Hordes of monsters and demons have returned to the world of Sanctuary in Diablo 4, and with them, the darker tone of the series' earlier installments. After some hands-on time with the game's first act, Blizzard seems to be learning from past mistakes to create something that should appeal to long-time players and new ones. Although it's been more than ten years since the release of Diablo 3, the series has been making a solid return in the last few years with the release of Diablo Immortal and Diablo II: Resurrected. While D3 made the series combat more accessible for console players, Blizzard is using the many lessons it learned from these past releases to craft something new in Diablo 4.
Lilith, The Daughter of Hatred, returns in the opening cinematic of Diablo 4, and the dark fantasy RPG doesn't make the player wait long to witness her influence - and the disastrous effects her presence has on the world of Sanctuary. While Diablo 4 will have five playable classes when it launches sometime in 2023, the preview gave Screen Rant a chance to try three classes and the first Act of the game. After spending some time with the game's in-depth character creator and leveling up a few times, it was clear that the developers are striving to make each character and class feel more customizable than ever before.
Players Will Be Able To Play Their Way With Diablo 4's Five Classes
Some of the most significant changes is the large connected world with Diablo 4's shift to an open-world format and the always online world its players populate. Diablo 4, like many other modern online multiplayer games, requires an online connection to play, meaning other players will be showing up and slaying enemies during gaming sessions. It's unfortunate news for anyone who wishes to level up on their own offline, but good news for anyone interested in joining others in battling difficult world bosses or the game's many procedurally generated dungeons. Still, players worried about others ruining their good time, like Elden Ring's invaders, can rest easy, because PvE is reserved for specific locations.
The limited time with the game's story introduced a range of characters who helped make the direction of Diablo 4's sinister world feel gritty and desperate. While players are tasked to stop Lilith before Sanctuary and its people fall to her influence, they are not tied down to completing the game's main quest, and can avoid it altogether to explore the most extensive map the Diablo series has seen. However, developers have teased that once the game's story mode has been completed, any new character created will have the game unlocked and will not have to replay through Diablo 4's story. This is one of the many steps Blizzard is taking to improve post-game activities that will undoubtedly expand the hours of entertainment the game will provide, as well as test Diablo 4's players with endgame challenges.
Each class has an expansive skill tree to unlock, which provides a long list of powerful and useful abilities. These abilities can be stacked and used to boost each other up to create devastating combos. Once players level a character up to level 50, the Paragon Board will unlock, allowing even further customization and stats boosts. Special weapons will also have abilities that can be removed and assigned to favorite weapons to create impressive builds that will be required to conquer Diablo 4's procedurally generated dungeons and more formidable difficulties for late-game fun.
Although the preview build only shares a glimpse of what the Diablo team has in store for fans, the game is shaping up to be a return to the series' darker tones and compelling gameplay. That should excite series veterans as well welcome a new generation of players, and Diablo 4 may be a true return to form - both in terms of quality and the innovation some of its predecessors brought to their respective releases.
Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.
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