Diablo 4 is the sequel to the critically beloved Diablo 3 which is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Diablo 2 which is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Diablo. By and large if you like any of those games you’ll like this one. In fact by this point you’ve most likely already bought it.
Diablo 4
Developer: Blizzard Games
Price: $69.99
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
MonsterVine was supplied with a PC code for review
I mean, it’s Diablo. The granddaddy of Action-RPG’s. The destroyer of mice and free time for coming up on 30 years. It’s good! It’s always been good! But maybe it’s not as good as it should be. I want to stress that I am in no way saying it’s bad, it’s just safe.
In the 11 years since Diablo 3 it’s easy to forget how controversial that game was on release, people were losing their minds over the more saturated colors, more arcadey elements, and the awful auction house. So it makes sense why Blizzard would want to play closer to Diablo 2 with this one. By and large that works, the world is dark, the story is interesting, and the map is huge with 15 million things to do. But the means in which you interact with the world feel so bland. Skill trees, while varied, feel like you’re stuck on a path to the meta build. Gear looks cool but becomes irrelevant quickly. The game is a long grind to the top, but never takes time to enjoy the fruits of the grind. You never feel like the hero of your own story, just another person in the crowd.
But maybe the grind is the point. The satisfaction of a perfect build and the excitement over a great piece of loot. Dominating endless hordes to prove your might, but to what end? You’re still going to “build for vulnerable,” still run into something just stronger than you to force you to grind some more. It’s a loop that feels endless, not just in Diablo 4, but nearly every game in the genre. There has to be something more than “make numbers bigger.”
But, if you’re a fan of long grind ARPG’s, if you love watching the numbers grow, this game is perfect for you. It’s a continuation of most of the design choices of Diablo 2 brought to more modern sensibilities. Coupled with a gorgeous and gross world that is fun to explore and explode demons in. The story is good enough to carry you through this world, to hell and back before you reach the fabled endgame and the ever endless grind to the top.
It’s a constant uphill battle. Maybe that’s the point, you are fighting the legions of hell after all. But ARPG’s have been popping up more frequently over the years, Torch Light, Path of Exile and Grim Dawn all bring something interesting to the table. Their voices are clear and distinct and each does something that sets them apart from their competitors. Diablo just has Diablo. Which isn’t bad, but is it enough?
Diablo 4 is the very definition of safe. Good but not revelatory.
