Diablo 4 revolutionizes character leveling, unlike Diablo 3’s flow, where players had the liberty to play solo or group with friends to level up through cursed chest runs or bounties. In Diablo 4, leveling up happens through the story, similar to PoE or Torchlight Infinite. Your journey will lead you to the Capstone Dungeon at level 50, allowing you to proceed to the next difficulty level or “World Tier.” Unlike Diablo 3, the endgame loop doesn’t begin with hitting the max level. Instead, max level is achieved through unlocking higher difficulties and continuous gameplay.
The endgame loop in Diablo 4 presents an expansive open-world map, filled with numerous dungeons, and myriad events like Helltides, Tree of Whispers, and World Bosses. The introduction of Nightmare Dungeons, upgradeable dungeons throughout the map, provide a new grinding source for XP and powerful rewards. These can be accessed using crafted Nightmare Sigils, a feature available once you complete the campaign and Cathedral of Light capstone dungeon in Kyovashad, leading to an upgraded World Tier.
As a player, you have the choice between five unique classes in Diablo 4: Rogue, Necromancer, Sorcerer, Barbarian, and Druid. Each class comes with its distinctive abilities and playstyle, providing diverse gameplay experiences.
Diablo 4 brings a modified Paragon System, where each class starts with the same board, and you can add a board of your choice, unique to each class, after reaching the ‘gate node.’ The cap for paragon points is currently set at 220.
The introduction of the skill tree in Diablo 4 gives each character six categories of skills, all beginning with the ‘basic’ skill cluster. The Codex of Power, a new feature in Diablo 4, allows players to store powerful Legendary Aspects acquired from dungeons.
Just like Diablo 3, Diablo 4 also employs the seasonal format to keep players coming back. However, more details about the first season of Diablo 4, expected to start on June 20th, 2023, are still awaited.
The new difficulty settings in Diablo 4 are tied to your progress in the game, offering a more structured and challenging gameplay experience. The last difficulty level, World Tier 4 (Torment), unlocks when you complete the Capstone Dungeon Fallen Temple on World Tier 3, providing you access to Ancestral items and increased experience.
Crafting in Diablo 4 is accomplished through the Artisan system, with four NPCs: Blacksmith, Jeweler, Alchemist, and Occultist, each offering a variety of character upgrades.
Diablo 4 sets a new graphical benchmark for the series, featuring detailed character models and environments that maintain the dark and gritty theme of the Diablo universe. The PC requirements for a smooth gameplay experience are comparatively higher than Diablo 3, with recommended specs including a Windows 10 64-bit OS, Intel Core i5 4760K or AMD Ryzen 3 1300X CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470 GPU.
This high-level overview provides a snapshot of what Diablo 4 has in store for you. With its nuanced mechanics and immersive open-world setting, Diablo 4 promises a thrilling and engaging gaming experience.
You can read our full review here.
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
