Diablo IV

[Reinhardt]

Bliz does always try to make games as accessible as possible and that's not just about player ability but also low hardware requirements. Easy to learn, hard to master is just good design. You could sit down for some couch co-op with your 7 year old son and both have fun in this game. 30 or so years ago everyone thought games were just for kids and nerds and now we've accepted that adults play games too, but, really, games are still for kids as well. Surely you aren't surprised by a Blizzard game aiming at having maximum accessibility? You expect it.

Diablo IV is rated M (Mature)

 

[Hellraiser]

Bliz does always try to make games as accessible as possible and that's not just about player ability but also low hardware requirements. Easy to learn, hard to master is just good design. You could sit down for some couch co-op with your 7 year old son and both have fun in this game. 30 or so years ago everyone thought games were just for kids and nerds and now we've accepted that adults play games too, but, really, games are still for kids as well. Surely you aren't surprised by a Blizzard game aiming at having maximum accessibility? You expect it.

Diablo IV is rated M (Mature)

More like rated M (Manure).

 

[ELEXmakesMeHard]

Besides, I like how aggravating this Druid design is to people who want to play him as a petite little wood elf femboy

Fuck you! Did he look like an "elf femboy" in D2?

The D2 Druid was perfection. I wasn't referring to you, but to unhinged whiners at the D4 forums & twitter.

The D4 Druid design is exactly like the werebears in TW3 btw.

Which comes from some weird assumption that bears are the animal equivalent of strongmen. They aren't. They have a lot of fairly loose skin and fur, but underneath that, their muscles are that of any predator - long and lean.

You made me look this up, and have ruined bears for me!

 

[ItsChon]

In any case, a fat dude, no matter how strong fat he appears, doesn't exactly scream "I live in nature" to me, unless he's about to go into hibernation instead of gearing up to smash some demonic hoe. A druid should be whipcord and rawhide, not jello over triple marbled steak.

Not sure why someone living in nature wouldn't have some fat on him?

Druid design was great. I'm tired of the sterotypical lean, buff dude. While some men do indeed look like that, a ton of men carry fat on them and it's not due to a lack of discipline, it's due to body composition. In general, having some fat on you aids in your overall performance.

 

[Jimeh]

Why is nothing new ever good enough?

The problem with your statement is that you're both associating voice acting as something that adds to the "RPGness" of a game but that you're also characterizing voice acting as something that is always positive/good, which simply is not the case. A game is not more of an RPG because it has in engine cutscenes or voice acting, and to suggest such a thing is fucking retarded.

No, you're misunderstanding. I think? I don't know, I'm getting confused. Is it not obvious what I was saying? AVP2?!

It's an action game at its core but there's some clear effort to have a good story and world building and stuff. I'm not saying having cutscenes and voice acting means it's an RPG. Just that the cutscenes and voice acting is polish on the non-action side of things that they could have ignored. You can skip them but they're not half bad.

Lets have a look for the people who didn't play the beta.

 

[ItsChon]

No, you're misunderstanding. I think? I don't know, I'm getting confused. Is it not obvious what I was saying? AVP2?!

You literally said

the RPG is more there than ever before in a Diablo game in the story elements with in engine cutscenes, full voice acting, etc.

If there is a misunderstanding, it's because you were not clear when expressing yourself. In regards to whether or not Diablo 4 has a decent story and/or good world building, I honestly don't have an opinion. I haven't played Diablo 4 nor have I properly played through Diablo 1 or 2. I could honestly totally agree with your assessment of the games story and world building. I was just correcting what you said because it's a common misconception held by normies, and you continue to perpetuate it to be honest.

Just that the cutscenes and voice acting is polish on the non-action side of things that they could have ignored. You can skip them but they're not half bad.

Polish is not the same as quality content. Of course Blizzard was going to make sure the voice acting and cinematics and so on were polished. As I said previously, most people are retarded, and shit like this is what sells. The fact that you've cited cinematics and voice acting as proof of the game having an interesting story and good world building just highlights how backwards your standards are

 

[Jimeh]

Well, I'm probably not retarded. Especially as far as RPGs go. I was clocking Goldbox games when I was 10. I've played everything. I have 20 stash tabs in PoE! I've beaten Dark Souls with a level 1 character! BG1 and 2 with a solo character! Behold my most recent DCSS win!

15521829 blas the Englaciator (level 27, 292/292 HPs)
Began as a Demonspawn Ice Elementalist on Dec 1, 2022.
Was an Initiate of Gozag.
Escaped with the Orb
... and 15 runes on Dec 3, 2022!

DOES IT NOT AMAZE YOU?!

So why do I think Diablo4 is a good game?! It's because it is!

Sure, if you're looking for a city builder game it's probably not what you're after. But if you want an ARPG I'd comfortably say its a good one.

Anyway, what do you think of that cutscene? Does it add anything to the story, worldbuilding, atmosphere, etc?

PS. I also have Diablo Tchernobog mod installed!

 

[ItsChon]

Anyway, what do you think of that cutscene? Does it add anything to the story, worldbuilding, atmosphere, etc?

Honestly cutscene was kind of lame. They all just decided to kill someone they've known their whole lives because a demonic entity told them to? I'm sure she used some sort of magic or put them into a trance, but then I must ask, why didn't the Priest get effected? Also, not sure why they made the priest sound like such as an asshole in the beginning, if only a few minutes later they were going to try and paint him as a sympathetic character, pleading for his life by referencing prior happy memories and experiences. Also, it's a whole ass village, and there are only like ten people at mass? Not impressed at all.

 

[Jimeh]

Isn't it obvious? They were just sick of the priest ruining their fun. He was probably pushing for boring old 1950s social values but the villagers wanted to twerk on instagram and post lesbian incest nudes on onlyfans after having their top surgery. His hateful ways had no place in such a progressive village.

 

[ItsChon]

It sounds like we're in agreement then! You acknowledge the cutscene is retarded, but for some reason you brought it up as evidence of the game's "focus" on the RPG aspect of a ARPG. Now I'm confused.

 

[whydoibother]

Noooo, how come the demon possessed people in the demon possession scene in the demonic game do something bad to the priest nooooo that should be illegal!!

 

[Justinian]

Anyway, what do you think of that cutscene? Does it add anything to the story, worldbuilding, atmosphere, etc?

Honestly cutscene was kind of lame. They all just decided to kill someone they've known their whole lives because a demonic entity told them to? I'm sure she used some sort of magic or put them into a trance, but then I must ask, why didn't the Priest get effected? Also, not sure why they made the priest sound like such as an asshole in the beginning, if only a few minutes later they were going to try and paint him as a sympathetic character, pleading for his life by referencing prior happy memories and experiences. Also, it's a whole ass village, and there are only like ten people at mass? Not impressed at all.

The priest is not an asshole, just a little fanatical. I have no trouble sympathizing with him because his sermon wasn't wrong, the fanatical delivery is in line with Diablo Heaven being good but rigid and uncompromisng, and he was probably a good man who wanted the best for his people but was frustrated with their ways. His righteousness protects him from Lilith's compulsion (or she simply wanted to kill him because he picked the wrong side in the eternal conflict). Either way, the scene reinforces Diablo lore: there is a fight between powerful forces for control of Sanctuary, and Lilith represents the loose faction that doesn't want to let either angels or demons have it.

 

[Yosharian]

The dialogue is kinda bland though. "They have awakened, mother" no shit Sherlock

 

[Lyric Suite]

To be fair, this was a series where writing was always bottom of the barrel mediocrity.

 

[Arbiter]

To be fair, this was a series where writing was always bottom of the barrel mediocrity.

D1 had decent writing, especially the tomes in dungeons voiced by the narrator.

 

[Tigranes]

Diablo was all vibes. The vibes were cool. You can't really keep the vibes after 20 years.

I actually thought some outdoor environments had a nice sense of desolation - sadly you barely know where you are and there's no exploration, so you zoom through it. The dungeons seem copypasted from D3, though I barely remember D3.

 

[MajorMace]

2000s' Aliens vs Predator 2

The pulse rifle and smartgun sound effects haunt me to this day.
Great game.

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

D1 had decent writing, especially the tomes in dungeons voiced by the narrator.

D1 knew what it was - a Robert E. Howard short story with extra gore. The moment Blizzard started expanding the mythos is when it all went to WoW, I mean shit.

 

[Fedora Master]

whydogamessucknow.png

 

[hello friend]

This is so fucking lazy

 

[Sykar]

What else would you expect from Blizzshite?

 

[Dadd]

Cringe video with ps4 graphics

 

[Zlaja]

nor have I properly played through Diablo 1 or 2

You should definitely play D1 from start to finish. It has great atmosphere. Preferably at night, while home alone. Real cozy.

I was clocking Goldbox games when I was 10

Good job!

I have 20 stash tabs in PoE!

 

[Arbiter]

Cringe video with ps4 graphics

You are right, but at least it is an improvement over D3.

 

[v1c70r14]

D1 had decent writing, especially the tomes in dungeons voiced by the narrator.

D1 knew what it was - a Robert E. Howard short story with extra gore. The moment Blizzard started expanding the mythos is when it all went to WoW, I mean shit.

Having played both the first game and the second one back to back recently I can confirm that the second game lost the atmosphere and ambience the first one had but this series never had good writing. You're so wrong that you're specifically wrong about the game knowing what it was. Instead of a straightforward plot that would have served the minimalist format, like Robert E. Howard would put together, it's very convoluted and the game is filled with these lore dumps that are badly written. Early on in development the game's plot was to center around a revenge on a bunch of raiders that killed your family, and in the introduction a bit of that remains, someone mentioning bandits or something storming into the church that no longer serve any purpose. The setup for the next game was also there already even if the even stupider things like the high fantasy concept of a world stone wasn't in there yet.



I don't want to shit on Diablo, it's kinda unique in that it offers this high production and more casual distillation of Rogue, but there seems to be a lot of nostalgia around it clouding people's perception of the game. From the very first plans they made for the first game the original creators had the idea to sell you lootboxes and season passes long before we even had words for it. During my playthrough I also encountered the most cringe quest I ever encountered in a video game. The sequel had two things cut due to time and budget constraints; one chapter, which they then tacked on at the end with their expansion, and more online focused content like specific multiplayer hubs. They would have loved the always online MMO shitfest Diablo 4 turned into.

All the Diablo games have about the same writing level, except maybe 3 which was exceptionally bad, but what has changed is that they put more effort into shoving it into your face with more involved delivery systems while in the first two games, and particularly the first, you didn't need to pay much attention to it. After Deckard Cain (stupid name) gave you a ridiculous Sean Connery impression and you started to dive into the dungeon you were probably not going to interact much more with the characters unless you were desperate for more narrative in your barebones roguelike.

None of that means it is a bad game, because who cares about the writing when that's so far from what makes a dungeon crawl satisfying? And thanks to constrictions at the time they couldn't make the game shit with too much focus on the MMO experience.