Hands on with Diablo IV - Preview
Diablo IV has had their first beta weekend and has given people their first real insight into the latest entry into the series, almost eleven years after the release of Diablo III. In the interim we received the mobile title Diablo Immortal, which appears to have had a greater influence on Diablo IV than many people may have wanted. Far less monetisation and pay-to-win aspects, but the inclusion of Battle Passes, a renown system, daily challenges has carried over from the mobile title and sets a sort of framework for the new main line title.
Diablo IV still has a few months before full release, but this early access look gives us a strong idea of what to expect. Unlike previous titles, Diablo IV has leaned far more into the open world, scaling and open gameplay style that came into play with Diablo Immortal, whilst maintaining the World Tiers and a few major changes that occurred in Diablo III. Interestingly this style of gameplay means that the game feels far less rigid in terms of progress, and gives you far more access to a world full of demons, strife and blood. Problematically, this makes a lot of the zones within each larger area feel somewhat lacklustre. The randomly generated mapping of the area each time you play as was the norm in Diablo II is completely absent in a more consistent overall map design. Even the dungeons that you’ll spend hours upon hours of game time in, clearing them for side quests, bosses, and unlocks are the same each time you enter. Or if they do change, the overall layout change is hardly noticeable and they feel the same.
The dungeons themselves are far more interesting to explore and delve through than the overworld is, and it may have benefited them in returning to a more linear Act based progression system with a strict progression pathway, using the dungeon environments for their overworld design. Going with the the model introduced in the mobile title, and expanding on it, may lead to long-term gameplay advantages and assist with the live service model. But players were somewhat resistant on these changes originally, and this may hinder the initial uptake, or result in more stubborn players continuing to play Diablo III and Diablo II, rather than picking up the newer title.
For those who are hoping to discover a good story here, the early stages of the game do indicate that things have been improved from what was Diablo III. There is no reliance on superstar names from previous game titles, and a lot of effort is built in putting you into a world with many things happening at once. Lilith is the main antagonist, but we get to experience sequences with her in memory flashbacks, so that we are constantly aware of what her plans are. She is also far more complex than previous demon lords, and it makes for a much more compelling story in chasing after her. On top of this there appears to be a twist in the ideology of the Horadrim, and the first act sets up very well for the rest of the game. The beta only gave access to the first act, yet it appeared that the second and third act initial missions were available from the word go. Which may result in a bit of storyline confusion if this is the case. It would benefit them to streamline the questing experience somewhat for the main story progression.
Gameplay feels much smoother and nicer than Diablo III did, particularly with the visual effects of the characters. The ability tree is more reminiscent of Diablo II, but has a building of abilities with your own progress, which makes the development of your character feel far more natural. Combat is the same old as usual, but the fresh coat of paint and new abilities give it a new life and make it feel far more fleshed out and enjoyable than Diablo III had. The Necromancer and Druid were unavailable to play in the Beta, which is likely to encourage people to pick up the full game to play the more desirable and iconic classes. The lack of paladin is interestingly, particularly with a story that is much more focused on the religious aspect than previous titles.
Diablo IV is in an interesting place. The gameplay is fun, the dungeons are enjoyable and one of the best looking areas of the game, at least from what we have seen. The open world design is good in theory, but may actually upset the player base that was so resentful of the mobile style of the game. Taking lead from Path of Exile is good in theory, but may not be the Diablo that players truly want. Tentatively I would recommend picking the game up when it comes out in a few months, as there is a ton of gameplay here. Easily upwards of 100+ hours to play through, and there is an expectation of major content updates every three months. Long term monetisation plans are focused on cosmetics, so that there will never be inherent benefits in game. Diablo IV has potential to revive the series in full force, but I would be taking a moment to look at the current design and thinking about streamlining it.
Diablo IV will release on PC, Xbox and PlayStation on June 6, which is still a few months away. A second beta, which will be open to all is taking place on March
