Leaks, rumors, and speculation have been the driving force behindDiablo 4,one year after its disappointing no show at BlizzCon 2018. Not wanting to repeat themistake made withDiablo Immortal, Blizzard has finally given longtime fans what they’ve been waiting for and officially announced the newest entry in the long running franchise.
Earlier today at BlizzCon 2019,Diablo 4director Luis Barriga came out during the opening ceremonies to show off an impressive CG cinematic as well as a first look at actual gameplay. Plenty of new details were also shown off including the three initial classes and design philosophies for the upcoming action-RPG. However, the team held back a bit as a dedicatedDiablopanel was planned which contained even more details.
Here’s everything the team has shared so far at BlizzCon.
Inspiration and Legacy
The latest entry in the long running franchise is mixing things up a bit and taking elements from each of its predecessors. Barriga specifically referenced the firstDiablo’ssense of terror and dread, the class and loot chase fromDiablo 2, and the combat systems fromDiablo 3. Blizzard is looking to tap into the franchise’s history in order to makeDiablo 4the best it can be.
One of the biggest complaints aboutDiablo 3prior to its release was thebrighter outdoor spaces and larger color palate.Diablohas always been associated with dungeons and a more gothic style. This is something that the team is moving back towards withDiablo 4. As players will discover, the team is making things darker, bloodier, creepier, and a bit more unpredictable. The level design systems fromDiablo 3have been upgraded to help make them feel more unique and varied each time they’re visited.
Story
According to Blizzard,Diablo 4picks up 20 years after its predecessor. The world has been decimated in the wake of what happened in the High Heavens, ultimately creating a vacuum of power. As players witnessed in the CG trailer, a dark ritual led by a mysterious individual has causedLilith, the daughter of the Demonic Lord of Hatred Mephisto, to return to the world of Sanctuary. What her ultimate goals are and whether or not she is the main antagonist is not yet known.
Gameplay
As revealed in the panel, theDiablo 4team took a lot of inspiration from the fan favoriteAdventure Mode fromDiablo 3: Reaper of Souls. To create that sense freedom when moving around, the world has been opened up considerably. The campaign itself is now completely set in an open environment, no longer requiring players to unlock each area in sequential order first. The game will also come with a day-night and weather cycle as well as retain its iconic isometric camera angle.
Alongside the open world, players will be getting mounts to help them traverse the huge open spaces. Better yet, each class has their own unique dismount animation that allows them to not waste any time getting back into the fight.
Social Areas
New to the series are hub zones that act as social areas where people playing the game can meet up, chat, trade loot, and more.
In addition to these areas,Diablo 4will have world events that will challenge large groups of players to work together in order to overcome. On paper, it sounds similar toPublic events from a game likeDestiny 2. The panel showed off a massive boss character being fought by 10 or more players at once.
Classes
During its initial reveal,Blizzard confirmed three classesplayers can pick from, each one fitting a specific roll.
Based on series history, fans should expect at least two more classes to be revealed before the game comes out and then additional classes after the initial launch.
Customization
To help players really put their personal spin on the character they choose, skill trees, rune words, and ability levels are making a return.
Skill trees were last seen inDiablo 2, letting players spend points on upgrading various skills or abilities. It’s a change from the flexible systemDiablo 3playershave likely gotten used to.
Rune Words are another feature last seen inDiablo 2, allowing players to imbue their weapons and armor with items to give them new effects. Certain combination of Rune Words would also create powerful and unique effects.
Unlike its predecessor, players will be able to customize their base character class. Selecting a class no longer gives players a simple male or female option but different skin tones and preset looks to pick form as well. Even the various aspects of mounts can be swapped out like the design of the head and more.
Player versus Player
Another feature making its return from earlier games is the PvP systems that were largely abandoned inDiablo 3. For this latest game, certain areas in the game will bePvP enabled zoneswhere players are free to battle each other. To prevent griefing, players will need to opt-in to the feature.
Diablo 4is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
