Diablo 4: Flawlessly Executed Gameplay in a shallow world

Warren Spector, the renowned director and producer of the game Deus Ex, once expressed his desire for a game set in a single city block, emphasizing the importance of deep and interactive worlds. These comments have resonated with me as I played Diablo IV, Blizzard’s latest release. While Diablo IV is undeniably one of the studio’s best games in the past decade, I couldn’t help but imagine how it could have been even more compelling as a smaller, more focused experience.

The story of Diablo IV takes place decades after the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, with the world of Sanctuary still reeling from those cataclysmic events. Structurally, the narrative follows a similar path to Diablo II. After visiting a remote village, your character embarks on a quest to track down Lilith, a demon and the daughter of Mephisto, one of the Prime Evils you defeated in the previous game. However, you often find yourself trailing behind Lilith, leading to dire consequences.

Diablo IV’s story is grounded in the tragedy of its human characters, smartly incorporating elements from past games in a natural and earned manner. Lilith, the antagonist, is an excellent character, evoking a sense of unease whenever she appears on-screen. Her calculated cruelty leaves a lasting impact on those unfortunate enough to cross her path. If you solely focus on Diablo IV’s story, you will likely enjoy the experience. However, venturing off the critical path reveals a plethora of uninspired content.

If you participated in one of the open betas held by Blizzard, you’ve already seen much of what the game’s open world has to offer while leveling your character. World events, such as protecting villagers in the Fractured Peaks, recur in other areas like Scosglen. Optional dungeons are plentiful, but most feature repetitive layouts and objectives. While completing world bosses and camps can be enjoyable, they are fewer in number compared to the abundant and repetitive content present in the game. The post-campaign content, such as helltides and nightmare dungeons, mainly increase the difficulty rather than introducing fresh experiences. Although there are occasional moments of interesting lore, environmental storytelling, or unique enemy encounters, these instances are few and far between. I yearned for Diablo IV’s world to surprise me, to offer something unexpected. The closest it came to fulfilling that desire was encountering the Butcher, a recurring boss from the Diablo series, in an optional dungeon. Unfortunately, these moments were far too scarce, and the game seemed fixated on providing an endless checklist of repetitive content for those who dared to explore.

Despite this frustration, Diablo IV‘s immediate allure is undeniable. Its open world is visually stunning, boasting detailed and imaginative assets that showcase Blizzard’s creativity. Accompanied by a haunting and evocative soundtrack, the game beckons players to immerse themselves in its world. The character creation system deserves special mention, allowing players to customize their druid, barbarian, sorcerer, rogue, or necromancer to match their unique visions. The game offers an abundance of visual customization options, including hairstyles, tattoos, skin tone, eye color, and more. Additionally, the transmog system allows you to modify item appearances, ensuring that no two characters will look alike. Blizzard prioritized player agency, providing multiple ways to play each class. The Aspects system, one of Diablo IV’s standout features, allows you to collect item affixes that modify skill functionality and can completely transform your build. Once I found a satisfying build for my barbarian, the game became immensely enjoyable as I effortlessly dispatched hordes of monsters and spongy bosses. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the game lacked meaningful activities beyond slaying countless enemies. Role-playing has always been a crucial aspect of the ARPG genre, and I hoped Diablo IV would offer more in that regard.

It’s worth noting that the version of Diablo IV I played did not include microtransactions, although the final build will incorporate an in-game shop and seasonal passes. Blizzard has assured players that the cosmetic items available for purchase or earned through the paid track of a season pass will not grant any direct or indirect gameplay advantages. The studio emphasizes that the shop and season pass offer a broader range of choices for character customization rather than superior options. Considering the controversy surrounding Diablo Immortal, this monetization approach seems acceptable to me, but it may deter some players, particularly those opposed to the presence of a season pass.

I don’t want to leave the impression that my time with Diablo IV was negative. On the contrary, I enjoyed almost every moment of it. In many ways, it fulfilled my long-standing dreams of a Diablo game since my first journey into Sanctuary in 1997. However, it also serves as a reminder of the changes Blizzard has undergone since its earlier games. While Diablo IV’s scale is impressive, it doesn’t always work in the game’s favor, resulting in a world that feels simulated at a superficial level. Warren Spector’s vision of deep and interactive worlds resonates strongly in this context.

Diablo IV will be available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox starting June 6th.

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