Diablo 4 feels like a decent sequel to one of my favorite series. The atmosphere is dense, the story seems sufficiently developed. Still, I can’t see myself buying the game the day it comes out.
Since the first Diablo 4 leaks appeared, I’ve been following the development of this production to stay up to date and know what’s going on. After the release of immortal devilI assumed the mobile/desktop game was Blizzard’s test for the communityto see how it would behave, how an open world would work if players shared it with each other at all times.
In my opinion, it was a rather controversial procedure, but it brought more life to the world of Sanctuary, at that time quite tired of the eternal invasions of demons, beasts and undead. But it’s the atmosphere that turns out to be the strong point of Diablo 4. The game is dark, brutal, and some of the side quests convey the horror well, though those extra stories are often extremely short. However, this is not enough to make you want to buy Diablo 4 for its release or even just after.
New Shrine Robes
My biggest issue with this title isn’t the series’ focus on more open online gameplay and a shift toward MMOs; it was obvious at the point of Diablo Immortal. I can still accept this blow from Blizzard, even if I find the world too big considering the number of dungeons or events available. From Diablo 4, the monetization of the game disgusts me more. The latest installment in the series does not seem to become an example for the entire gaming market to follow in this regard. And that doesn’t make me like it anymore.
Screenshot from the August 2022 beta, showing the list of sets to buy (credit: Diablo 4, Blizzard Entertainment, 2023).
Everything is done at the price of the game. The most basic version of Diablo 4 it costs about $70. At the same time, unfortunately, the days of just buying a game and having full access to its content are long gone. These days, even the most expensive productions have to include elements that were once exclusive to free-to-play titles, which was understandable at the time.
In the past, in-house item stores and battle passes worked as part of free games. The creators had to somehow make money, so no one was outraged by the existence of additional paid content. The pay-to-win mechanism is another story, of course. For me, the problem starts when a production that costs $70 to launch also contains additional paid content. Which is theoretically optional.
I have years of experience with another Blizzard game, which is World of Warcraft, and I’ve seen a ton of new content on the store over the years. They were just cosmetic items that do not affect gameplay. However, its quality was quite good: high resolution textures, unique appearances and animations. However, the prizes offered by the game were getting worse and bland. I don’t think Diablo 4 is much different.
Additional payments will give you the most interesting sets of objects and the most attractive weapons. I see too the introduction of frames in Diablo 4 as something done almost entirely to warrant more additional content. The beta only shows the intro to the game, but I have mixed feelings about the items I acquired during its duration. And I doubt it will be much better in the later stages of the game.
It remains to be seen whether the battle pass will only provide cosmetic items or whether Blizzard will be tempted to go further. It seems to me that the first option is more plausible, but almost anything can be expected from this developer. And that’s probably one of the main reasons why I won’t buy Diablo 4 when it comes out: I don’t trust Blizzard and expect player-damaging moves.. It’s a shame that in a situation where this actually happened, there would likely be people who would defend the practices that further ruin the gambling market.
What about new content?
Diablo 4 will certainly receive new content, at least in the form of two new classes. Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 had seven classes, so it seems only natural that additional professions would appear in the latest installment in the series. Diablo 4 will almost certainly be developed as a game-as-a-service post-launch, so it can be easily expanded with more characters. The thing is, if Blizzard is having so much trouble balancing current classes, I’m afraid it’s going to be even worse with more classes.
So, what will the development of Diablo 4 look like? Although the game is not a looter, I think there are two ways to get new content: the destination 2 form oh the division 2 form. The former assumes large, regular expansions that add new gameplay elements and significantly expand the plot. The latter is the usual reheating of the same chop, ad nauseam, that we’ve seen before in Diablo 3.
Personally, I could bet that two other classes will be added as mini-DLC, like the necromancer from the third installment in the series. Additionally, there should be some minor seasonal feature expansions that should be available for free, as the money will come from the Battle Pass and the store anyway. I suspect that Diablo 4 you won’t get a major addition like lord of destruction oh reaper of souls. This path of development seems more random when it comes to players’ decision to spend more money on the game. The game itself costs $70 without buying anything in-game, and suddenly it turns out that you have to spend even more to get the ‘full experience’.
Here’s how I could briefly explain why I won’t buy Diablo 4 when it comes out: In my opinion, Blizzard wants to rush fans of the series too much.. And if so, they will perpetuate the unhealthy trend: very expensive games that incorporate additional, often unfair, money-draining systems. I still don’t trust Blizzard. The belief that Diablo 4 will play out in a healthy way seems far-fetched, at least for now.