Like Diablo III and Diablo Immortal, Diablo IV will also rely heavily on online connectivity. So you are always logged in. The overworld is then one big hub where everyone runs around. You can easily approach each other and ask people to help you with a certain quest or dungeon. Dungeons are still randomly generated instances that you walk through alone. If you want to explore a dungeon with others, you will have to fight them outside the dungeon. There are also various events in the game world in the form of side missions or challenges. If you enter the circle where the event takes place, it will be activated and you can start. Other people in the neighborhood see it and can join. All loot that is distributed after completing an event is distributed equally among the players. You can’t see what other people have, and they can’t see or pick up your stuff either.
In addition to these events, you also have World Bosses. These gigantic bosses roam specific spots on the world map and are so strong that you can’t defeat them alone. If you face such a monster and there are other players planning the same thing, you will automatically be grouped so that you can fight together. This is the only time in the game where you are automatically matched with people. All other parts of the game, except the pvp part, can also be played completely alone. Diablo IV has several options for connecting users online. You can easily form clans via the game menus or simply ask a random passerby to help you via chat.
The online aspect is so intertwined in the game that the shops are also connected in this way. For example, the range of all products will change after a certain period of time, so you can come back at different times to see what new items are on offer. This is displayed with a timer so you know in how many hours you can visit again.
Diablo IV is the first Diablo game to be released simultaneously on PC and consoles. Blizzard said that the previous Diablo was very successful on consoles and that’s why they are working hard to make the game available for all platforms at the same time. Also, there is crossplay support which allows you to play with PC users like a console player. Furthermore, your account is also interchangeable. If you’re playing on a console, you can pair play on one device at the same time. This does not require the second player to have their own Battle.net account.
Preliminary conclusion
Diablo IV promises to be a worthy successor to Diablo II and III. Blizzard seems to have listened closely to the community and a lot of extras have been added. The game looks great too, with Blizzard staying true to the dark horror style of Diablo II. The new engine makes everything look much more detailed and runs well too. You can move a little more freely and the big open world you go through already works well. We were only able to see a small fraction of the large game world, but there was already so much to experience that we don’t worry you’ll get bored quickly. As it stands now, the game will release in Spring 2023 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series S and X, and Xbox One consoles.
