Diablo 4 Review in Progress - Beta Impressions

ign.com:

After the calamitous debut of Diablo 3 way back in 2012, it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous about the upcoming launch of Diablo 4 this June. But after more than a decade of gradual improvement that has transformed Diablo 3 into the fantastic game it is today, the first beta weekend of Diablo 4 has reassured me that Blizzard has been making good use of those hard-learned lessons for its sequel. Even though this beta weekend only included a level-capped Act 1 and three of the classes, so far it has exceeded my expectations in almost every way. There’s still a huge amount to see before we get anywhere close to a final review, but I’m already impressed by stellar dark storytelling, the best combat in a Diablo game to date, and a live-service foundation that aims to chart out a strong future for the beloved ARPG. Running around as a squad of four and slaying enemies as my ultra deadly and sneaky rogue has been an absolute blast, and I can’t wait to dive back in this weekend.

The first thing Diablo 4 immediately made clear to me is that Blizzard has really upped its game when it comes to story – or at least are off to an incredibly strong start. Following the dramatic resurrection of the Lord of Hatred and Queen of Succubi, Lilith, you begin a gruesome and dire journey across the land of Sanctuary as humanity descends into madness at her behest. While I’ve always enjoyed the dark stories of the Diablo series, the chunk of story that’s in the Diablo 4 beta had me more invested than any of the previous games. Lilith and her relationship with humanity, the Heavens, and her archangel consort are a complex and messy web of painful truths and moral ambiguities that are so interesting I insisted on stopping to read every