At BlizzCon, visitors were able to play a demo of the hack ‘n slash Diablo 4 and test out the three classes: Barbarian, Sorceress, and Druid. Now you can watch an hour of gameplay from this demo and consider what playstyle you might want to adopt.
What is shown? In total, there are three videos, one for each of the three classes: Sorceress, Druid, and Barbarian. The videos always start in the same dungeon, through which the heroes fight. After that, it goes into the wilderness, which is designed as a Shared World.
This is where the videos begin to differ somewhat, as different approaches are taken. However, it is evident in the gameplay how Diablo 4 plays and how the classes differ:
- The Barbarian charges straight into the fray of enemies
- the Sorceress keeps her distance and unleashes ranged attacks
- the Druid, on the other hand, uses his shapeshifting ability to attack.
A Dark Atmosphere
What else do the videos show? You get a very good impression of the dark atmosphere of the game. Diablo 4 is dark, brutal, and grimy. This is reflected in the color palette, which lacks the brighter, more vibrant colors of Diablo 3.
The world of Sanctuary appears in the videos to be devastated, as if there is hardly any vegetation growing. This could of course be due to the specific area in which the BlizzCon demo took place. Or it might be connected to the story. Could the return of Lilith have made the land barren and is it slowly desolating?
Is Diablo 4 Slower Than Part 3?
What impression does the gameplay create? What quickly stands out is that Diablo 4 seems to play somewhat slower compared to Diablo 3. The attacks are executed a bit more sluggishly, especially in Barbarian gameplay. The hits feel more powerful and brutal because of this.
The slower gameplay will surely mean an adjustment for all fans of Diablo 3. Slow does not mean bad, though. As the videos show, Diablo 4 still plays quite fast, just not quite as frantically as Part 3.
Additionally, this could also be related to the fact that we are seeing lower-level characters. Their speed may increase with higher levels.
It will also be very interesting to compare the videos with gameplay that will be shown until the release of Diablo 4. How will the hack ‘n slash evolve over the months and likely years?
What do you think of the gameplay? How do you like the atmosphere and which class appeals to you the most?
