While Diablo Immortal is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, Diablo 4 makes a somewhat unexpected appearance amid Microsoft’s games. On the one hand, it’s not all that surprising, with the possibility of an Activision Blizzard takeover, but on the other, it feels a little weird to those who are used to BlizzCon. In addition to The Necromancer, the takeaway is that it’s slated for release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series in 2023.
The Necromancer back in Diablo 4
The master of death is one of the most popular classes in the license, having been present in all games since Diablo 2. It was introduced as DLC in Diablo 3, and it is one of the six base classes in Diablo Immortal. It is a particularly rich class, which mixes the summons of undead creatures and golems on the one hand. The use of bones to defend oneself, block the enemy or attack him from a distance. And that’s without forgetting the abilities related to poison, blood, spirits and curses. There really is plenty to do, whether it’s walking around with your personal army, or playing a dark mage.
A new gameplay demonstration
It’s almost 5 minutes of new gameplay that was broadcast for Diablo 4 on an Xbox Series X. You can admire the character models, environments, spells, and of course, the fights. We must admit that the result is very convincing, the game is sufficiently beautiful and detailed to have an artistic direction that is both dark and realistic. This is something that is sorely lacking in Diablo 3 and Diablo Immortal.
We can also see the fight against a very impressive world boss in cooperative. The social aspect is important in this game, and it will be possible to play in cross-play, between the Xbox consoles and the PC, but it will also be possible to play 2 in local coop, from your couch.
It is confirmed once again that certain areas will be dedicated to PvP, and that the best players will have rewards, but also be marked, in order to attract other players thirsty for blood and loot.
Finally, high-level content was mentioned. As is often the case in the license, finishing the last story mission is really only the beginning of the adventure. This will include new items, dungeons, paragon levels and more. The studio also announces that it wants to follow and enrich the game for years.
All this is reassuring, even if we can’t help worrying about possible abuses in terms of monetization.