Diablo 4 is the continuation of the tested formula from the previous games. Diablo always had a single-player story that was interesting. The new entry is no different and it will throw you into the world of Diablo with a decent explanation. The primary focus is dungeon crawling and it always has been that way. In the beginning, everything feels good. Diablo 4 is a live service game so it will continuously evolve. At the time of its release, everything seems good and there is not any monetization pushing.
Technically things are good and there are not many glitches. That itself is a good thing given the shape of games upon release these days. It feels more engaging and better looking. The story is interesting and the world is exciting. It utilizes the experience from previous games, to present a familiar but better experience.
From selecting characters to exploring the world of Diablo all makes an interesting impression. Unlike the previous games, Diablo 4 is an open-world game. Players can explore the world and do a lot of different things. All this makes you wonder, Is Diablo 4 worth it? Let’s find out.
Story and Setting (Spoiler Free)
Diablo 4 starts off by selecting a character from five different classes. These classes include Brute, Rouge, Rouge, Druid, and Necromancer. Then you venture into the open world and the story starts. The game takes the story seriously and presents a much better tale this time around. You are a wondering traveler who comes across a village in the snowy mountains. That village is in need of help and you help them by killing some monsters. You are welcomed as a hero upon return and are given shelter in the village.
Later on, the villagers tie you and use you as a ritual sacrifice for Lilith. Lilith is a recently resurrected villain. This interaction introduces you to Lilith. You start the quest of stopping her plans of amassing an army for her villainous plans.
Diablo 4 makes intelligent use of Lilith by showing her motivation. It makes you consider her side of the conflict as well. She is not doing all this just for the lust of destruction. Lilith is doing all this because she wants to end the war between Heaven and Hell. She wants to break the cycle of violence that has been occurring again and again. Such a presentation makes think about your struggles as well.
You will get the idea from the beginning of what’s going on. Knowing the extended lore of other games of the series can be good but it is not needed. You can figure out stuff on the go. It is good for the first-time players. It’s easy to get the hang of what’s going on and doesn’t feel watered down.
Presentation
Presentation wise the game is top-notch and good. You will see high-end CG cut scenes and normal cut scenes. The normal cut scenes feel just as engaging and compelling as the CG cut scenes. Everything from character voice-over to landscape has the feeling of atmosphere to it.
There are caves, gross-looking demonic spaces, Lush landscapes with water and wildlife, battlefields littered with dead bodies, desert regions with not much vegetation, spooky woods, and harsh snowy mountains. The transition between different areas is smooth so there is no abrupt change in the landscape.
Diablo 4 has a full open world with a big map. At the beginning of the game, you will not have a mount so the sense of scale is high. Later on, you will get a mount and it becomes easier to go from one part to another.
While wandering the world, you will get side quests and find villages with quests or dungeons. All of it feels natural as you will organically find these things. Some side quests are pretty dull and generic. It is just about going out, killing a thing, and bringing something back from them.
Along the way, you will meet players in towns and will even meet some in the open world. You can emote and interact with them. If you feel overwhelmed, you can bring someone along. It is a cool open world with different enemies in each area that can be explored to find dungeons and stuff or towns with people.
Combat
Combat, leveling up, and loot is solid. The loop of the Diablo 4 takes everything from RPG and old Diablos to present it in a good way. Feedback of the hits is satisfying and you can feel the weight of your attack from feedback. Sounds and feedback of attacks will tell you whether it was a critical hit or mid-hit.
There is depth to the gear which might be more visible for casual players. Weapons and what you slot them with also have an extensive system. The combination of armor and weapon will make up builds. Mapping abilities on a controller is not as smooth as the mouse and keyboard but it works well enough. Managing the skill tree can get sloppy without a mouse.
The bosses in the main story are good. They are complex and has multiple combat sequence. These bosses are not big creatures that just attack. Their way of attacks changes which forces you to deal with them accordingly. Bosses from common dungeons and events are just sponges that have large health and do one type of attack. There is a difference in quality between the two types of bosses.
There are strongholds that offer more challenge since enemies in strongholds are one or two levels higher. It provides a good challenge. The world is filled with cool bosses and random events similar to Destiny 2. There are four world tiers that increase the difficulty and the rewards you get from them. So, there is a lot more to combat than simple attacks.
Skill Tree and Builds
Skills are still limited, you only have six abilities available at a time. Making builds is not a linear experience. Each new level will let you invest points in the branching skill tree. The core node branches out into new abilities and passive perks. You would need to spend a certain number of points to unlock these nodes.
The skill tree has lots of abilities to map along with traditional upgrades that grow as you dump more points into it.
You have to think carefully about the abilities and how they serve a build. The upgrade system of the skill tree allows more flexibility. You can focus on a specific ability and make it the center of the build or combine two entirely different abilities to make a build.
The progression loop of the Diablo 4 is good. Weapon mastery skills offer a good addition to the overall upgrade system. You can have two characters of the same class and still be entirely different from each other.
Aspects of Power hone the skill tree upgrade by making it more powerful. These are collectible pieces that combine with rare pieces of gear to turn them into legendary items. It will imbue you with the exact ability that skill tree has which complements the build you are constructing. Aspects of Power are obtained by clearing dungeons.
Experimentation is encouraged due to the low cost of the skill tree respec. You have unlimited chances to respec the skill tree. Â You can completely change it by paying a small fee with in-game gold. The cost of respec increases with each level but the amount of gold you earn makes it a trivial matter.
General Gameplay
The idea of sole survivor is time-tested for years. Diablo 4 does not change it instead it embraces this idea and expands on it. It put a larger emphasis on companionship than ever before. Most acts are centered around new members of the party rather than hunting the main villains. Each ally you recruit has its own motivation for helping you. More care is given to companions compared to the previous Diablo games.
Managing quests and keeping track of dungeons is easy thanks to the extensive UI of the game. It is easy to manage quests and keep track of your accomplishments and weapon mastery. A lot of these things are accessed through side tabs making the UI of the game clearer. Vendor salvaging, upgrading gems and all of these things are pretty straightforward.
It is a visually impressive game that does most things right. You can see the degradation of the character model when the camera gets close in cut scenes. Overall the game looks good and does not lag. Even during chaotic combat, you can clearly see the characters. Characters don’t get all messy in intense combat.
An Evolving Game
Diablo 4 has microtransactions so yeah, there is monetization even when you buy the game at full price. There is an in-game store that has rotating skins that players can buy. The good thing about that store is that the game does not push it. It will not constantly push microtransactions so that you can buy something from the store. It does not compel you to check or buy stuff. Everything in the in-game store is purely cosmetic. The loot of the game looks cool enough so there is little incentive to spend money on cosmetics.
Diablo 4 is an evolving game that will have updates and fixes as time pass by. There will be seasons and DLCs later down the line. Diablo 3 was released 10 years ago so the game is going to get updates for years to come. It has a massive world, a compelling story, and fun gameplay. All of it can change with updates in the future. Even the monetization can change in the future.
Verdict
Diablo has an extensive framework in place that has gotten better with this new entry. It builds a game based on the tested formula from previous games in the series. The story is good that sets up a good foundation for the game ahead. Your character and the villain both are given thought during the story. It sheds light on the motivation of both. The game looks good and the map is extensive that presents a lot of opportunities. One can get lost in the gameplay for hours with the amount of stuff that the game offers.
The game has a solid foundation of combat. Selecting a class and then playing as one feels good. There is a clear difference between different classes. These classes are further customized with skill tree and updates. Players can customize their class to their heart’s content. It will encourage you to make the build and experiment with different combinations. Diablo 4 is an evolving game that will change in the years to come. At its launch, it is a good game that can hook you up. It has that feeling of one more minute, one more quest if you are a fan of these kinds of games.
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