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The Diablo 4 early access beta has ended.
Diablo 4 was everything I’d hoped it to be, and more.
I can’t stop thinking about it.
I want to live there.
It’s true that there are many questions Blizzard still needs to answer.
There are many bugs that need to be squished.
Concerns about endgame itemization and even monetization are valid, given some of Blizzard’s other recent service games.
But, if you want wanton negativity about Diablo 4, you won’t find it here.
I am confident that Diablo IV will be hailed as Blizzard’s best game for many years to come.
Yet, right now, this is the aspect of the game I am most excited for.
Many angels and demons joined them inside this pocket dimension, high on the idea of existence beyond war.
The vision was corrupt from the outset, as both Inarius and Lilith twisted Sanctuary for their own ends.
In response, Diablo IV represents a massive leap in intricacy within its 3D models.
A mysterious, bloodied hound appears, before setting you forth to a dilapidated hamlet.
A mad monk raves, as the townsfolk speak of awakened evil in a tomb to the north.
Death is not simply an environmental design pallet in Diablo IV.
Oftentimes I feel like the larger publishers rarely stray from “safe” storytelling devices.
The few times they have strayed, it isn’t always elegant in execution.
Depraved, twisted, blasphemous.
One thing Blizzard absolutely nailed here is the way the game feels to play.
The combat in Diablo IV is absolutely exceptional and remains the benchmark for others in the genre to follow.
Each of these classes could be specialized further, vastly altering how they play in practice too.
Diablo has always revolved around obliterating scores of demonic beasties in waves of explosive attacks.
Blasphemous tombs ensconced with meticulous, artistic reliefs and sculptures.
Fleshy growths that writhe as you approach, built on absolutely gargantuan humanoid corpses that defy all reason.
There’s just something so fundamentally satisfying about Diablo’s combat loop.
Thankfully, the team absolutely nailed it in this regard.
Diablo IV’s incarnation of Sanctuary is an open overworld, shared by other players.
The overworld branches off into instanced dungeons, which contain bosses with an elevated chance of dropping legendary items.
The dungeons in the overworld vary in complexity.
Diablo 4 is a “soft” MMO in that regard.
The final boss of the first act felt pretty tough as a solo affair, but I managed through.
Roadblocks like that may present incentives to double back and upgrade your gear a bit.
Powerful combinations of legendary item passives and abilities can have a dramatic impact on your damage.
I found a legendary that increased my damage by 30% while standing still, for example.
That also stacked with another legendary I had that increased my damage while at maximum mana.
Games likePath of Exilefrequently pop up in discussions around Diablo IV’s itemization, dungeon design, and customizability.
you’ve got the option to’t return to earlier bosses and steamroll them, as such.
Blizzard has another Diablo 4 beta slated for this upcoming weekend, this time fully open to the public.
We simply don’t know how a lot of these features and systems will play out.
Diablo 4Diablo 4 represents some of Blizzard’s best work today.
