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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<\/strong>. As a fan of Diablo<\/em><\/strong>, the concept of a live-service version of the long-running series was a hard concept to swallow. \u2018Games as a Service title\u2019 have recently shown an inability to survive for the long haul, and though Blizzard worked miracles with Diablo III <\/em>and completely turned the tables after a rocky launch, it wasn\u2019t clear whether the team could deliver a live-service concept that would feel like its iconic series.<\/p>\n

Not only could they, but they even took note of criticisms over Diablo III\u2019s <\/em>art style and returned the series to its gothic-horror roots.<\/p>\n

Going GaaS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It was the reveal that would surely kill Diablo<\/em>, and yet, after many hours slaying demons in the Sanctuary, I find myself quite excited about Diablo IV<\/strong>\u2019s <\/em>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\u2019t make you feel like you\u2019re missing out on anything substantial.<\/p>\n

Another concern players had regarding Diablo <\/em>going GaaS was the quality and amount of future content. While that concern can\u2019t quite be quelled yet, the future is promising. Just a day before Diablo IV was <\/em>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.<\/p>\n

But the future of Diablo IV<\/strong> <\/em>only matters if you enjoy the core experience. And if you like Diablo<\/em>, there\u2019s a very good chance you\u2019ll enjoy your hellish journey through Sanctuary.<\/p>\n

A Return to Formula<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Right before jumping into Diablo IV<\/em><\/strong>, I restarted Diablo <\/em>and Diablo II<\/em>. 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\u2019s not to say Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>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\u2019t necessarily a bad thing here.<\/p>\n

Some of the biggest changes show up as more extensive customization, specifically to each character class\u2019s skill tree. While Diablo II\u2019s <\/em>version of the Druid and Diablo III\u2019s <\/em>Necromancer was a little more enjoyable, Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>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\u2019re fun to play as.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re at all familiar with Diablo<\/em>, 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\u2019re likely going to enjoy them again.<\/p>\n

Coming Out of Beta<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before its official launch, Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>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\u2019s still entertaining now to raise the dead and blow up corpses, but that extra boost in power added to the chaos the character brings.<\/p>\n

Skill cooldowns, damage buffs, and more were on Blizzard\u2019s target list, and for the most part, the changes work to enhance the game. I didn\u2019t get a ton of time with every class, but it was evident that Druid and Sorcerer played slightly differently from the beta.<\/p>\n

Surviving the Sanctuary<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Surviving in Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>boils down to the series\u2019 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\u2019ll never get that one-on-one with gaming\u2019s latest crush, Lilith. Unfortunately, like in Diablo II<\/em>, the skills you choose are the ones you\u2019re stuck with. Diablo III\u2019s <\/em>fluidity is completely removed unless you want to spend a ton of gold to reset your character\u2019s tree. So, choose your skills carefully and think about what may help as enemies become more difficult.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>isn\u2019t light on armor and weapons, though it doesn\u2019t feel as overburdening as Diablo III <\/em>did with its constant drops. You\u2019ll 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\u2019t be in your inventory every few minutes weighing options.<\/p>\n

This time around, travelling with a party is partly mandatory. You can complete the main campaign alone, much like every other Diablo <\/em>game, but once you start tackling dungeons (and there are over 100 in-game) and World Bosses, you\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n

World Bosses are one of the game\u2019s most significant changes, and you can kind of look at them as one reason for Diablo IV<\/strong>\u2019s <\/em>always-online connection. Think similarly to the raids of World of Warcraft<\/em>, where players gather and strategize. These massive foes are unlike anything seen in the Diablo <\/em>universe, and they will test your might in the worst way. Sponges to all types of attacks, you\u2019ll need to band together to bring them down and secure legendary gear and bragging rights.<\/p>\n

The Same Tired Lore, New Visual Aesthetic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For everything that Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>does well, there\u2019s one aspect that it struggles with, and that\u2019s the lore. Diablo <\/em>lore has always kind of been bloated and weird, and this entry is more of the same just with a new character that\u2019s been alluded to in previous entries. To be fair, it does what it\u2019s supposed to and engages players just enough to drive their adventure deeper into the bowels of Sanctuary, but the game\u2019s visual design, gameplay mechanics, music, and a bevvy of monsters are the real standouts here.<\/p>\n

Whereas Diablo III <\/em>went for a brighter world and stylistic artistic design, Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>leans heavily into the dark and grim visuals of the original title. Despite still being more focused on waves of enemies than Diablo<\/em>, the world and character design lend to an approach more centred around horror.<\/p>\n

Immortalizing Diablo\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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As a live-service game, Diablo IV <\/em><\/strong>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 \u2018Games as a Service\u2019 titles that have fallen flat. It still feels like Diablo<\/em>, and the future of the game is quite exciting.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still not thrilled that the game is online only, and much of my concern was justified when the game\u2019s first Level 100 player was brutally murdered by a server disconnect. When you gather a posse to take down a World Boss, it\u2019s a little more forgiving, but the risks that come with online-only when you\u2019re playing solo for much (if not all) of the campaign are aplenty.<\/p>\n

Anyways, be sure to get a PSN Gift Card from OffGamers here to secure a battle pass in the game.<\/p>\n

Diablo Trailer<\/strong><\/h2>\n