On June 6, 2023, Diablo 4 will be released. Enough time to replay all predecessors once again. But do you have to do that to get by in Diablo 4? MeinMMO explains what you need to know.
Do I need to know the predecessors? The short answer is: No. Basically, anyone can jump into Diablo 4, just like in almost any other hack and slay. The essence of these games is classic looting and leveling.
If you’re just after pure fun and enjoy leveling your character and slicing through enemies, you can never go wrong with Diablo. The gameplay is so intuitive that even without years of practice, you can showcase respectable achievements. You can find a first impression in the first demo tests of Diablo 4.
Am I at a disadvantage if I don’t know parts 1-3? The only thing you will likely miss are special details and nostalgic moments in the story of Diablo 4. The demon Lilith or the angel Inarius probably won’t mean anything to you.
If you value the story, you can always catch up later. You can also find the summary of the story of Diablo here, where you will learn everything you need to know.
Usually, Diablo games explain enough background over the course of the game, so you at least understand what it’s about. Additionally, there are usually entries in the game itself that explain further details to you. However, you do have certain advantages if you have played all predecessors.
Diablo 4 is supposed to get the best features from the predecessors, but you don’t have to have played them for that. This is the current state:
Prior knowledge of Diablo helps if you want to be faster
What is the benefit of knowing parts 1-3? As a veteran of Diablo, you have a great advantage if you want to level up quickly. Getting to max level 100 is said to take 180 hours. If you are already familiar with the games, you will have a better idea of what improves your character.
Additionally, you probably already know the 5 starting classes of Diablo 4 and at least have a fundamental understanding of their capabilities. This allows you to assess what you want to play and what builds will suit you. Newcomers will have to feel their way and perhaps try multiple classes or builds. Respec is, by the way, possible at any time for gold.
Ultimately, experience in hack and slay games will generally help you to understand the controls of Diablo 4 more quickly and thus prevent deaths. Here you can find a selection of the best titles from the genre:
What makes part 4 special? After Diablo 3 was simply too “colorful” and comic-like for many fans of the series, Diablo 4 will be significantly darker again, both visually and in terms of the story. Core features include:
- Special mechanics for each class
- World bosses through which you can increase the difficulty
- An open world that you partially share with other players
- NPC companions that are supposed to be reminiscent of Diablo 2
- A battle pass to keep content fresh
At its core, however, it’s still all about slaying demons, getting stronger, and collecting better loot. Diablo 4 offers dungeons, an open world, and new “fortress sieges” that allow you to unlock new areas.
So far, we have not had the opportunity to extensively test Diablo 4. Before the release on June 6, there is supposed to be a beta that has also not yet been announced. We suspect that the first beta tests with more players will start around March. You can find more information about the game here:
Diablo 4: Everything about release, classes, beta, and gameplay
