Side Missions, Better Quests

Just like the extraneous quests of the past one could ignore and still make it through the game, Side Missions are those incidental opportunities for special rewards or extra loot now relegated to the lower half of the Quests pane. The highlight of these are the creative new directions that Blizzard is taking with them, such as timed missions and more interesting challenges than "Kill the big bad and find a chest" or "Find the item, give it to the NPC."

In the Act II game demo playable at BlizzCon last year as well as those shown at game conventions around the world since, a timed mission challenged the player to get through a collapsing dungeon in time to avoid certain death. Other than that, the designers have kept quiet about what they're working on but have admitted that they're considering a variety of other special quest types, possibly even class-specific quests.​

Destructible/Interactive Environments

Never before seen in the series, though it's not a first in gaming, you can use your character's surroundings in battle. Topple a wall or column to crush enemies, or opt for that aged chandelier.

The question remains: Will these elements really be useful or are they just for show?

Don't get us wrong: So far the destructible environment elements we've seen demonstrated thus far in gameplay demos have been not only beautifully animated but also quite functional as a way to help rid Sanctuary of its demonic invaders. Just take a gander at the original gameplay trailer, where we see the Barbarian cruising through the Old Tristram Cathedral's catacombs. He smashes the wall, which comes tumbling down on top of a huge pack of zombies, taking most of them out in one go. Other elements in these dungeons crumble apart just for show once destroyed, such as Wraith generating traps and the tall obelisks that summon forth skeletons in the area preceding the Skeleton King's throne room.​