Diablo 4’s campaign is meant to take players through a variety of desolate and danger-filled lands, encountering everything from poisonous swamps and shores teeming with the undead to draconian religions with a penchant for ritual fires. But, as it offers a deeper look at the five regions you’ll explore in the RPG ahead of the Diablo 4 beta, Blizzard stresses that it wants to make sure players have something worth fighting for.
There are five key regions you’ll explore as you traverse Sanctuary in your fight against Lilith. These are the arid deserts of Kehjistan, the rolling highlands of Scosglen, the desolate swamps of Hawezar, the fractured icy peaks and dry steppes, a grassland filled with rocky cliffs and lava flows. Blizzard says, however, that it wants to make sure the areas don’t feel like one-note biomes, so they’re more diverse than previous entries.
Speaking to Game Informer, several senior Blizzard designers give an idea of what to expect from each region. Kehjistan, for example, takes inspiration from the Middle East and the Mojave Desert, but will also see players check in to its capital, Caldeum, a location that will be all too familiar to Diablo 3 fans where it was a major hub. You’ll also encounter followers of Truine, marking the long-established faction’s first in-game appearance.
Scosglen is inspired by the Scottish Highlands, and you’ll explore a plethora of coastline littered with the undead that died out at sea, culminating in a giant creature called the Sea Hag. Quest creator Madeleine James says this queen-like figure is “three times the size of all the other drowned ones and just this bloated mass of body parts, so it’s really fun”.
There’s more to Scosglen than just the coast, however: it’s also home to the College of Druids, and you’ll see a story tied to one of Diablo 4’s Strongholds, one of the new co-op activities that offer a great way to earn. equipment and help restore civilization to previously invaded areas. You’ll also be able to revisit the Shrouded Moors from Diablo 3, although (somewhat worryingly) they’ve since been renamed the Blood Moors.
Hawezar gives us those delicious poison swamps we all crave, which Blizzard says comes from a mix of Florida and Europe. You’ll face serpentine enemies called Nangari as well as soldiers of the Holy Order of Zakarum, the latter inhabiting scruffy forts that sink into the soft earth on which they were built. It looks friendly.
The Cathedral of Light is your primary concern in Fractured Peaks. This draconian religious authority loves to burn sinners: “It’s completely normal and very good for them”, explains game designer Harrison Pink. It’s not freezing all the time, though: melting snow from low-lying areas creates waterfalls that flood the Hawezar Swamps. You’ll also have to make a pilgrimage to the Alabaster Monastery, a heavily guarded fort in the mountains, while battling the series’ familiar Khazra goatmen.
The Dry Steppes might not have the most evocative name, but this Yellowstone National Park-inspired geothermal hotspot features everything from sandy beaches, salt pans, and rocky cliffs to lava flows and multicolored geothermal pools. Art director John Mueller adds that people dug deep into the floors and suggests that may not have been a particularly smart course of action.
Although it all seems pretty dark and Pink says, “It can be very easy to fall into that hole of darkness and darkness,” the team wants to emphasize “some glimmers of life, some glimmers of ‘hope and characters you might really care about’. .” about.” After all, why would you go to such lengths to save Sanctuary if it’s already falling apart? Isn’t the lure of Lilith’s power tempting enough? “Giving you real sparks of humanity is very important to us as a team,” Pink concludes.
Game director Joe Shely previously hinted that Diablo 4’s campaign length should be around 35 hours, though of course that’s just the beginning of his adventures. You’ll travel in a story that takes you through many regions, but Blizzard notes that side quests are mostly limited to their individual areas. Diablo General Manager Rod Fergusson adds that players are free to choose in which order to tackle the Diablo 4 campaign acts.
Make sure you’re ready for the beta by checking the Diablo 4 system requirements and browsing all classes in Diablo 4 before the Diablo 4 release date. Luckily, it looks like the Diablo 4 damage count has been reduced from what it was. exaggerated treble of its predecessor.
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment and Game Informer.