Diablo is back, and you can be ‘beautiful in sin’ playing on console and PC as of June 6th. Blizzard has already delivered the Closed Beta and the Server Slam weekend and now D-Day rapidly approaches for this hellish RPG experience. Will Diablo IV stand up to the success and renown of its previous titles on launch?

Following the demonic seductress, Lilith, this time around, the ‘Mother of Sanctuary’ has been summoned back to Earth to enticingly lure mortals into debauchery and wickedness. A lone hero, you must learn more about your bond with Lilith, fight her minions of Hell, and decide if you will be led into the darkness, or will you side with the light, who are equally corrupted by power? The tale is so engrossing and twists across multiple areas of the world.

I could not stop playing as I endeavoured to get from cutscene to even the most minute line of dialogue. The characters are so fleshed out that you can’t help but feel for them as they also endure the wrath of Lilith. Lilith is so well portrayed that she is not one to be forgotten anytime soon. Dare I say, you even begin rooting or simping for our main protagonist. The build-up from the first encounter with a treacherous foe to the ending is paced so beautifully that you too will be absorbed into this world Blizzard so artfully has created.

The first thing you will also notice straight out the door is the cinematic cutscenes. Blizzard certainly knows how to graphically deliver a cinematic experience and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor with the game opening on the emancipation of Lilith in all her glory. Not only are the cinematic graphics impressive, but the in-game scenes and graphics are equally as refined.

Each display of power, whether it be fireballs, crackling electricity, or a whirlwind swirl of an axe-wielding Barbarian is a more than pleasing sight on the eyes. Each graphical scene is complemented by gorgeous lighting, ambient sound effects, and melodic backing tracks.

Diablo III fans will not be surprised much as the gameplay is almost identical but cleaner in application. It’s definitely a spiritual successor. You traverse Sanctuary with a simple click of the mouse, and use your left and right mouse clicks as basic attacks. Fortunately, the PC title is compatible with a controller, and many friends said they did prefer the seamless movement of a controller, even on PC during the Beta.

As you encounter more enemies and gain XP in their defeat or with objective completion, skills are unlocked using points and powers mapped onto a key as you progress. The unlocking of skills and passive attributes is different now though, with points being allocated to only one skill on a tier of the tree and a certain amount of skill points unlocking the next level.

With 7 levels of talents, you can mix and match your powers for an unlimited combination of builds, and with 5 unique classes, they all play very differently. Some feel more powerful than others, like the Necromancer or Sorcerer with their ranged skills, but some would prefer the challenge of a more up-close attacker like the Barbarian.

Typical of a Diablo game, the main aim is to collect good gear. I feel there was a healthy balance between the ratio of drop quality of gear and boss fights. It does take a while to earn Legendary (top-tier) loot, but you do get a decent amount even by just running the campaign. There are multiple world tiers going beyond veteran, with much harder enemies and a lot higher scaling loot and perks.

The map is full of things to do; be it the Campaign missions, side missions, traversing the beautifully created environments, or the plethora of shops needed to upgrade every part of your gear. There are gems to imprint extra stats, aspects of armour to extract and imprint into other pieces, and this time round, even a stable with horses to acquire. You can now brew potions with ingredients picked up along the way.

These can be drunk at any given time to buff your performance over a small duration, making them perfect for boss fights, if you remember you have them, as you need to tab over to them in your inventory equipment layout. Also, you will find timed events and World Bosses that randomly pop up scattered around the map that you can run to, and they challenge your abilities before rewarding you with some extra cool loot.

Co-op is a great experience with joining in and out seamlessly at the present time for up to 4 players. I do wonder though if queuing and joining friends will be an issue after launch as wait times in the Beta were at times exceedingly long. It should be noted, that if your party member is at a lower level, or has not already done the quest, they will get a message that they are not eligible for the quest and do not receive any experience. Cross-play means you can play with whoever you like too. I found in Co-op the game was more prone to mild graphical inconsistencies and mild zoning.

Unfortunately, due to having a pre-launch build I am unable to talk too much about server connection due to a low traffic volume, but if the Server Slam is anything to go by, I am very optimistic that, on launch, connecting times will be minimal. Also, I am not confident in discussing in detail the end game after content as I was so invested in the Campaign, but I will return to discuss the Player Vs Player mayhem and Paragon boards, Helltide, and Whispers of the Dead events at a later date. I would also like to see what the store has to offer, as they are a staple now in modern gaming but the intent behind them can be very different.

The team behind ‘Diablo’ has always prided themselves in immersive and dynamic story writing, and Diablo IV is no different. You will be captivated by the going ons of Lilith and Sanctuary from start to end. Fortunately, the end also brings copious amounts of side quests and events to dive into, making for hours and hours of content. The Daughter of Hatred definitely has a hold over me and I will follow her into the dark recesses of Sanctuary for many hours more to come. Diablo IV is a must-have in 2023.

Written by: Stacey