10 years… 10 YEARS. It’s been a long wait for this Diablo sequel after the third installment became redundant and meaningless. The season system had quickly reached its potential. We needed fresh blood. And that’s when Blizzard finally gave us Diablo IV! Let’s see if this sequel is worth the wait or if it’s just a passable game…
From the ashes of Diablo Immortal…
Let’s make no mistake about it: the title needs to be a heavyweight to make people forget the P2W pill that was Diablo Immortal. And fortunately, the whole title doesn’t revolve around a store, but is a good premium title that can be played without spending a single cent more than the base game. Even if we already know that expansions are planned. It remains to be seen whether these will be major updates or incorporated into the new season system. Yes, the title will have its own season pass in July. Time enough for players to complete the 100 levels the title has to offer.
Back to Sanctuary.
Just as in the past, we’ll have to choose our hero. Here, we’ll be able to choose the character’s gender and customize him or her a little. Nothing fancy, but enough to give you a character you can call your own. Then it’s off to Sanctuary in search of Lilith. Yes, Mephisto’s daughter has returned to the world she created and shares a strange bond with you.
The great strength of this Diablo IV is that it makes even greater use of the storyline, offering even more lore and cinematics. It’s enough to encourage players to travel all over the map to find out what’s hidden there. Especially since the game promises travel and surprise at every stage of the adventure, and even afterwards.
Speaking of travel, Diablo IV is no longer cut into acts as such. The world is totally open and can be visited from level 1. So it’s up to you to choose where to start your adventure. But the basic storyline will have you visiting just about everything. Remember that the core of the title is to hit and loot.
An undeniable class.
To this end, the title offers 5 classes from the outset. We’re guessing that this class, absent at launch, will be added later via expansions. But the necro is available on Day One! And that’s just great. The choice is yours: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Thief and Witch. Each one has its own unique gameplay, so we recommend you try them all out.
Whether you use keyboard, mouse or joystick, the title adapts wonderfully, thanks to the adaptability of the old console titles. In terms of difficulty, it’s fair to say that you’ll roll through the adventure too easily, but fortunately the world difficulty system is still present and engaging. Even after you’ve finished the game, you still want to become more powerful. The title offers a basic talent tree that allows you to obtain increasingly powerful spells and their alternative effects. There’s also a paragon system starting at level 50. The latter has undergone a major change, as it is limited to level 100 and offers a new talent tree enabling you to go further in your specialization.
On the negative side. No word yet on the season pass. But the store offers cosmetics that are certainly useless for progress, but at prices that are far too high. For a game selling for 80 bucks, it stings to buy a skin for 25 euros… Let’s hope the title evolves with the community’s feedback, and that the store does too.
Finally, Diablo IV is the Diablo we’ve been waiting for since Diablo 3. There are still so many secrets to be discovered over the months that you never know what’s waiting for you each time you log on. Speaking of logins, you should know that a mandatory log-in is in place. Which makes sense, given that you’re never alone on the map, and that pvp is cleverly integrated into the title. As for the rest, welcome back to sanctuary!
