Diablo 4 is a hack-and-slash, action-RPG in a Gothic horror world of warring demons and angels.
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Story & Themes
Like other games in the series, Diablo 4 is set in Sanctuary, a Gothic world that often serves as a battlefield for the war between militaristic angels and demons. Players choose one of five different classes to begin their adventure. Early in the story they are entwined with Lilith, a powerful demon and daughter of one of the three Prime Evils, who seeks to conquer Hell and empower humanity.
The player journies across the various realms of Sanctuary making allies, completing quests, and slaying lots and a lots of demons and monsters.
The biggest change and improvement in the series is the true open world design. Players are free to explore the world of Sanctuary and complete quests and much of the main story in whichever order they choose. Players are put in shared servers and often see (and can temporarily join forces with) other player characters. To that end, Diablo 4 feels much more like a MMO than any previous entry.
Save Points
As an always-online game, Diablo 4 has no save system, but characters are constantly saved and updated to the servers in real-time. It's almost impossible to lose any progress. On the flip side, there's no way to reload!
Difficulty
Diablo 4 features multiple difficulty levels, also known as World Tiers. At each World Tier, enemies are more powerful, but loot rewards and earned XP are far greater. Only two World Tiers are available at the beginning, others must be unlocked after beating an end-game milestone dungeon.
Diablo 4 also includes an optional "hardcore" feature, where players can no longer play a character if they die.
As a hack and slash RPG, Diablo 4 is relatively easy to play. Players move their character and click on enemies with the mouse. Skills are assigned and activated with the keyboard, while gear is equipped by picking it up and slotting it into the appropriate area in the inventory. The lengthy story teaches you how to play, with much of the intricacies and advanced strategies not coming into play until the post-game.
Heads Up!
Violence The ESRB rated Diablo 4 as Intense Violence. Players will mow down hordes of monsters, demons, and bandits with pyrotechnic spells, arrows, and melee weapons, often leaving a bloody mess. Although the action is very bloody, the distant camera and overhead view makes combat less immediate than a shooter or third-person action game. However, Diablo has the occasional cutscene after big story moments, which often depict bloody violence, including ritualistic sacrifice.
Scary Imagery Diablo 4 has some of the scariest imagery of the entire franchise, a purposeful return to the series' roots after the more generic fantasy setting depicted in Diablo 3. Players often stumble upon dark rituals, torture, and sacrifice in encounters, quests, and dungeons. Entire dungeons may depict otherworldly tentacles or bloody, hanging corpses, and many quests end in tragedy for the assisting NPC.
Sex & Nudity Diablo 4 doesn't feature any sexual content, but Lilith is often depicted with lost of cleavage.
Consumerism In addition to being a paid game, Diablo 4 also features regular seasons, and an optional paid seasonal battle pass that players can progress and unlock. Individual clothing and weapon skins are also available for purchase in an in-game shop.
Online Community
Diablo 3 was the first to require an always-on connection to Blizzard servers, and Diablo 4 is no exception. As an almost purely PvE co-op game, the community is generally welcoming, though each new season brings a host of complaints and commentary.
Conversation Starters
- Do you like playing Diablo solo or with others?
- What's your favorite class to play in Diablo 4?
- Do you see yourself playing other classes or future seasons?
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