If you were a Diablo fan during the chaotic launch of III, you’ll know that the franchise is basically on its knees. More so that the utterly embarrassing Diablo Immortal released, despite the universal disdain made abundantly clear by the fan base.
Yes, it’s certainly a trying time for Diablo fans. Many, understandably, even wrote legendary developer Blizzard off for good. Clearly, the company is now a husk of its former self, with anyone worth mentioning long gone.
But wait a second. Diablo IV is here, critics seem to be happy, and most fans are celebrating. Can this really be a time of redemption for Blizzard? Can IV actually be the saving grace, bringing the franchise back from the dead? Let’s take a closer look.
Diablo III – An Ambitious Failure
Say the words ‘auction house’ to a Diablo fan and watch them crumple into a ball of despair. Yes, Diablo III sure was a mess. How about Blizzard makes loot so rare as to be almost non-existent, then shoves in a real money auction house to ‘balance’ the broken system? That’s what fans demand, right? A Diablo game blatantly based around sucking wallets dry in an auction house. To be fair, after the initial launch developers did spend years trying to fix the disaster. Sadly, as we all know, by the end Diablo III didn’t resemble anything even close to what the franchise is meant to be.
To be fair again, the ‘auction house’ really was nothing in comparison to the utter embarrassment of Diablo Immortal. It’s difficult to believe that Blizzard even launched Immortal after the ruthless backlash, and more difficult to believe that they put the game into the world, then still slept soundly.
Is it even possible for the company to make a comeback, with smears this big on their reputation?
Diablo IV Is Good?
Take a glance at the Diablo IV reviews and notice something shocking. They’re almost universally positive. A universally positive game from Blizzard? Is this a dream?
We took a look at Diablo IV ourselves and can confirm; it is indeed a good game. Not a perfect game by any means, but after Immortal, IV is like finding a diamond in a mountain of garbage. Featuring astoundingly good graphics, a foreboding atmosphere, and deeply satisfying gameplay, this is what III should have been.
Visuals – Beautiful Despair
The world of Diablo has always been a bleak one. Though, with demons crawling up from hell and invading the world, how could the tone be anything but horrifying? When III was released everyone immediately lamented how things had got rather cartoony, a move made by Blizzard in an attempt to capture a wider audience. But put the words demonic invasion and cartoony in the same sentence and ask yourself where things went wrong.
Diablo IV leans heavily into gloom, despair, darkness, and horror. So, it is as it was always meant to be. Some reviewers mention that the world is perhaps too dark and foreboding, but that really is the epitome of looking a gift horse in the mouth.
The style and ambience of the original games is captured perfectly, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything to complain about as far as overall fidelity is concerned. All in all, Diablo IV is an impressive visual feast for the eyes. There are a few load screens, though not long or overbearing. Evens still, you might want to keep Jackpot Wheel casino close at hand, just in case.
Narrative And Story
Blizzard is known for cinematics and cut scenes that are next-level, and you can bet that they’ve truly outdone themselves in Diablo IV. The demon Lilith is back, and you’re on a mission to send her back to hell. Only, despite all expectations, Lilith is given personality, agency, and a sense of purpose. A brutal, twisting story unfolds as you progress, dramatically more complex than previous entries.
The story does get truly disturbing at times, perhaps more than some players are comfortable with. But that Blizzard committed this hard to delivering a truly Diablo story is admirable. Perhaps just go in knowing that you’ll grimace more than once as the story dips into true darkness.
Satisfying Gameplay
Diablo IV also nails it in the gameplay department. The franchise has always been about mowing down hordes of demons in increasingly creative ways, and you can bet that’s exactly what you get here. It’s as satisfying as it always was, especially as you evolve your character into a killing machine.
Though, unlike Diablo III, you never feel overpowered, or like the demons stop being a threat. There is always a sense of challenge, and always a sense that you might get overwhelmed. Do note, however, that the difficulty steps up considerably if you’re playing in a co-op party.
Sprawling Chaos Landscapes
Yes, Diablo is an open world now, and it truly is as big as everyone is saying. There is some risk of the landscape starting to feel samey, but for the most part Blizzard has managed to keep things fresh. There is a variety of biomes, many impressive visual landmarks, and more hidden dungeons than you can shake a stick at.
Just do keep in mind that you don’t have to see every inch of the world to finish the story. In fact, you can skip over the majority of locations and still see the end on your first run.
An Excellent Entry
Overall Diablo IV is a big step in the right direction for Blizzard. As to whether the game redeems Immortal is a matter of opinion, but it’s clear that the developers want to wow fans. If you want more classic Diablo, you’ve got it. A whole mountain of it, in fact, with the campaign coming in at easily over 30 hours. Much more if you do a bit of exploring.
Either way, it’s safe to say that you can buy Diablo IV without regrets. We’re not making any comments on what Blizzard will do with the game from here. There is still the risk of microtransactions killing a solid game.
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