Review: Diablo 4
During my time with Diablo 4, I couldn’t stop thinking about how precise a good loot-based action-RPG is.
When done right, games of the genre put you in a hypnotic trance. The flow of hacking and slashing as you find rare loot and make numbers go up fires off powerful waves of happiness chemicals in your brain. However, such an inherently repetitive gameplay loop will become tedious if the execution isn’t just right. Since Diablo set the formula that countless action-RPGs since followed, new games in the series come with high expectations. Will Diablo 4 remind us of why we enjoy this genre to begin with, or will the king need to give up its throne?
As someone who never grew up with the Diablo series and only really dived deep into Diablo 3, I didn’t necessarily approach Diablo 4 with this level of scrutiny. However, after marathoning the campaign and seeing what this vast new world offers, I can confidently say that the core of Diablo 4 lives up to the standards established by its forbearers. Unfortunately, the state of modern video game monetization is also here to remind us why we can’t have nice things.
Diablo 4 (PC [reviewed], PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)Developer: Blizzard EntertainmentPublisher: Blizzard EntertainmentRelease: June 6, 2023MSRP: $69.99
Right out of the gate, Diablo 4 wants you to know that this is a game for grown-ups. Lots of blood is spilled to summon the game’s big bad Lilith, who will either save or ruin the world depending on who you ask. People die in gruesome ways, and limbs will fly before you reach the game’s ending. This ain’t your dad’s Diablo, assuming your dad only played Diablo 3. Actually, that logistically seems unlikely. This ain’t your slightly older
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