. You will be treated to a wide range of environments, from swamps, snowy mountains, huge open plains, dungeons, caves, large castles, there will be something for everyone. There is also no need to rush, there is a very generous level cap of 25, and to help you hit that you have a generous amount of side quests to accompany the main quests that you will work towards, and that is without mentioning the PvE world events which require you to take on waves of enemies to get your hands on some of that sweet, sweet loot.
Once you’ve reached Kyovashad, you’re free to explore your first main zone, The Fractured Peaks. This is where Diablo IV starts to come into its own. With its open world design, you really do have this sense of freedom that the previous games didn’t offer you, there is also the added little detail of a sense of verticality with a new traversal mechanic added in certain parts of the map. You don’t have to do this alone, because of course Diablo is well known for its co-op, so should you choose to do so, you could take on all of this with a group of friends and really make a mess of the lands of Sanctuary.
Of course, with all these games, one of the main features of their gameplay is the grind, and this game is no different. With this being a Beta, and only having access to so much of this map, going from 1 – 25 doesn’t feel anywhere near as quick as I imagine it will feel upon its full release. You are however treated to a rather extensive skill tree to look over and customize your play style. Speaking of play style, the combat that I experienced as a Barbarian felt heavy hitting and satisfying. You really do feel like you could take on Lilith’s armies alone with how powerful you feel.
It’s been a long time since I have played Diablo III but jumping into Diablo IV with a controller didn’t feel alien at all. The controls has been adapted well for the controller, with every button being utilized to easily unleash your flurry of attacks, whether that is simply just holding down a button to perform a barrage of light attacks, or using the triggers and bumper buttons to unleash devastating special attacks, you’ll soon have a pile of bodies left in your wake of old enemies and new.
This beta has left me wanting more Diablo IV and I can’t wait to dive in again this weekend when the beta goes live once again and experience more of what Sanctuary has to offer. I can also tell that once this beta is over, it is going to be a long agonizing wait for the game’s release later this year.
-Jim
