Introduction
Basic information
Developer: Blizzard Team
Full name: Diablo IV
Release date: 2023
Released on: Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam.
Cross play: Yes.
Genre: Action Role-playing, Hack and Slash, Dungeon Crawler
Additional information: Online gameplay only with PlayStation Plus. You also need a Battlenet account.
Initial thoughts
I am quite familiar with the Diablo franchise, having played the original a long time ago on a CD. For those not familiar with the franchise, it is your goal to rid the world of demons. With a lot of violence and gore. In my opinion, game mechanic wise, Diablo 3 is the best. If you forget the rocky launch for a moment. My wife and I were interested in this game since it has co-op play, but you do need a Battlenet account to play this game, along with PlayStation Plus, which is a big downside. We will start this review by checking out the story!
Story and setting
Plot overview
The story of Diablo 4 starts with whatever character you created as a wanderer. You will soon end up in a village where not everything is what it seems as Lilith has awakened in this seemingly new realm that will be introduced in the lore. Lilith is making people into bloodthirsty villagers, can you escape with your life? The better question, can you stop Lilith from taking over and releasing demons everywhere?
World building and immersion
In this section, we are going to ponder about the immersion this game offers. Yes, the game does a lot to immerse you in this story, starting by creating your own character, which in turn allows you to connect better to the main character. The world is massive in this entry and adapts an open world setting. While this seems fun on paper, it gives you the option to trail off endlessly, which breaks the immersion with the urgency that Lilith needs to be stopped. The NPC’s are great though and do their best to keep you in the grasp of this world you entered.Â
Character development
There is not much character development since the game mainly focuses on the NPC’s, and in this section I want to review how your character evolves as the story goes on. To be quite blunt, your character is still the bloodthirsty murdered that it is in the beginning. As for the main villain, she will barely be seen in the story at all. Just your generic villain with the usual tropes in place, no real attachment or bonding to this villain at all.
Emotional impact
Lastly for the story, I want to see if this game had any emotional impact on me or my wife. To be quite straightforward, it was very limited. In this game, you slaughter many demons and villagers who are possessed, there were a few quests that had us go, what the hell just happened? But most of the quests, especially the main quest just dragged on. There was no investment at all, no shock, it all went like we had thought. I love some good shocker moments that I did not predict, sadly, you will not find that in Diablo 4.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with a 6.3.
Of course, many people know that you do not play games like this for the story, but there are other games in this genre with a fantastic story, for example Grim Dawn or Titan Quest. I should also mention that most games do have flaws in the story and setting.
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
In this section, we will thoroughly explore the core mechanics which make up Diablo 4. Foremost, classes, there are five classes to choose from. Each class has their own skill tree, perks and weapons to choose from. To get skill points, you will need to level up by destroying innocent demons. To perform special attacks, you will need to build up your special energy, for example, the Barbarian has a fury bar.
Once your fury bar is filled, you can annihilate your enemies. But the Necromancer can use corpses and their energy to summon corpses. Next to the story, you have a lot of freedom in Diablo 4, a bit too much freedom. You can go anywhere you want, do anything you want, in whatever order you want. While an open world map in a game like this sounds great on paper, when executed, it is horrible and it destroys the experience.
Many, and I do mean, almost everyone will want to complete the side quest before doing the main quest. Of course, these give good rewards, but you can almost do every side quest from the beginning. Then there are rewards gained from exploration. Entering one of the five main regions will grant you a reputation for that area. These can earn you more skill points, extra potions to use, and more!
Here is one of the most ridiculous decisions of this game. To raise the difficulty even higher, you will need to complete a lot of the main quest. My wife and I almost got all the available skill points before even reaching the first real main quest. All in all, terrible design but it fits the mechanic that you always need to be online. This is also an MMORPG.
Difficulty and balance
The difficulty can be raised once unless you complete a major section of the main quest. Most of the monsters are weak and pathetic, ready to be crushed. Then, out of nowhere, a massive monster approaches you and obliterates you before you can even attempt to run away. Or a boss monster has such ridiculous skills you can barely do anything until you have some gear to counteract it.
Most often on the second difficulty, it is easy cruising. If, you looked up online for a skill guide to use for your class. Picking the wrong skills will end with your death, many times over. Not only that, the classes are not balanced at all. The barbarian is weak in the beginning but can get very strong with the right gear. The rogue will kick everyone’s ass. Then there are the updates, the meta can shift at any moment, you run the risk of your class getting thrown in the dirt with the next patch.
One thing that I do like from this game regarding the difficulty and balance is that every monster will be around your level. Which makes it even easier to get lost in the side quest madness. This also ensures you always keep finding better gear, which brings me to the loot filter. There is none, you read that right, you have to filter the loot manually, which makes no sense since this game released in 2023. Major rating drop for not having a loot filter even after months of release!
Pacing of the game
This section overlaps a little with the other two, as I did mention a few things about the pacing of this game. The open world mechanic completely throws the pacing of this game, of course. There is no, a few side quests then go on with the main quest here. My wife and I almost forgot that there was a main quest to be done as we were exploring and clearing dungeons, doing side quests and almost gathering all skill points before even starting the first act.
Innovation and uniqueness
I am not going to kid here, this is the fourth game in the franchise, and they barely innovated at all. Yes, this game is multiplayer, you need an online subscription. Is that better? No, I think not. This game adapts an open world and entirely ruins the immersion and pacing, is that better? No, it is not. Is there anything that makes this game unique, or different compared to other games in this genre? Sadly, I have to answer that with no, they did not build on the previous games, and we have seen these kinds of games many times, and to be frank, done better.
Controls and user interface
First up, the controls, my wife and I played this game on the PlayStation 5 with our Battlenet accounts. The controls are responsive, but there are more skills than a PlayStation controller has. This means a limited amount of skill slots, this problem is more evident with some classes, like a necromancer. There is no real sprinting button, and we have not gotten to the main quest for a mount yet…
The user interface with a split screen is quite cropped but acceptable for playing with two people. The skill tree could have been done better, the user interface in shops, smiths, etc. are convoluted and not clear. After spending some time with them, it does work, but it could be much better. The worst issue is skimming through your loot as there is not a lot of space in your inventory. A loot filter could go a long way in helping with this.
Microtransactions
Microtransactions available: Yes
Prices: Very high
Battle passes: Yes
Boost for experience or gold: No
Is this game pay to win: No
Can you buy items to upgrade your stats or better weapons: No
Personal opinion: Diablo 4 only has cosmetic options as of writing this review. Despite the high prices, I am fine with how the microtransactions have been handled. There is no way to get the upper hand by being a whale.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with a 5.1.
Diablo 4 does have fun demons to kill, dungeons to explore and other fun mechanics. Sadly, the open world map ruins the whole experience, the main character does not evolve, the villain barely gets screen time, there is also no loot filter. While this idea might have seem great on paper, in practice it wholly ruined this game with an overload of side quests.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
In this section, I am going to elaborate on the quality of graphics and what kind of direction the developers went. This game has a medieval setting which can be seen in many of the scattered towns and dungeons. The quality is high, but it does feel like standard assets instead of handcrafted. For the first time in the Diablo franchise, you can jump over gaps, climb walls, if there is an interaction button.
You can create your own character, it is very basic, but this is the freedom many people want these days. The monsters all look alike, or they have a few pallet swaps. All in all, the game does like nice by giving each of the five regions a distinct look. You have a desert area, deserted area, and more.
Technical performances
My wife and I found many graphical glitches, rocks you can stand in, walls you can walk through, monsters getting stuck, and more funny things. There is also the case of lag spikes and framerate drops. The game did not crash while we were playing, but logging in did take almost five minutes. You both need to log in with your Battlenet account. The game does allow both characters to roam around a bit, but you are both tethered to portals and dungeons.Â
Environment and design uniqueness
The environment feels bland at many times on the map. As you walk around, it is as if you keep seeing the same spot over and over. Sometimes it is arranged differently. This also happens in dungeons. The cities do look different if you are in another region. I had hoped the story would continue far in the future in Tristam, this would allow for plenty of unique futures if combined with modern world buildings and demons roaming around.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 4.7.
The graphics look standard in almost every section of this game, there are many technical difficulties, and the game does not feel unique at all.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The music in Diablo 4 was not very good, it was mostly on a loop. The music should have conveyed immediate danger and the urge to act to save this realm. But just like the main story, the music is not too bothered with saving the people and immersing you, but rather with helping you explore the different regions.Â
Sound effects quality
Now we are getting to something good. I did like the sound effects in this game, they shape the battle you are in with the demons and it created ambiance. However, this also has a down point, after hearing it for hours and hours, it also starts to annoy you. Countless games have many varieties of sound effects, but Diablo 4 is not one of them.
Voice Acting
This is something that Diablo 4 actually did right. There is a large cast of voice actors in Diablo 4, all characters get a different voice actor. You can feel the emotion they are trying to convey. Sadly, you might not hear all of them as you get lost in exploring the world rather than saving it from Lilith, no rush, none at all, just let everyone die.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 7.2
Yes, the soundtracks are on a loop, the sound effects are mediocre at best, but the voice acting rocks and helps skyrocket this rating!
Multiplayer components
Online gameplay experience
My wife and I played online, since there is no offline in this game. You must always be online. There was a chat screen, but I never really bothered to look at it. It was just requests for selling item or finding a party for a dungeon or boss. We did encounter a few people while wandering over the world. There were no real interactions and I have no idea why this game needs to be online only. We also tried to go to a PVP map but after looking for someone to kill for over an hour, we gave up.
The community
While I do take part with the community in most games if it is online, I did not communicate with anyone in this game apart from my wife. Which I talked to in real life while playing this game. It might be easier to chat if you are playing on Steam, but on the PlayStation 5, it was easier to just play the game.
Rating
I have sad news for the people looking for the multiplayer component in this game. I rated the multiplayer components with a 2,4 in Diablo 4.
To be fair, I am not even sure why it exists in this game. Yes, there are guilds in this game but no real benefits to being in a guild. Chat is overloaded with people looking for a carry or free loot. If you removed the multiplayer components, you would barely notice it.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
I would like to talk about how long this game is. Since this is an open world game, you are likely to spend at least thirty hours completing the main story if you focus on nothing else. If you are, however, planning to complete the whole game, you can easily invest over two hundred hours into Diablo 4. If you were just to follow the main story, you still get a lot of content for the price you paid for this game.
Extra Content
In this section I want to talk about the DLC, side missions and more. There is DLC confirmed for this game and I expect it to be worth your money as it will most likely add a new class and a new region. As for side missions, there are too many of those, instead of being given to you a few at a time, you will receive all of them when finding a new city. More can be found by completing side quests, it never ends!
Replay value
I will be honest here, for over 95% of people, if you have cleared the game with one class, you aren’t interested in doing it all over again. But there are seasons that adds perks, new dungeons, and other incentives to replay the game. They get points for trying, but I think seasons are a lame way to gain replay value, it should be built in the game, not added with updates until the developer is tired of adding new seasons.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability of Diablo 4 with a 7.4
There are different classes to test out, a lot of game content to explore and more. Sadly, a lot of replay value comes from seasons. For the good cosmetic rewards, you need to pay with real money.
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
I have cited some flaws in the game structure, but how could the developers do better? Let’s dive into the microtransactions first, this one is simple. Lower the price of the cosmetic items. Now a more profound problem, the open world, yes, it is great but also a big flaw. I would recommend they open small portions of the open world and give you a few side quests while clearing the acts. This ensures you keep the focus on the main quest and the region you are currently in.
When you have completed the main quest, you will be able to explore everything. This also ensures you do not get overwhelmed or burned out. As for multiplayer, there should be more guild benefits, add special PVP arenas and rewards. Add a reason to trade with people, an auction house where people can bid on items. There are many ways to address this issue.Â
The last suggestion I want to talk about is the loot filter. This is a must-have, for example, Grim Dawn has a loot filter, even the Indie Action Role-playing games have loot filters. This should be a main focus instead of adding new seasons. These are just some minor suggestions and feedback I can provide for this game, who knows, these might be added one day!
Comparisons
Of course, there are many games like this, but for comparison, I want to draw Diablo 3 into the mix. Yes, Diablo 3 was a hot mess when it first launched, but this was over ten years ago. Now that Diablo 3 has all its content and updates, how does it compare to Diablo 4? My personal opinion is that Diablo 3 does everything better, for example, in Diablo 4, I have the feeling you just stumbled upon a cult, and you get sucked into the drama. But with Diablo 3, the storytelling feels more urgent and makes you feel like you are part of the story. Something it does much better by still giving fun areas to explore but not overdo it.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
Diablo 4 was totally not what my wife and I expected it to be. While we did have some fun moments, slaying a big boss together, a lot of the game felt like a big slog. As we plowed through the side quests, we completely forgot there was a villain to slay in this game. The loot kept getting updated, which was annoying, you never get to really invest in your gear. Luckily, it was easy to switch to your next gear set. Right now, we are at the point we want to do the main quest but the side quests kind of burned us out. We rather go back to Diablo 4, no open world, but still small areas to explore.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Diablo 4, I had to give it a personal rating of 6.7
While it was fun, we completely lost the true meaning of this game.
Last words
Pros
- Diablo 4 maintains the essence of the beloved franchise, offering a familiar experience for long-time fans
- The inclusion of co-op play adds a social aspect to the game, enhancing the overall experience for players
- The game features a massive open world with diverse environments, allowing for exploration and immersion (for the world, not the main quest)
- With five classes to choose from, each with its own skill tree and playstyle, players have plenty of options for customization.
- The game offers significant replay value with multiple classes to try out, extensive side missions, and seasonal updates.
- The game has many quests
Cons
- Requiring both a Battlenet account and PlayStation Plus for online play may be a barrier for some players
- Despite the intriguing premise, the story execution falls short with limited character development and emotional impact
- The open world design leads to pacing issues, distracting players from the main quest with an overload of side content
- Balancing issues with difficulty spikes and class disparities detract from the overall gameplay experience
- Graphical glitches, lag spikes, and cumbersome user interface elements hinder the game's technical performance
- The multiplayer component feels lacking, with minimal interaction and unclear benefits for players
- The repetitive music loop and lack of variety in sound effects may become tiresome over extended play sessions
- While cosmetic-only microtransactions are appreciated, the high prices may deter some players from engaging with them.
Overall, while Diablo 4 offers some enjoyable aspects such as co-op play and extensive content, it falls short in key areas like storytelling execution, gameplay balancing, and technical performance. Players may find enjoyment in exploring the vast world and experimenting with different classes, but issues like pacing and account requirements may detract from the overall experience.
Final Rating
5.5
Please let me know what you think of Diablo 4 in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
If you liked reading this review, maybe you would like to share this review with your friends.
fano23
Great detailed review
supersven
I am glad you thought that!
Jaromir Krzyszczak
I was not convinced to try it, and your rating convinces me that I should not..
supersven
It might be better to skip this one!
metalhead8489
5,5 is too low in my opinion, there are much worse games out there. the game is fine it just lacks endgame variety
supersven
I understand, the low rating comes from the many glitches, bugs, repetitive tasks, bad balancing, and of course, no good open world.
DonCarlos
The main issue with D4 is the lack of endgame content especially when you start to compare with other ARPGs. Many current ARPGs are full of content even some of the early access games will shadow D4 in that area.
supersven
It is just the same thing over and over and over again.
Delicious Bacon
> We did encounter a few people while wandering over the world.
Lol, and it's online-only... I was interested in this only for its co-op component, but it looks like that lacks in every aspect as well. Well, it's a pass for me then.
supersven
It does lack big time in the multiplayer department!
long shade
Good review! Sadly Diablo franchise is on a slope...
supersven
Yeah, who knows what will happen with Diablo 5.
PoeticKatana
Great review! You've convinced me that I shouldn't bother with this game.
supersven
I am sorry it is not the game you thought it was.
TallyTheHawk
I've never played any Diablo and this review points me to focus on the classics only.
Alamar
Really great review. I would say such open world could be good (no need to haste, enjoying exploring the world) but not with decision that difficulty for the whole setting is increasing with main quests completed. Also i don't normally like in games when enemies get levels to be artifically close to your level. For some it maybe immersion breaking that there are so many side quests you can do before more starting with main quests but in some classic games i played it was method used quite often in better games. Saying about classics, last Diablo i played it was Diablo 2 like ~24 years ago 😮 and even then i took Necromancer just to see a little different then usual gameplay 😉