I gave my Druid a Key Passive ability that made his Storm spells intermediately trigger equivalent spells of the opposite element in practice, this meant each lightning bolt he slung would also have the chance to spawn fissures erupting from under the recipient’s feet, dealing twice as much damage. Classes are broken down thoroughly enough to grant a ton of space to experiment with different skills and passive stat boosts that often incentivize specific styles of play, and this is far more evident at higher levels –- when you’ve earned your Ultimate and Key Passive abilities, which are total game-changers and could even be said to change the way a given character functions at a core level. Class customization is leaps ahead of Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 3, especially at later levels, and this is due to an extensive class-based skill tree that’s more thorough and forgiving than that of Diablo 4’s predecessors. Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper Diablo game without deep character classes that offer plenty of space for customizing your own playstyle once the fighting starts. Let’s be clear: This is the darkest Diablo has ever been, and thematically speaking, blows Diablo 2’s brooding Gothic atmosphere out of the water. One takes place in the unmistakably Celtic-inspired woodland region of Scosglen, and the shock factor elicited by its body horror is deftly woven into the broader plot in a way that is signature to the series.

One of the earliest pieces of evidence of its masterful cohesion between action, worldbuilding, and storytelling was a side-quest in the starting zone that had me exploring a frozen clearing for a villager’s husband, only to find him bound and flayed alive, begging for more devastation –- a clear nod to Hellraiser.Īll five of Diablo 4’s zones are chock full of moments like that.

Moreover, the graphical fidelity, music, and sound design are all top-tier, which is surprising given its frustrating always-online nature. The big villains are ambiguous in their motives but decidedly evil in their methods, and they’re played brilliantly throughout the campaign. Class customization is leaps ahead of Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 3.ĭiablo‘s Sanctuary is rich with grisly lore, and this has never been more apparent than in Diablo 4.

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