This Diablo IV review stands apart from the rest in that we delved into the lands of Sanctuary with a lack of saga experience but a large dose of curiosity
What I want to share with you is not the classic Diablo IV review. This was, in fact, my first time on a title from the Blizzard saga. What I will tell you in the next few lines is the adventure of a novice of the genre who, inevitably, required more time than expected to settle in and fully understand the dozens of mechanics that the Californian studio has intertwined in the last hack-and – isometric slash.
With feverish curiosity and unwavering will, I entered the world of Sanctuary for the first time, and found myself completely enraptured by its dark and unnerving allure. As a newbie to the genre, I had expectations of an immersive and immersive adventure, but I could never have imagined how lost I would be in the depths of this demonic realm and how much Diablo IV could rekindle my long-simmering flame for video games. weak.
I can’t deny that my newbe approach made me a little hesitant at first. The dozens of game mechanics, the skills to unlock, the skill trees to explore and the complexity of the classes available required an initial effort to fully understand how the title works. But it is precisely this challenge that made the experience even more rewarding. As I became more familiar with the game mechanics, I felt that I became more and more in control of my destiny and that I could face dark threats with greater confidence.
After this verbose but obligatory introduction, I wish you a good reading. Let the Diablo IV review begin!
Let’s take the first steps | Diablo IV review
Our adventure begins with the choice of a class (between Necromancer, Druid, Cutthroat and Enchanter) and the characterization of the character. Seeing a brief overview of the gameplay directly in-game, we decided to create “Dymriel”: a cutthroat with thick red hair. The initial characterization is not very deep like the classic MMOs, but it allows us to create a good starting point. Speaking of customization, Diablo IV does not focus so much on our raw character, but on armor and aspects (which we will analyze later).
The starting prompt is based on the awakening of Lilith, the daughter of hatred (the bad guy of the moment) and us, a “nameless wayfarer” who will have to investigate the causes and fight the hordes of demons that infest Sanctuary. For the uninitiated, Diablo’s lore (understood as a saga) is based on a cyclical clash between Heaven and Hell. The game revolves around the actions of the players, who take on the role of heroes battling demonic forces, exploring dangerous dungeons, facing fearsome creatures and trying to foil the dark machinations of antagonists like, in this case, Lilith. The story unfolds through the various games in the series, revealing ancient secrets, betrayals and sacrifices, as the protagonists try to preserve hope and salvation for Sanctuary.
Although the plot is more or less the usual story, I liked the general context that allowed me to better immerse myself in this version of Sanctuary. Perhaps the reason behind it is the air of novelty that characterized the adventure for me. However, something that cannot be debated is the kinematics. Those of Diablo IV are true works of art impeccably crafted with an attention to detail that is simply astounding. Every animation, every character expression, and every scenario adds up to a stunning viewing experience. The opening and closing scenes of each chapter, in particular, convey a sense of epic grandeur that envelops us completely in the world of Sanctuary. We could clearly expect it from the WoW development house itself, in which we have sensationally animated interludes.
The Italian dubbing is another element that deserves applause. The voices of the characters are superbly performed, with extraordinary attention to expressiveness and the emotion conveyed. The vocal performances are engaging and manage to bring the dialogues to life, adding a level of realism and immersion that elevates the overall gaming experience.
But what really makes Diablo’s storyline memorable is the characterization of the characters. Each individual we meet along our journey has a story to tell, a distinctive personality and a significant role in the Sanctuary landscape. Their motivations, interpersonal relationships and the nuances of their attitudes are portrayed with extraordinary mastery. We will find ourselves empathizing with them, liking them or even hating them, thanks to the depth and complexity of their personalities.
Yes, the basic storyline may follow a certain familiar pattern, but it’s the quality of the cinematics, voice acting and characterization that make it such an enjoyable experience to follow. Diablo doesn’t just tell a story, he draws us into a world full of excitement, intrigue and surprises.
Technical sector | Diablo IV review
I remember the fuss raised before the release of the title for Blizzard’s decision to introduce the open world and some classic MMO mechanics into this saga. The studio mastered this challenge, demonstrating remarkable precision in design. The world of Sanctuary feels cohesive, with five regions offering a variety of visual styles and unique characterization that sets each one apart. Freely exploring this huge space, which ranges from mountainous places to marshy ones, passing from dunes to crumbling cities drowned in chaos, is a real pleasure. Furthermore, the entire map is filled with places to visit, dungeons, cellars to explore, Lilith’s Altars to unlock and towns. If initially we will have to wander around the world using our legs and fast travel, from the end of the third act we will be able to use the mount which will make everything faster.
Diablo IV is characterized by an exceptional technical sector, embellished by a dark and raw visual rendering. The game fully embraces its dark side, featuring bloody and gruesome scenes that convey a sense of terror and suspense. The atmospheres are often dark and disturbing, sometimes bordering on horror. However, during my gaming experience, I encountered some minor audio-video sync issues in cutscenes. On occasion, I noticed that the sounds in the cutscenes could be slightly out of sync with the actions displayed on the screen. This phenomenon created a small discrepancy that, while it didn’t significantly detract from the overall experience, was still detectable.
The attention to visual details is also reflected in the sound sector. The carefully selected sound effects help create a tense and oppressive atmosphere. The clatter of roaring chains, the eerie echo of demon voices, and the dull sound of weapons clashing with enemies add a level of realism and immersion to the game. The soundtrack also masterfully accompanies the action, intensifying the emotion and emphasizing the bloodiest and most dramatic moments.
Diablo IV proves to be a well-optimized title, ensuring a smooth and immersive gaming experience even on not so recent configurations. During our gaming experience, we were able to fully exploit the potential of our build, consisting of an 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, an Intel Core i5 12600k processor and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. We had the pleasure of playing Diablo IV with a resolution of 1440p, setting all the graphic details to maximum and using NVIDIA’s DLSS technology set to “Quality”. The results were amazing. The game consistently maintained flawless gameplay, never dropping below 120 frames per second. The FPS average was even higher, settling around 150 FPS. No matter the intense action scenes or fighting against hordes of enemies, the game remains stable and performs well, providing an immersive and smooth gaming experience. Diablo IV also stands out for its scalability, which allows gamers to easily adjust the graphics settings according to the specifics of their systems, ensuring a smooth gaming experience even on older PCs.
Throughout my experience playing Diablo IV, I’ve noticed that the fluidity of the experience has generally been flawless. However, it is important to point out that there have been micro-lags on occasion, mainly related to the connection with the server. In particular, while delving into a dungeon, I encountered an episode where the connection began to lag significantly, causing the action to pause for about two minutes and then reset. However, it is important to note that this is certainly a temporary problem and that, considering that Diablo IV is in its very first weeks of launch, it is reasonable to expect that these problems will be resolved over time.
Your build, your story | Diablo IV Review
In Diablo IV, creating your build and character progression are the very core of the gameplay. Through the skill tree, we can customize the character according to our game preferences. The five available classes (Barbarian, Druid, Cutthroat, Enchanter and Necromancer) offer a wide range of options and synergies between skills. Furthermore, each class is characterized by totally different approaches. Furthermore, even in the same class, by gradually specializing, we will be able to change our style of play.
L’skill tree it allows us to unlock and enhance different skills and passives. Character progression is through skill points. As we level up and take on challenges, we’ll earn skill points that can be awarded to improve and enhance your chosen skills. Another central feature are the “legendary aspects” obtained while delving into dungeons or through rare items, which offer further customization options. These aspects can modify or enhance your existing skills, or even insert new ones. This dramatically increases the customization possibilities of your PG.
Appearances can be applied to our armor pieces and weapons. Clearly, even the latter have different specifications and to create the most harmonious archetype possible we will have to analyze well which pieces to equip, which to recycle to scrape together materials and which, instead, to enhance both by talking about statistics and by applying aspects and gems on them. Equipment plays a role…