When Diablo 3 first launched, it fell into a trap that many big titles have to worry about: living up to and exceeding the previous title. Grand Theft Auto 6, for example, has the near-impossible task of living up to GTA 5 which has become one of the biggest games of all time (no hyperbole there), and The Elder Scrolls 6 has to worry about the same with Skyrim. Diablo 2 was such a classic title that Diablo 3 didn’t initially live up to it, and it’s a lesson Diablo 4 has to learn from to be successful.
Diablo 3‘s Reaper of Souls expansion did a lot to correct this, but nearly two years passed between the release of the base game and the expansion. With competition among games perhaps at an all-time high moving into a new console generation, Diablo 4 has to have a Reaper of Souls approach in its content.
Although it has yet to be confirmed, there’s a high chance that Diablo 4 releases on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Only current-gen platforms are confirmed by Blizzard, yet with the new consoles releasing in about two months’ time, it would be hardpressed to not release on them. Moreover, due to the advanced software and hardware of the two consoles, development on the Series X and the PS5 are easier than ever. This hopefully translates to less technical issues, making it easier to nail the key points. Obviously, the same point can be made with the latest advents of the PC, perhaps where Diablo is most popular, but the console generation is really catching up to this.
For Diablo 4, that’s a very simple core mechanic: loot design and replayability. Any game that emphasizes improving gear needs to have a high replay value, and when Diablo 3 first launched, many felt it was lackluster to 2. That’s something Diablo 4 can’t really bear to repeat. As such, it is vital that the levels and bosses are designed to be fun over and over again, while the loot matches the quality of the experience. There’s nothing worse in a game like this than useless legendaries or having to grind boring levels.
Anthem, for what it’s worth, is a lesson in this. Its repetitive mission design, gatekeeping, and lackluster loot resulted in the game being critically panned. There’s little doubt that, as BioWare works to overhaul Anthem, these elements are in mind. Diablo 4, on the other hand, can’t really be a game that gets rebooted—it could, sure, but it needs to nail this day one, especially after the initial Diablo Immortal controversy.
Indeed, making the classes a lot of fun but better throughout the implementation of high-quality loot, making sure that obtaining said loot has a reasonable grind, and double-checking that loot doesn’t end up as useless is something Diablo 4 has to have high on a priority list. Complementing this with overall design that encourages replayability means that Diablo 4 won’t repeat the mistakes of the past, and with the high-end power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X (as well as advancements in PC gaming), the wind is surely blowing in its direction.
Diablo 4 is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are not confirmed.
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