The Diablo IV (not) review

theverge.com:

This is not a review of Diablo IV. It can’t be. During the review period, the game was missing a key feature: the shop. Which, if you consider what happened the last time (and with Diablo Immortal), being able to evaluate Diablo IV’s microtransactions should naturally be a key component of a full review.

I also had too short a time with the review build, made shorter by a technical limitation that required the build’s servers be shut down a full week — which included a three-day holiday weekend — before today’s review could be published, wiping out my character and progression in the process. And while I was given a launch code that granted me early access starting yesterday, along with all the other players who preordered the game, I was only able to get an additional seven hours with it before passing out around 2AM this very morning.

So consider this a Diablo IV aperitif, a review hors d’oeuvre. Something cobbled together from my beta and review period experiences to tide you over while a more formal and heartier review ofDiablo IV cooks.

To get some technical housekeeping out of the way, I had no problem with actually playing the game. Logging in took less than five minutes, including two re-queues after I hit the widely reported “valid license bug.” However, the game is only available to players who preordered, so we won’t know if that “server slam” beta worked until everyone is trying to log in on June 6th.

Consider this a Diablo IV aperitif, a review hors d’oeuvre

Even though I’ve only had a short time with it, Diablo IV has captivated me, as it’s forcing me to come to a deeper understanding of myself in a way other games haven’t in order to appreciate it. Of course, every game requires a basic level of interest