A worthy entry to the Diablo series? | First Impressions - Diablo IV Beta Test

I got the chance to play the early access beta test of the upcoming game Diablo IV, and my experience with the gameplay has been nothing short of amazing so far. It still looks and plays like a proper Diablo game, with respect to both Diablo II and III.

First of all, the visuals of Diablo IV are just beautiful, from the dark fantasy art style perfectly complemented by the immersive lighting system, to the highly detailed and customizable character models. Even the icons and UI elements are superbly designed, with a church-esque stained glass aesthetic going along with it.

For the gameplay, it still continues the signature explosive and action-packed combat that started with Diablo III, albeit with the dark art style and a deep varied skill tree that is more closer to Diablo II. Players can select any of the five classes to create and customize a character. Level it up, play through the campaign, explore the open world, and acquire better gear. With or without friends, you are placed in a shared instance with other online players.

Leveling characters allows you to accumulate points that can be used to acquire new skills. The system resembles the Diablo II system more so than Diablo III. With a clear choice given to the player on what spells to unlock, prioritize, and focus on. A respec quality of life option like the one in Diablo III however, is available. Allowing you to try out builds and experiment to your heart’s content --- as long as you got the gold. For the purpose of the beta, all respects are temporarily free.

The combat of Diablo IV is simply gratifying. The fluid movement, responsive controls, and satisfying hits accentuated by thestunning visuals make this game immensely satisfying to play. The fluid gruesome combat system perfected in Diablo III makes a return in Diablo IV and is just as refined as ever. With the addition of some elements such as a dedicated dodge maneuver.

New to the series, Diablo IV now features a massive open-world aspect to it where the game world outside locations such as towns and the wilderness are in a shared instance with other players and parties, providing emergent multiplayer gameplay opportunities and cooperative activities all across the world map.

No matter how good the gameplay is, the beta is not quite as smooth as I expected, with minor hiccups on the performance and some minor disconnecting and rubber banding issues with the server. We also get the classic long queueing times brought forth by day one launches.

As I said, my experience with the Diablo IV beta has been nothing short of amazing so far and Diablo IV is looking like a potential game of the year entry with its seemingly masterful gameplay, visuals, and storytelling. If this level of quality is consistent throughout the whole game, it looks like Diablo IV players are going to get their money’s worth come June.

Full Review will be posted soon here on Taptap! Stay tuned!