Anybody who has played games on their PC knows the name Diablo and what it means to the legacy of gaming. And yet even the younger players out there have heard of and probably played the Diablo series from Blizzard Entertainment, which makes the upcoming release of Diablo IV on multiple platforms even more special. Fortunately, fans of the series didn’t have to wait a long time to get their hands on Diablo IV to satiate their dungeon-crawling needs before the full release of the game on June 6th, 2023. The open beta of Diablo IV on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC gave players just a taste of what to expect in the next entry of the series.
The open beta of Diablo IV lasted from March 24th to March 27th on every platform that the game will release on. But this wasn’t just a small demo of the game, despite it still having limited access to some features and locations within the world of Diablo IV. Everyone could pick one of the five classes in the game and dive into the dungeon-crawling experience. The classes included were Barbarian, Sorcerer, Rogue, Druid, and Necromancer. Each class has its own abilities and skillset that is unique for battling hordes of demons and giant monsters.
While picking a class would have its own unique challenges throughout the demo, the world and locations you explore within it were the same across all of them. But part of the fun of the open beta was not only checking out the game for the first time but getting to do so with other people traversing Diablo IV as well. While there was no PVP included in the open beta, players could help each other in battle during public events and on the pathways, they explored in the game’s world. Battling demons to level up is a tough challenge alone but could be made a little easier with the help of a stranger, allowing you to find more loot to pillage and use later.
The gameplay of Diablo IV is as classic and turns to form as it could get for the series. Those playing on PC would have an experience they might already be very familiar with, while console players would still have a great time as well. There are differences between the control schemes that can become relevant in combat, depending on the class you play and the type of battle you engage with. Both controller and mouse & keyboard options are comfortable and intuitive to play with. In some cases, it might be easier for some players to use a mouse & keyboard to target enemies and cast multiple spells, while others might prefer a control pad for simple button attacks and actions. Playing a barbarian or rogue class will feel like most other action games for consoles with a similar setup, and yet that doesn’t take away the fun perks of playing as a druid, sorcerer, or necromancer. There’s honestly no one better option than the other unless you already have a solid preference on how you personally play these games.
As far as the combat itself, battles can get vicious. Before you know it, the screen could get filled up with demons and wild beasts looking to rip you apart, especially in the game’s deep dungeons and caverns. If you take your time to explore and search for loot and powerful equipment, you’ll be slaying hordes of demons in no time. But don’t get too comfortable with a playstyle early on, you’ll have to come up with new strategies and approaches with enemies in the later part of the game.
The open beta featured a number of locations with ridiculously powerful enemies and tough boss battles that will require some careful preparation before approaching them. Diablo IV is not afraid to humble you very quickly in some battles, yet the game is also forgiving enough to not become too harsh with its punishment for failure or death.
This brings us to exploring Diablo IV and why it feels very good. There are a lot of options for getting around, including using portals to and from different towns and dungeons you explore. If you find yourself needing to step away from a tough dungeon you explore, you can use a portal to quickly travel to a nearby waypoint you’ve activated and recoup or take a break. But don’t leave the town right after! You’ll lose your fast travel portal and will have to make the way over there on foot once again.
The game has a very large map filled with many locations to discover and explore, with a ton of points of interest and waypoints to get around. These are incredibly helpful because how many quests and side quests you undertake will have you traveling far out into the unknown. They’re all worth the long trips however because the game also isn’t shy to reward you with plenty of loot and new equipment.
Speaking of which, leveling up your character and customizing your actions and equipment is deep and interesting. Each class has its own skill tree with lots of abilities and powers that can be a great asset in battle. But this is further deepened by the type of equipment you can put onto them and the bonuses you can find with items and stones you can put onto equipment for extra bonuses.
No two characters between players will be entirely alike, especially if you decide to favor one aspect of your character’s playstyle over another. Getting experience to level up for skill points is very important, but the extra perks from your equipment are just as vital to your success and survival in Diablo IV’s demonic world. If you take the time to farm experience from exploring while completing quests along the way, you’ll make your character into a powerhouse.
Sadly, any progress players have made in the open beta will not carry over to the full game. So don’t expect to see a ton of players already near the MAX level when Diablo IV is released in June 2023. However, the open beta did show everyone a lot about what will be in the final game and how much fun the series is to play. If you had any worries about how Diablo IV might turn out, you can be at ease. This is still the Diablo you know and remember, and it both looks great and feels very good to play. You’ll want to be ready for the release of Diablo IV when it comes out for PC and consoles on June 6th, 2023.
Are you going to pick up Diablo IV on launch day? What class will you pick for your character when you start playing? Tell us about it in the comments down below!
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