Diablo IV tries to ground us in its dark fantasy world, but that’s an impossible task in a game where you can pull a two-handed axe out of a wolf. The storytelling is as subtle as a Marvel film and about five times as long. No matter what Diablo IV’s cast of characters tell you, you’re just a superhero born with an empty inventory and the desire to fill it.
The title of Blizzard’s latest action RPG hides what’s really going on: Diablo IV is a reboot. An unnecessary reboot, but one with a recognisable goal: to reconfigure the series’ strengths into a modern live service format that fits into the lives of players who probably have a handful of other games to play. Once you finish its campaign, its glorious depth reveals itself, but the overwhelming grind restrains the creativity in its intricate RPG systems.
Today’s prevailing live-service structure might seem to be a good fit for Diablo’s replayable co-op design, but it actually requires a huge structural shift. Diablo IV begins like a story-driven adventure, but it’s not until you finish the campaign that its best parts start to unfold.
MISERY BUSINESS
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av PC Gamer.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av PC Gamer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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BITING BACK
The tooth is out there in adventure TEETH OF GLASS
SMOKE ALARM
THE INVISIBLE SMOKE FACTORY is back in a Flash
MECH ME OVER
Move over Mario, here's mech-based platforming in ARMORED SHELL NIGHTJAR
"I like Pillars of Eternity better than Baldur's Gate III"
PILLARS OF ETERNITY deserves a bigger space in the CRPG pantheon
"A harrowing dark fantasy about hapless, bright-eyed children"
Spelunking into hell with MADE IN ABYSS: BINARY STAR FALLING INTO DARKNESS
THE IMMORTAL LOCK
A massive, meaty game in a single horrific Quake map.
NEW MANOEUVRES
Building a dedicated sim racing space in an average family house
OVERWATCH 2
Save me space girl.
REET GOOD TIME
THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE HERE is a riotous recreation of Yorkshire
THE PLUCKY SQUIRE
How many games let you make friends with a MtG card?