Diablo IV

Diablo IV is the fourth installment of an iconic series of hack'n'slash games. It was developed by Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of the series, as well as games such as World of Warcraft, StarCraft II and Hearthstone.

Plot

The game is set in a bleak fantasy land known as Sanctuary. Once again, it is thrown into chaos due to a new threat, which can only be faced by the playable characters. The main villain is the demoness Lilith, once the creator of Sanctuary, returned to the mortal world from an eon-long exile through a dark ritual.

Mechanics

The game is built on the foundations of previous installments. Diablo 4 is a classic hack'n'slash. The camera is isometric, while the gameplay revolves around exploring the world, gathering items, completing quests and battling hordes of enemies with various weapons and special abilities.

The game starts with choosing a character class; five were available at the time of release, with more promised later on. The Sorcerer can manipulate elements, hurl lightning bolts, pierce enemies with icicles and call down meteor swarms. The Barbarian relies on physical strength, ravaging enemies from up-close with an extensive arsenal of weaponry. The Druid can transform into a bear or a werewolf, being accompanied by forest animals during battle. Their magic channels the forces of nature themselves. The Necromancer can resurrect undead hordes to assist them in battle. The Rogue specializes in ranged combat, venoms and poisons. Just like in Diablo III, the classes don't have an assigned gender while our character's appearance can be freely customized.

An important part of the game is the character growth system. Each class has a unique skill tree, with their combat capabilities enhanced by unlocking perks, skill points, runes and legendary loot.

The game's world is composed of two main layers. The surface is reminiscent of MMO games. It's a large, constant, online world large groups of players can move around. After completing our first campaign playthrough, we also unlock PvP zones where we can face other players. Dungeons, on the other hand, are instanced. They're closed-off, randomly generated, separate worlds which can fit a few people at once.

Technical aspects

The game offers a grim, brutal atmosphere with horror elements. After the cartoonish artstyle of the third game, the developers decided to take inspiration from Diablo II.

The game isn't playable offline. Due to the game's world resembling an MMORPG design-wise, a constant internet connection is mandatory even when playing alone.

Last updated on 19 March 2024