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LEVELLING UP IN TOWN
In ancient days, a young man set out from his home to find excitement and adventure. Fuelled by the desire to explore new worlds and cultures, he travelled alone to find that most storied of places – his local video game store.
As you might suspect, this is not the first line of the game summary of Diablo IV. It is in fact a recollection of one of my first pay days, when I came home from that hallowed emporium with a double pack of two of the best games ever made – Diablo and StarCraft.
I have loved the Diablo games from those early days but resisted delving into Diablo IV. I just was not convinced that it could bring anything new to the table. I found Diablo III to be forgettable in comparison to the first two stone cold classics. How wrong I was! Diablo IV is a triumphant combination of clever design and the sort of genuine, just one more go, gaming joy that is so sadly missing in many recent titles.
I was finally persuaded to join the game by my brother, who had taken several characters to the level 100 cap. That was the start of a joyous riot of exploding evil badgers and building a character who can clear a dungeon just by looking at it harshly.
HELL OF A PLACE YOU’VE GOT THERE
Diablo IV is a visually arresting game. From the menus, through to the cutscenes and into the game itself, everything has that top notch sheen and polish that one would expect from Blizzard. The in-game graphics look gritty and dark, with plenty of variety in settings. There are hundreds of different enemies to explode, set fire to and electrocute (often at the same time.) I have found the high-quality setting to run very well, and the extra fidelity and effects are well worth it. It is the sort of game that is not severely affected by the drop below 60fps.
The game is a XP feeding frenzy. Your character develops through clearing the dungeons of enemies to progress your abilities. When defeating enemies, there is always the hope that they might drop that next piece of gear that you are looking for. It is a classic gaming formula. What makes Diablo IV special is how thrilling it is to grind for that next piece of gear. As you melt hundreds of angry goat demons with whatever destructive element you have chosen to specialise in, your TV will turn into a riot of colour and sound. When you are taking down a boss with hundreds of minions shrieking and dissolving around you, the screen explodes with life. With half a dozen other loot starved adventurers, you create a marvellous show of light and destructive splendour. So much so that in the few moments of life they enjoy, the denizens of hell must wish they had been programmed with sunglasses.
FEEL THE BURN
It is exceedingly rare to find an experience where the various aspects of the gameplay synergise in such a carefully controlled yet enjoyable way. You begin the game almost powerless, barely capable of rescuing a local dairy cow from its overladen udders. Soon, you find yourself levelling up, finding better gear, and exploring the map filled with dungeons, towns, and surprises. The gear gets better in a carefully controlled drip of new perks, as the monsters get bigger, more powerful and the spells explode with more frenetic pyrotechnics. It is a pattern that the cynical among you may feel is designed to manipulate you into spending too much time with a controller in your hand. I am going to call it something else - actual real life, enjoyable gameplay.
In many ways, the game is three tightly connected minigames.
Firstly, there is honing your build. This occurs as you kill bosses and search chests in the hope of finding that beautifully crafted accessory, with stats that will boost your DPS to previously unheard-of levels. Once found, each piece can be modified further to tailor it to your desired specification. It is lots of fun trying out new combos and enjoying the feeling of accomplishment that grows as ever-increasing numbers flash above the heads of your rapidly expiring enemies.
Secondly there is completing gameplay tasks and challenges. As your character progresses, many opportunities to complete quests and advance the plotline will arise. You can explore dungeons or seek our random events in the open world. There are quest lines to follow. You can even go full RPG by talking to every NPC in each town!
Thirdly, there is managing your abilities and cooldowns during combat. When the screen is filled with enemies, you must button mash your basic skills while managing the cooldowns of your more powerful abilities. During a frenetic boss battle, Diablo IV feels like a gloriously violent rhythm game. A rhythm game where instead of busting moves, you are busting skulls.
HELL AINT A BAD PLACE TO BE
In short Diablo IV is everything it should be. Where many other games on my PS5 have held me for single figures hours, Diablo IV has entertained me for over 100 in a few months. It is atmospheric, addictive and action packed. ACDC once said “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be,” and I believe that you will agree when you dive into the world of Diablo IV!
