In a few days, it will finally happen: Sanktuario opens its gates again with Diablo 4. However, some chosen ones were already allowed to dive into the monster massacre beforehand. We from MeinMMO summarize the first opinions for you.
Where do the opinions come from? MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus, as well as colleagues from GameStar, GameStar Tech, and GamePro, were allowed to play Diablo 4 in advance for 10 days. In addition, we have picked up some international voices.
It was already clear in advance that Diablo 4 would have enormous significance for both Blizzard and the Hack’n’Slay genre. The first impressions give hope that it can live up to this responsibility.
For a bit of extra hype until the release, take a look at the new trailer:
Step aside Diablo 2, there is a new king
What are the first opinions? Our pre-testers seem to agree quite a bit: Hurrah, Diablo (and somehow also Blizzard) are finally really good again!
- Kevin Itzinger from GamePro awards almost perfect 94 points: “What excites me the most is how Blizzard has managed to find the perfect sweet spot in the genre without compromising. If I just want to turn on the console in the evening, slaughter monster hordes, and not think too long about whether the armor I just found is really of any use to me, I can easily do that.
However, if I feel like diving deep into the systems and teasing out every little percentage of strength from my character while rampaging through dungeons that demand everything from me, I can do that at the latest from level 50, in the higher world tiers and in the endgame as well. No matter how I feel, the game gives me the freedom of choice. Both experiences work excellently and provide a lot of fun.” - Our own editor Benedict Grothaus praises the dark atmosphere and the MMO aspects: “Overall, I spent about 30 to 40 hours on the test. I don’t know exactly how much it was because now and then … my sense of time got a little lost. By the end of my test, I’m convinced that Diablo 4 will be worth at least 70 or 80 euros in hours.”
- For Peter Bathge from GameStar, the endgame and monetization determine the final rating, so far there are 85-95 points and a lot of praise: “So much story, so much atmosphere, and such incredibly good gameplay has never been seen in a Diablo before. For me, it ultimately replaces the second part: Every other action RPG will have to be measured against Diablo 4 for years to come.”
- Stephan from GameStar Special Edition never wants to go back: “The endgame fits together very well. Bounties, nightmare dungeons, the paragon board, and even PvP integrate seamlessly into the open world. Every item has significance for the builds and all classes have their own unique feeling, so you can spend hours fine-tuning your character. I can’t imagine going back to the previous parts.”
- Sören Diederich from GameStar Tech keeps it short and sweet: “Finally, a technically clean PC version right at launch! Diablo 4 runs smoothly, doesn’t cause hiccups, and scales so well that it still looks good and runs decently on older PCs.”
- At IGN, they didn’t want to put the game down at all, but deducted points for the story: “Diablo 4 pursues the strategy of refining what the series has done so well instead of fundamentally overhauling it, and this cautious and respectful approach has made this massive sequel one of the most polished ARPGs ever created, making the dismemberment of the legions of the damned a hellish pleasure.”
- Forbes sees in Diablo 4 the best of both predecessors combined and gives it 9 out of 10 points: “My impressions are overwhelmingly positive, based on what I have experienced so far, from the map to the gameplay to the new systems and even the story, which I did not expect. Blizzard seems to have done everything right, and I would say that the only way it could get a bad reception at launch is if technical issues prevent players from being able to play.”
Everyone agrees that Diablo 4 plays really well and is a lot of fun. The only hesitation concerns monetization, which also worries many fans. Since the shop was not implemented in the pre-test, there can be no final reassurance on this yet.
You can find the detailed preview report from MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus, including all pros and cons, here. In it, he also addresses the most pressing questions of many players: How much pay-to-win will be included in Diablo 4 and is it really an MMO?
