Since the announcement of Diablo 4, it is clear that the game will receive more MMO elements than the other main installments in the series. Especially fans of the first two parts fear for “their” gaming experience. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus sees it quite differently: MMO elements only make Diablo better.
Diablo 4 will be an MMO, even if Blizzard claims otherwise. It has too many elements reminiscent of MMORPGs like Lost Ark and features that clearly target MMOs.
Everywhere in the cities, players can be seen, in the open world, you meet other heroes, and the gigantic world bosses must even be defeated with strangers. Unless, your name is Wudijo and you just deal damage for 12.
Since all this became known and was increasingly evident in the beta, there has been a multitude of discussions about whether such MMO elements are good or bad. There are critics who vehemently oppose a multiplayer Diablo.
I can certainly understand if, as a Diablo fan, you just want a new version of the old games. But then Diablo 4 is simply not the ARPG that these fans are looking for. Blizzard needs these features in the game.
Diablo 4 even has crossplay for all platforms. How multiplayer works, we explain here:
“The MMO garbage kills it for me”
The criticism has become less frequent since the open beta, but it is still there and is partly much more intense than before. A user on Reddit states that even technical problems and waiting times are negligible, the MMO elements are the disruptive factor.
If “Fannybaws69” or “dildoswaggins” run across the screen and are doing the same quest or standing by the chest with the user, that would be annoying. It doesn’t fit Diablo. Such threads often appear.
GameStar colleague Fabiano Uslenghi also says, that Diablo 4 does not need a shared world. Many GameStar readers agree with Fabiano, without MMO elements, Diablo 4 would be better.
I have to admit that certain elements also bother me, or would bother me. Stupid player names do not fit into the world and the absurd titles from Diablo 4 are not ideal. But honestly: even when you meet people, they quickly disappear from the screen again or their names are covered by hordes of enemies.
That’s why I hold a completely different position. The shared world and MMO elements save Diablo 4. They ensure a future for the game and create more possibilities than ever before.
The bigger problem with Diablo 4 after the beta is the big unknown: What is the endgame? You can find the MeinMMO editorial team’s assessment here:
MMO features lead to more Diablo feeling
The endgame of Diablo 4 will mostly take place in dungeons. Events in the open world and the world bosses will probably be important sources for legendaries, but at the current state, dungeons are the farming spot.
Here, you are either alone or with a group anyway. And this is exactly the point where Diablo becomes better as an MMO. Even in the beta, some classes seemed weaker. But that is only because they can fulfill different roles.
Particularly druids have the ability in Diablo 4 to become a supporter, tank, or a sort of healer. There was already a kind of role distribution earlier, but never so prevalent. Even without a group, everyone in Diablo 4 has the opportunity to play as they want and finds teammates in the city for the toughest content. Without MMO features, this would not be possible.
That is the most important point for me. I love to play classes outside their “max DPS” builds, to try crazy things. When there are no friends online, I can randomly grab strangers and try out the build.
MMO elements are good when used correctly
Of course, everything must be enjoyed in moderation, including MMO features. Even characters must somehow fit into the world, which is why I welcome that Blizzard does not let us have totally stupid characters. Immersion is also important for an MMO, and the freedom of individual clowns cannot be considered in this context.
For me, the shared world is still necessary for Diablo 4 to even survive. It provides a lively community that interacts with each other and plays long-term. Friendships keep you in the game. Our editor-in-chief Leya Jankwoski, GameStar podcast head Michael Graf, and Diablo expert Jessirocks have also discussed this in a talk on YouTube (from minute 32).
Pure single-player games certainly still have a future, but will never be as big as MMOs. And Blizzard urgently needs a win at the moment.
Solo fans have now had to endure the second blow in a row with Diablo Immortal and Diablo 4. But Diablo 4 must become a success if you want to have good games in the future:
