Diablo 4

[Syt]

Gameplay trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RdDpqCmjb4

[Syt]

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/11/01/diablo-4-announced/

After a number of reported false starts, Blizzard were today finally ready to announce Diablo IV. Oh dear oh dear, someone's only gone and released another ancient evil, so once again it's up to us to click on monsters until their bellies burst with a blast of gold and swords. Lilith, the Daughter of Hatred, is the big nasty this time. She created the world of humans, so you know she's a wrong'un. After the softer Diablo III, Blizzard say they're going dark again with this one. Watch the action-RPG's cinematic announcement trailer and a wee gamevid below.

Game director Luis Barriga took the stage at BlizzCon to explain that they're going darker in story and darker in look, with heaps of blood, gore, occult symbols, and that. The cinematic's blood sigil reaching out the bodies is pretty chuffing rad.

The first three classes confirmed are the Barbarian, Sorceress, and Druid, with more to be revealed. For now, see those three in action AND ON HORSES:

Blizzard say Diablo IV's world will be "a contiguous, seamless landmass" and it sounds a bit Destiny-ish too, with "opportunities for groups of players to encounter each other in the same shared world". I'm up for casual meetslashes, sure.

No firm word yet on when Diablo IV is coming to PC (and PS4 and Xbone). Blizzard plan to gab more about the game in panels across BlizzCon weekend. A wee demo will be playable there too and, by luck we have roving reporter Jay Castello out there in California.

[The Brain]

Is it a service?

[Syt]

I would be surprised if it wasn't. Just curious what form the microtransactions will take.

[The Brain]

Hopefully the launch will be as smooth as the last one.

[Syt]

 

[Iormlund]

 

[Iormlund]

Watched Quin69's interview and I'm even less excited now.

• Full price for game and expansions plus microtransactions.
• Some trading is back, but without auction house. So worst of both worlds.
• Sets are still in.
• Endgame seems barely thought out. Basically World Bosses ala WoW and PoE's mapping.

[Eddie Teach]

I never played Diablo 3. Any good?

[Iormlund]

I had a lot of fun playing it. It had some teething problems and a botched Auction House, but it improved quite a bit after the expansion.

The main problem is it has been scarcely supported since, so it feels empty of endgame content when compared with something like Path of Exile (which arguably has too much content these days). If complexity is what you are looking for PoE is a much better (and free) option.

[frunk]

Yeah, early on D3 had some definite advantages over PoE despite its problems.  Now PoE has gotten so much better the only advantage that D3 has is that it's really simple.

[Syt]

Even so, if one finds D3 too simplistic, and POE too overwhelming, Grim Dawn sits pretty comfortably in the middle between them.

[frunk]

Even so, if one finds D3 too simplistic, and POE too overwhelming, Grim Dawn sits pretty comfortably in the middle between them.

Yeah, that's true.  I'd play GD before D3.  There are some elements in GD that are superior to PoE (chief among them that you can play offline).

[Razgovory]

I'm not that impressed.

[Syt]

Zizaran, a YouTuber who I occasionally watch for his POE content had a look at the Diablo mobile game ("Do you not have phones???"), and the monetization seems ... bad.