Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Release Date: 6th June 2023
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox & PC
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Diablo IV is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved action role-playing game series. My personal experience with Diablo is limited at best, having played the original Windows classic when I was around fourteen years old for a whopping two hours. Too young, too ignorant, too horny to understand and enjoy what this nerdy madness was, Diablo would go on to remain a mystery to me ever since. That is, until the first gameplay trailer of Diablo IV was unveiled, and suddenly this alien, sorry demon, franchise triggered my curiosity, it looked beautiful after all.
Jumping onto the first beta, completely unaware of what was coming my way – I went in open minded and excited and I was hooked on night one. I proceeded to “finish” the first beta, “finish” the second beta and “finish” the more recent Server Slam. It’s fair to say, I was hooked and Diablo IV would be day one.
The core gameplay of Diablo IV is all about slaying demons and collecting loot. The combat is fast-paced and fluid, with a wide variety of skills and abilities to choose from. Each class has its own unique playstyle, so players can find one that suits their preferred play style. The loot system is also incredibly rewarding, with a seemingly endless variety of items to collect.
Just like my foray into the betas, I opted for the Necromancer class. The variety of gruesome blood skills, the ability to raise dead bodies as skeletal warriors to aid you in battle and the ridiculously rewarding corpse explosion (despite being nerfed) made this class so fun and exciting to use. Diablo IV offers you a near limitless way to play your game, with a massive skill tree to invest your skill points in. As with any ARPG, you have limited slots to attach skills so choosing your skills, and thus your build, wisely is key to success. Or, if in doubt, YouTube…
In addition to the main campaign, Diablo IV also features a number of activities such as dungeons, events, and world bosses. These activities provide a great way to test your skills and earn even more loot. There is a near endless amount of content pre and post end-game, so if you’re enjoying the game play loop you’ll never go bored. The map of Sanctuary is split into five areas, each with a central capital hub area and numerous smaller hamlets all offering side quests, shops and blacksmiths for you to upgrade or destroy collected loot.
The buzz but sometimes frustration comes from the loot: there is a real dopamine hit when legendary items pop on screen and you can’t wait to see if it improves your build, but equally 95% of the time that won’t be the case and it can grow frustrating when you feel the RNG constantly lets you down. It’ll come as no surprise loot is split into different strength categories and can be tweaked and altered to suit your playstyle. You may, for example, pick up a new sword that offers you a huge DPS upgrade. But, as with any RNG looter, one of the passive skills and attached aspects don’t suit your build. With some gold, you can re-roll one of the passive skills with the aim of obtaining something more suitable, and for even MORE gold, you can attach aspects you’ve obtained from beating dungeons – making that once somewhat suitable sword, now essential. As I said, dopamine hit…
The story of Diablo IV is set twenty years after the events of Diablo III. The world of Sanctuary is once again under threat from the forces of evil and it is up to you to rise up and defeat them. The story is well-written and engaging and it does a good job of providing context for the action. As someone who didn’t play Diablo III, or any former Diablo for that matter, the story was exciting and engaging enough to keep me interested throughout and the final climax to the campaign was horrifyingly gripping. The game’s antagonist, Lilith, is truly frightening and continues to keep you wanting to pursue the main campaign, not only as a means to the endgame, but also to genuinely see the story through.
“Endgame is where the real game starts” – is a phrase I kept hearing pre launch and even in my initial naivety I do fully understand that concept now. Endgame offers more content, tougher dungeons, bigger, meaner and uglier enemies and as well increasing the difficulty of the game (world tiers) to challenge all players, new and veterans. The biggest roadblock in the endgame is the levelling: as you approach level 60, and assuming you’re in World Tier 3, levelling is painfully slow. Despite routinely increasing the difficulty of dungeons (making them Nightmare Dungeons), to gain more XP to increase those all important stat points (paragon points) can feel like a massive grind.
Travelling around the lands of Sanctuary you’ll be amazed how beautiful Diablo IV is, it truly is a visually stunning game. The environments are detailed and atmospheric and the character models are beautifully rendered. Dungeons are superbly designed, with massive variety in style and look. Throw in a powerful soundtrack and top notch sound design, Diablo IV creates an immersive powerhouse of a game that perfectly complements the action.
The biggest turn off for newbies will undoubtedly be the seasonal content criteria. To partake in the new seasons, you must create a new character every time, it’s a hot debate all over socials, and it’s one myself am struggling with. This is not to say you can’t keep playing with your main created character, it just means you won’t be able to dive in and enjoy any seasonal content or Battle Pass system. For me personally, I won’t mind this for a couple of seasons, as I am keen to try out a couple of new classes, but do I really want to be creating character after character, up to four per year? I’m not convinced either…
Diablo IV is an excellent game that delivers on the promise of being a worthy successor to the Diablo series. It has all the elements that fans of the series love, such as fast-paced combat, a deep loot system and a compelling story. However, it also introduces some new features that make it feel fresh and exciting. If you are a fan of action role-playing games, then Diablo 4 is a must-play and is absolutely sure to please fans of the series and newcomers alike. It has all the elements that make a great action role-playing game, and it does them all well. If you are looking for a new game to sink your teeth into, then Diablo 4 is definitely worth checking out.
-Dony