Well the Early Access to Diablo 4 just ended about an hour ago and I have some thoughts. The graphics are amazing, like we knew they would be. The opening intro is beautiful, there's mystery, all of that.
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| Amita, level 20 sorceress. |
I know I'm not as well-versed on Diablo lore as some--I've never heard of Estuar, for example--but the denizens of Fractured Peaks seem to be inspired by Russia or Siberia as far as accent, the ambient music playing in Kyovashad, even the clothing styles are very Slavic-styled. Players weren't permitted to enter the Dry Steppes region or anywhere outside of Fractured Peaks, which is understandable, but even in just that one place there are so many quests. I was missing about 6 side quests--there were apparently 35?--and the main story of Act 1 is fairly straightforward.
Story Thoughts
Now... as for the vibe of the game, it's very well-suited to the horror genre. Jumpscares, blood, gore, mutilation... it's all there, & that's all just Act 1. I don't recommend it for anyone who's squeamish and I definitely don't recommend it for anyone with religious trauma. The story is steeped in zealotry and verbiage to that is potentially triggering to those who grew up in households that used religion--specifically Christianity--as a means of control or otherwise.
If you are able to get past it, the story focuses on the opposing forces of Inarius and Lilith, the progenitors of the Nephalem (humans). Lilith has broken free from whence she was sealed and Inarius and his forces seek to end her once and for all.
Lilith thought their children should be allowed to be all-powerful, Inarius wanted them to serve and be grateful that they were born in the first place, blah blah. It's Inarius' followers that are very hard for me to stomach and my husband can verify that I was railing at them all through the Early Access. 🤣
But! We did make it to level 25. My husband played as a rogue and I chose the sorcerer (lightning build) & we both loved the classes we chose. This coming week the druid and necromancer will be launched, and we've already decided I will be playing the necromancer and my husband will play druid, so I'll have plenty to update on that as well.
Gameplay Thoughts
I really dislike skill trees. I remember playing World of Warcraft back in 2006 when they still had those skill trees and I hated every single minute of it. In order to have a viable build, you have to allocate your skill points in exactly the right combination of abilities or you're destined for ruin. Thankfully you can refund all your points at the click of a button, but I'm not sure if that will remain through to the game's launch in June.
The skill tree is also difficult to see in its entirety. I dislike the layout very much; even when fully zoomed-out the whole tree isn't visible, which makes planning difficult.
Small gripe: the waypoints are nice, but there's so much walking between the waypoint and where you actually need to go. Very Skyrim-esque.
Other than that, no real complaints, though I probably wouldn't play the game if not for having pre-ordered it due to the skill tree alone. That and everything surrounding salvaging for transmogs versus extracting legendary affixes--which cost money now?!--there are too many moving parts. If it weren't for the fact that we'd already bought the game, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't play it.
If you like horror and gory games, this probably isn't all that gross compared to some of what's out there, and if you're more mechanically minded, this is probably the game for you. Very reminiscent--at least to me--of Diablo 2 and very number crunchy. Not at all my cup of tea, but to each their own.
Did you get to play the Diablo 4 Early Access? Will you be playing the Open Beta this coming weekend (24 March)? What class did you play/will you play? Let me know in the comments below!
