Blizzard took their sweet time to show us more Diablo IV content, but it’s finally here! Take a look:
This new footage shown at The Game Awards has given people a lot of hype, but fans of the franchise should rightly be on the fence given the whole Diablo Immortal debacle. Blizzard do seem to have changed their stance, insisting on the “purely cosmetic microtransactions”, which has unfortunately become the norm for AAA 60 to 70$ videogames.
Diablo IV looks much darker and more mature than its predecessor, and it seems to be trying to be more of a sequel to Diablo II than III. A few of the features that we’ve seen so far also show a new, big influence: Diablo Immortal.
The open world of Sanctuary features a multiplayer system very similar to that of Immortal. You’ll find random people who have been dynamically matchmade to you, allowing the implementation of dynamic events and world bosses, which require multiple players to tackle down. These features were generally well received in the mobile game.
It will be interesting if Blizzard will follow the teachings of Path of Exile, allowing players who prefer to play solo to have their own instanced areas, free of any unwanted company.
Diablo IV looks much more grounded visually too. It is grittier, more serious and almost has truly desolate vibe to it. The visual quality on display is also impressive.
It seems like the game will use a lot more in-engine cutscenes than its predecessor (much better looking ones too), but the pre-rendered marvels that Blizzard is known for will still be present.
If you missed the original announcement cinematic, do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s fantastic:
Diablo IV is reportedly coming to to PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Playstation 5 on June 6th, 2023, with the three editions to choose from.
