Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Diablo III Beta Impressions

Diablo III is a computer game currently in beta testing. Beta testing consists of a small group of gamers who are selected to play a game before it’s released, and then give feedback on it. For my first blog post, I will give my impressions of the Diablo III beta.

Diablo III is one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2012. But does it live up to the hype surrounding it? To be blunt, no. The graphics are acceptable but not breathtaking, and the gameplay is mediocre. In Diablo III you play as a hero and kill monsters in a mindless and repetitive fashion. There is very little innovation and even less entertainment value in the game in its current state.

In Diablo III, there are a number of classes from which you can choose to create your hero. Among these classes are the Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor and Wizard. Each class has different abilities it gains by leveling up. You level up by killing monsters repeatedly, which is pretty much what you do throughout the game. There are occasional bosses and events to spice the game up, but it’s pretty standard grindy-RPG fare at the moment.

The problem Diablo III is facing is one that similar Role Playing Games are also facing: How do you create a game focused on killing monsters repeatedly that doesn’t get boring? One answer is Player versus Player combat. Blizzard, the makers of Diablo III, announced three days ago that they were removing Player versus Player combat from Diablo III though. What a letdown!

I have already brought up a number of issues in the Diablo III beta feedback forums, including the blandness of the specific hero’s abilities and the repetitive “grinding” nature of the game. I can only use my Monk to punch/kick a demon in the face so many times before I get bored. To be fair, the game is still being developed and much can change. But as it stands I don’t see what will keep gamers like you and I playing this title for more than ten or fifteen hours.

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