Written by JP (@ProtoFoe from Gabbing About)
Hi everyone! I’m excited to share with you my thoughts on Diablo 4 beta, which I had the chance to play during the early access weekend (March 17th to 19th). Diablo 4 is one of my most anticipated games of this year, and it did not disappoint. I played as a Barbarian, so my thoughts are limited to that for now, however I’ll be trying the Necromancer next time!
Here are some of the things that I wanted to gab about (eh, eh):
The gameplay is fast-paced and satisfying. The combat is fluid and responsive, with plenty of skills and abilities to unleash on your enemies. The game also has a lot of loot to collect and customize your character with. As said, I played as a Barbarian, focusing on Whirlwind build – if I get a group of enemies, I can deal damage and generate more fury than I can spend! I only hit level 20, so I imagine that I’ll have more moves to use that add synergy as I level up more during the full release!
There are some hangups, which may or may not improve during the full game, dungeons. These are spawling, instanced zones that offer large chunks of gameplay, hordes of monsters to slay, and loot to acquire. However, everyone does have the same or similar mechanic, that artificially inflates the runtime of said dungeon… there is only so many times I can carry a crystal to a pedestal!
The graphics and atmosphere are amazing. The game looks stunning on my both Series X and PC (Ryzen 5900x, 2070 Super), with smooth animations, detailed environments, and realistic lighting effects. The Fractured Peaks zone is full of snow-covered mountains, dark caves, and eerie ruins. The game also has a very dark and gritty tone, which fits perfectly with the Diablo lore.
There is a feeling of repetition when it comes to some of the internal locations… I mean, how many basements were mass produced? Does Sanctuary have IKEA?
The story is intriguing and immersive. The game follows the aftermath of Diablo 3’s events, where Lilith, the daughter of a certain Big Bad (not Diablo), has returned to Sanctuary to unleash her wrath. The game has a lot of cutscenes and dialogue that flesh out the characters and the world. I was hooked by the plot twists and revelations that happened throughout Act 1.
Overall, I had a good time playing Diablo 4 beta, and I can’t wait for the full release in June! You can pre-order the game here