D1…2…3…4
Diablo 4 for PS5
From the get-go, Diablo 4 is the unabridged dictionary definition of "chaos" – but with less cross-referencing and more monsters. For those who enjoy decimating hordes of the hellish, you're in for a divine time. The enemies are plentiful, and their desire to make your day unpleasantly warm is intense
Playing D4 on our LG C2. It’s a pretty great gaming experience. 77-inches of demon slaying makes for quite a time. Graphics are great, but gameplay is better. It’s fun, it’s fluid… it’s Diablo.
The graphics are a mix of foreboding and stunning, like watching a sunset while being stalked by a werewolf. PS5's processing powers renders each dungeon, basement, and hellish landscape with an almost poetic detail that would be beautiful if it weren't for all the malevolent creatures hell-bent on your demise.
The storyline, well, it’s Diablo with a new antagonist named Lilith (I think this is her?) – it's as over-the-top as a demonic goat at a broadway musical. It serves its purpose, delivering you from one monstrosity-laden bloodbath to another with just enough coherence to make you mutter, "Alright, I guess I'll go decimate that ancient evil because the ghostly apparition told me to." While Lilith is a bit less intimidating than the Diablo-series end bosses of old, once you get there, she hits… hard.
Level 86 Elvyara (one of the Elvyind spawn — that’s a long story and related to my World of Warcraft habit) melting some Arctic Bears. World enemies are way too easy when you gear up.
Gameplay? Remember Diablo 3? It's visceral, fast, and fluid – a demonic ballet.
Grinding for gear is the same old song and dance. Once again, you will be obsessed with hoarding ancestrals and uniques, just don't expect every loot drop to be the Holy Grail. Diablo 4 might make you feel like a badass one minute, then swiftly remind you how that shiny new sword you got is about as threatening as a butter knife in the hands of a geriatric gnome. I’m also currently level 86 and the leveling pace has slowed to a crawl. The nightmare dungeons feel a bit redundant, and pushing keys isn’t the easiest thing in the world since upgraded gear hits diminishing returns quickly and your next piece of upgraded gear could be hours and hours away. Still, I keep finding myself coming back for more – hunting for an Uber Unique or even just getting myself prepped for the Level 100 fight as I start maxing out.
The forced multiplayer is a bit like attending a chaotic, violent party where everyone is both guest and doorman. It’s fun, frantic, and can add a lovely layer of collaborative demon-splatting to proceedings. But for those who prefer solo dungeon diving, you might find it occasionally annoying to share your doom-and-gloom with others.
Minor drawbacks aside, Diablo 4 remains true to its roots. So, if your idea of a good time involves turning abominations into XP while reveling in the malevolent aesthetic, get it, enjoy it, and don’t blame me when you get rofl-stomped trying to solo the first Capstone dungeon under-leveled and wipe on the boss (spoilers here) 35x before finally clearing (like I did…).
8 out of 10. Excellent.
-Him
P.S. Also – one major point to note, because a friend of mine brought this up as a reason to avoid the game. Microtransactions are not Hell. In my opinion, Microtransaction Hell does not exist in D4 – unless you love collecting skins. I’m a boring Millennial, so that doesn’t interest me all that much. If you are a big skins person (good luck), it does seem like prices are a bit steep for the premium currency.
