Playing "Diablo IV": 6 things I noticed in the beta

There it is again. That familiar feeling. That mixture of gloom and euphoria. I'm standing in the middle of a godforsaken area on the remains of a slain monster. With a sound I've heard a million times before, loot gushes out of it. This is "Diablo". More precisely, "Diablo IV". The fourth part of the action role-playing game series will not officially be released until 6 June, but a beta test ran last weekend.

In the beta, all those who pre-ordered the game were able to test three of the five classes: barbarian, wizard and hunter. The level cap was 25 and an open beta will take place next weekend, during which Druid/Druidess and Necromancer/Summoner will also be available.

Immediately back in the mood

The turmoil and scandals surrounding Activision Blizzard are not noticeable in "Diablo IV". This is despite the fact that development has come to a standstill in places. The mixed response to "Overwatch 2" also dampened expectations. The concerns were unfounded - "Diablo IV" makes a very positive impression. As a long-time fan of the series, I immediately feel at home. It starts with an atmospheric intro - good story videos have always been one of Blizzard's hallmarks.

This is followed by a short sequence in the game engine. Something that has never been seen before in Diablo. I like that a lot. It draws me closer into the action. The male speakers are almost competing to see who has the deeper, grumpier voice. My ears vibrate pleasantly under the headphones and I nod appreciatively.

Visually, "Diablo IV" is much darker than its predecessor. It was often criticised for being too colourful. Part four is more like the original from 1996 and the world feels threatening and hopeless. The locations shown so far are staged in great detail. There are snow-covered hilly landscapes with curious deer, eerie forests with gnarled tree monsters and, of course, plenty of dungeons full of bloody torture chambers and fiery chasms. The camera is a little closer to the action. I also appreciate my barbarian's new horned helmet much more. The perspective makes the action even more gripping.

The soundtrack is at least as dark as the graphics. The eerie backdrop of violins, piano and muffled rumbling makes for a pleasant shiver.

This has Umpf

Speaking of sound: the action is also impressive. When my barbarian smashes zombie skulls with his two-handed sword or triggers a small earthquake with a leap into the enemy, there's a rumble from the loudspeakers. When my mage incinerates a whole group of hellish creatures with a ray of fire, I can almost feel the heat in front of the monitor from the hissing and crackling. Melee attacks and magic feel powerful, even though my heroes are only at the beginning of their careers in the beta.

Skill system inspired by "Path of Exile"

Since the beta ends at level 25, I can't judge the skill system conclusively. However, it seems inspired by "Path of Exile". The genre competitor from Grinding Gear Games is famous for its complex skill system. "Diablo IV" does away with the runes from "Diablo 3" and once again relies on a classic talent tree. This branches out into active and passive talents.

In addition, there is an upgrade system for equipment. This allows me to apply aspects that I have previously unlocked to my weapons, rings, etc. Any existing legendary properties are then overwritten. I can also extract these from existing equipment and apply them to another item. As there will be no equipment sets, at least at launch, special items no longer seem to influence the play style as much as they used to.

At level 50, the Paragon system is added, which, similar to "Diablo 3", adds a completely new skill level on top. However, it is not yet possible to say exactly how this will work. However, it is already known that the system will have a level cap.

MMO instead of single player

Another change is that "Diablo IV" no longer has a single-player mode. Like part three, part four also requires a constant internet connection. What is new is that you are thrown into a shared world with other players. "Diablo IV" thus moves a little in the direction of an MMO (massively multiplayer online). As in other MMOs, however, dungeons, cellars and the like are instanced. I, or rather my group, am always undisturbed there.

In the current beta, the world still feels dark and deserted. I've only come across other characters from time to time. As long as my forays don't lead to herds forming, the multiplayer aspect doesn't bother me. After all, it opens up new fun activities such as the world bosses for eight players. And even with smaller mini-bosses, I'm always grateful for unexpected help.

A controller game?

"Diablo" is played with a mouse and keyboard, that's obvious - I would have claimed the same in the past. After hearing a lot of good things about the controller controls in the console version of "Diablo 3", I spontaneously connected my Playstation controller to the PC. And I have to say: I won't put it down again.

With the controller, "Diablo" plays much more directly than when I have to navigate my hero through the dungeons with the mouse. And because "Diablo IV" is not a real MMO like "World of Warcraft", I can easily master the handful of skills with the controller. Navigating the menus and especially the inventory also works perfectly. Of course, I'm a tad slower than with the mouse, but I have a better overview in hectic battles. Of course, the classic mouse/keyboard controls are still fun too.

Very polished

I can also say positive things about the quality of the beta. Apart from a slightly longer queue on Friday evening, I was always able to get started straight away. I didn't encounter any bugs either. The game even runs on the Steam Deck with almost all details at 60 frames per second. It did crash a few times, but the version is not official.

"Diablo IV" already feels like a final product and very well thought out. I can exit completed dungeons with two clicks, the map is clearly laid out and the menus are easy to understand. The co-op mode also worked perfectly. Level differences between characters are no problem and compatible quests are automatically shared.

First conclusion: addictive

The dopamine rush is not long in coming in "Diablo IV". After just a few minutes, the monster corpses start piling up and the inventory is bursting at the seams. But it's not just the urge to collect that motivates me. The world also invites you to discover it. There are mysterious ruins, collapsed mines and occult dungeons to explore everywhere. The only thing I have to criticise about the beta is that it's only a beta. I want the full game.

It remains to be seen whether Blizzard will be able to create a motivating endgame. The start has already been successful. "Diablo IV" looks set to be a hell of a lot of fun.

"Diablo IV" will be released on 6 June. The beta is open to everyone from 24 to 26 March for PC, Playstation and Xbox. <p