Before anyone screenshots my last two Diablo 4 headlines and puts them side by side, I think two things are true. First, I think for at least a decent portion of the playerbase, the Diablo 4 launch is going to be rough on the technical end, given the amount of problems I’ve seen in the beta even if this is a “stress test.” It’s not just server queues but disconnects, heavy lag, rubberbanding, crashes and more. But once those are resolved, the content of the beta has indicated to me that yes, this game really was as good as it looked in trailers and blog posts, and as such, it’s going to be a massive hit.
I think Blizzard nailed most things here, judging by how addicting Diablo 4 is already, even in early levels, even with nothing approaching endgame builds, even with barely scratching the surface of the story. If I had less self-control I would have maxed all five beta classes, and the only reason I didn’t is because I knew they’d all be wiped out with the game launches in June.
Technical problems aside, and my issues with the desire to make every aspect of this game online-only when after all these years I still just want a damn single player version I can pause, the rest of the game is shaping up to probably have a better launch than Diablo 3 itself, which took around until its Reaper of Souls expansion to truly “fix” itself and become the high-quality entry it was meant to be. I don’t think it will take Diablo 4 that long.
Diablo 4
Blizzard
There is no obviously bad idea like the Auction House being launched with Diablo 4, which essentially ruined the loot chase of Diablo 3 as long as it existed. And even if legendary drop rates are boosted for the beta, they seem like they will probably not be as stingy at launch, and we’ve already seen much more interesting legendries than Diablo 3 had at release, many of which were little more than stat boosts alone with no special properties.
Gameplay feels great (when there’s no lag or rubberbanding). Environments are bloody (literally) gorgeous. The Diablo 2-like stat system looks like it will feel great with loads more skill points, adding the modern notion of easy respecing if need be. And the story? That’s been the biggest surprise of all to me, just how engaged I am with this Lilith plotline, far more so than any Diablo tale in the past, even through just a couple of early cutscenes.
In short, I’ve seen enough. If it can push past its obvious technical hurdles, Diablo 4 will be a massive hit. Perhaps even more so than Diablo 3, given the mistakes it does not appear to making at launch. I can’t wait for the final product.
