Diablo IV Review: A Devilishly Fun Loot-Fest Set Across the Fires of Hell

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Cards on the table: I've never played a Diablo game before. Yes, I know, I'm a bit late to the party, which is strange considering this hellish franchise is sprinkled with all the right ingredients from ghoulish monsters, perilous dungeons, loot drops, and lots of blood — elements that would normally have me giddy with excitement. It's a household name that still holds some well-deserved clout, despite last year's Diablo Immortal tarnishing it with pay-to-win mechanics, which for obvious reasons didn't sit well with the fans. Blizzard has big plans for Diablo IV, starting with an expressive open world that leaves abundant room for content in the future, alongside sharp refinements to the combat and its build system. I reckon that should be enough to keep us distracted from its stolen breast milk scandal and the cancellation of Overwatch 2's PvE mode.

Diablo IV fully embodies its dark religious overtones, tossing you into the blood-spilt realm of the Sanctuary, whose lands wail in misery. Its inhabitants are humankind, the unfortunate souls who are caught amidst the Eternal War between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells. What was originally established as a refuge from the war soon succumbed to darkness, for years forming a power vacuum that once again piqued the interest of a legendary horned demon — Lilith, Queen of the Succubi. We, the Wanderer, weary from a long journey, seek shelter inside a cave in the snow-capped Fractured Peaks, only to be awoken by anguished cries for help, which kickstarts the prologue.

It's some basic RPG storytelling that merely serves as a spark for you to investigate this lush new world and carve your own path. Of course, a large chunk of it is determined in the character creator screen,