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Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
Diablo III is a fantasy Action Role-Playing Game (RPG). Only the third major release in what is considered by many gamers as the most iconic RPG franchise of all time, Diablo 3 continues the land of Sanctuary's battle against a reoccurring demonic evil, and provides players around the world with the opportunity to create the ultimate hero to quest against it with friends online, or on their own. Features include: classic dungeon crawling gameplay, a new batch of character classes, multiplayer options with friends and single player support with the help of AI companions, a new take on character skill assignment and health, online item auctioning, and compatibility with Windows and Mac operating systems.
Darkness Falls. Heroes Rise
Two decades have passed since the events of the Diablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion pack, in which the demonic lords, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, set out across the world of Sanctuary on a vicious rampage, twisting humanity to their unholy will. Yet for those who battled the Prime Evils, the memory fades slowly. When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram Cathedral seeking clues to defeat new stirrings of evil, a fiery harbinger of doom falls from the heavens, striking the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. This fire from the sky reawakens ancient evils, but also calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the mortal world against the rising powers of the Burning Hells once again.
The long-awaited third major release in the Diablo saga is finally here.
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Key Game Features
- Rediscover the enthralling RPG gameplay of the iconic Diablo franchises in is first game release in nearly 11 years
- Explore fully realized realms of Sanctuary - the living, breathing gothic fantasy world of Diablo III
- Battle the unholy forces of the Burning Hells with five character classes, including the otherworldly Witch Doctor, or with re-imagined warriors from Diablo's past, like the powerful Barbarian
- Rain hell on your enemies and use the interactive environment as a weapon: lay cunning traps, turn destructible objects against your foes, and use environmental obstacles to your advantage - all powered by the Havok physics system
- Experience the intensity of multiplayer Diablo III over an all-new, wickedly enhanced Battle.net platform with numerous enhancements to make connecting with your friends easier, and cooperative gameplay more fun
- In single player quests utilize up to three AI followers, from three different classes who can be equipped with basic items and leveled up
- Skills and abilities are now automatically unlocked as you level, and players are able to actively use more of them simultaneously than ever before
- Experience a new approach to in-game health as the previous reliance on mana and potions is appended by resource types unique to each class, as well as health globes
- The ability to craft unique items with found objects is drastically improved through association in-game blacksmith and Jeweler artisans
- Sell unique items found within the game for in-game gold or real money via online Auction House functionality
- Win/Mac media format ensures that the game is playable on most operating systems
Additional Screenshots
 5 powerful character classes. View larger |  AI followers in single player. View larger |  Online auction functionality. View larger |  Exciting Versus gameplay. View larger |
Product Description
This world was saved twenty years prior by a handful of unnamed heroes in Diablo II. Warriors that survived the onslaught of the armies of the Burning Hells have gone mad from their ordeals and it is up to a new generation of heroes to face the forces of evil threatening the world of Sanctuary. Players will have the opportunity to explore familiar settings such as Tristram. This game will work on PC or Mac with the one disc that comes in the box.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Fun:
I intend to update this review with additional commentary and possibly star rating tweaks as time goes on .
--- --- ---
>>>OVERALL: Diablo III, in my experience so far, is a graphically polished but fairly bland game. It had great potential, but suffers from overdevelopment and a corporate big-budget / low-risk approach and ends up as a fairly mediocre offering. The DRM, online-only license and the 'WoW-esque' graphics and gameplay (no running, potions minimized, skills with cooldowns, weapons are rated in DPS, etc.) don't really come as a surprise so much as they do a mild disappointment. That being said, it's still fun to prowl the dungeon with your friends, mowing down monsters and incrementally supping up your character with better loot. I think this will be a successful, but ultimately 'meh' RPG. Fun for now, but not something I'll be reminiscing over in years to come. I think many will agree with me that the late 90s were a Golden Age for RPG gaming -- a time when developers were more adventurous in exploring new formulas (or tweaking old ones) and taking chances with setting, style, and targeted demographic. We've left the Golden Age behind. Hollywood and Big Publishing are running the scene now, and while there's still fun to be had, and the games are noisier, more colorful, and grander than ever, the real immersiveness and overall production value have stagnated. Diablo 3 is fun, but for now I have to say it's ultimately forgettable.
>>>COMBAT / GAMEPLAY: simple, but fun. I'm only in the lower levels now, so I'm hoping to get a little more depth. Combat is basically left-click, right-click, and hotkeys 1-4... instead of potions, hotkeys are skills with cooldowns. Sort of like... any MMORPG on the market! This is to be expected. Combat is simple and intuitive, but I think D3 suffers from jettisoning potions, running/walking, and going to a cooldown-based skill system. The health globes are convenient, but they definitely give the game a more childish, side-scroller type of feel, which is in stark contrast to its darker backstory and Mature rating. The difficulty curve is more forgiving than in D1 / D2. Combat seems much more scripted, randomization is reduced, and boss fights are semi-choreographed, which does actually reward strategic gameplay, but not really at the level that was claimed. Combat in general is simple and patience pays more than true strategy. The lack of 'danger', in addition to the cartoonish voice acting, make this less of an immersive 'dungeon crawler' and more of your run-of-the-mill MMO adventure/grindfest, which seems to be the commercially superior model these days.
>>>ITEMS / GEAR / CRAFTING: there is a lot of gear in D3. Too much, you might say. Within an hour of beginning, you'll have changed your gloves, pants, belt, shirt, boots, shield, weapon, and helmet multiple times. Cloth pants, 5 defense. Cloth pants, 6 defense. Cloth pants, 7 defense. Is this really necessary? Yes, Diablo 1 and 2 had a veritable glut of equipment overall. But somehow, getting a new piece of equipment made a tangible DIFFERENCE. There is so much gear in D3, and of such incremental benefit, that gear loses the special appeal it used to have. Even World of Warcraft's gear felt more meaningful than that of D3. I'm hoping this changes as I get higher up and rely more on unique items, but then I have to worry that I'll be crippled if I don't shell out real money on the auction house. The crafting aspect is cool, and I like the addition of this mechanic to the Diablo formula, but it smacks of subscription-based MMORPG crafting, which was largely a time/resources sink to keep players investing countless hours (and subscription months) on top of their actual gameplay hours.
>>>SKILLS / CUSTOMIZATION: you get a skill point each level, but from what I've read/experienced, your 'skill point' each level is really an illusion. There's only one skill to enhance for each of the earlier levels, and later, there are only a few runestones to shift. Customization isn't a commitment, just an adjustment. There's nothing to lose or gain by going one way or another -- it does make for more fun with tweaking and re-tweaking your character to meet challenges, but a consequence is that it reduces my commitment to the character. Having this sort of setup means you're not going to be unique in your build -- and that means you're going to be more generic, and so will everyone else. Even playing with multiple classes in the party, it really seemed like the differences were mainly cosmetic, with some token mechanical differences (ranged vs. close range, but the maximum range is only 10 yards anyway and there's no running, so is it really that different?)
>>>MUSIC / SOUND / VOICE: Musically, the score is solid but doesn't mesh with the previous games in the series, aside from the install screen music, which is reminiscent of the Tristram theme music from Diablo I and II and sounds amazing. The score is going for that 'epic' feel but sort of comes off as generic. No offense to the composer -- you did a decent job -- but it lacks the atmospheric flair of the original Diablo or the catchy stylized themes from Diablo II. Sound effects are okay, nothing special. Voice acting is absurd. Skeleton King and NPCs in Act I a case in point. Good lord. Compare the Skeleton King's lines in D3 to Diablo or Mephisto's lines from D2. See the difference? Diablo 3's voice acting is excessive and vaudevillian to Diablo 2's atmospheric minimalism.
SOCIAL / DRM / ONLINE: Blizzard did a pretty good job making it easy to find and add your friends, and to invite them to your party/game. A big disappointment, though, is the failure to include voice chat. What the heck? Even 5 years ago, a console game could take voice chat for granted. Blizzard should have seen the value of voice chat when hundreds of thousands (millions?) of their WoW subscribers turned to Ventrilo or Skype or other similar applications to support voice chat between party members. I'm disappointed with this being left out of Diablo 3, especially since it's online-only. If it's online-only, we're supposed to be playing with friends. If we're playing with friends, let us talk! Chat isn't as important in single player, but then if we're going to play solo, why make us have an internet connection? Pretty weak.
--- --- ---
>>>OVERALL: Diablo III, in my experience so far, is a graphically polished but fairly bland game. It had great potential, but suffers from overdevelopment and a corporate big-budget / low-risk approach and ends up as a fairly mediocre offering. The DRM, online-only license and the 'WoW-esque' graphics and gameplay (no running, potions minimized, skills with cooldowns, weapons are rated in DPS, etc.) don't really come as a surprise so much as they do a mild disappointment. That being said, it's still fun to prowl the dungeon with your friends, mowing down monsters and incrementally supping up your character with better loot. I think this will be a successful, but ultimately 'meh' RPG. Fun for now, but not something I'll be reminiscing over in years to come. I think many will agree with me that the late 90s were a Golden Age for RPG gaming -- a time when developers were more adventurous in exploring new formulas (or tweaking old ones) and taking chances with setting, style, and targeted demographic. We've left the Golden Age behind. Hollywood and Big Publishing are running the scene now, and while there's still fun to be had, and the games are noisier, more colorful, and grander than ever, the real immersiveness and overall production value have stagnated. Diablo 3 is fun, but for now I have to say it's ultimately forgettable.
>>>COMBAT / GAMEPLAY: simple, but fun. I'm only in the lower levels now, so I'm hoping to get a little more depth. Combat is basically left-click, right-click, and hotkeys 1-4... instead of potions, hotkeys are skills with cooldowns. Sort of like... any MMORPG on the market! This is to be expected. Combat is simple and intuitive, but I think D3 suffers from jettisoning potions, running/walking, and going to a cooldown-based skill system. The health globes are convenient, but they definitely give the game a more childish, side-scroller type of feel, which is in stark contrast to its darker backstory and Mature rating. The difficulty curve is more forgiving than in D1 / D2. Combat seems much more scripted, randomization is reduced, and boss fights are semi-choreographed, which does actually reward strategic gameplay, but not really at the level that was claimed. Combat in general is simple and patience pays more than true strategy. The lack of 'danger', in addition to the cartoonish voice acting, make this less of an immersive 'dungeon crawler' and more of your run-of-the-mill MMO adventure/grindfest, which seems to be the commercially superior model these days.
>>>ITEMS / GEAR / CRAFTING: there is a lot of gear in D3. Too much, you might say. Within an hour of beginning, you'll have changed your gloves, pants, belt, shirt, boots, shield, weapon, and helmet multiple times. Cloth pants, 5 defense. Cloth pants, 6 defense. Cloth pants, 7 defense. Is this really necessary? Yes, Diablo 1 and 2 had a veritable glut of equipment overall. But somehow, getting a new piece of equipment made a tangible DIFFERENCE. There is so much gear in D3, and of such incremental benefit, that gear loses the special appeal it used to have. Even World of Warcraft's gear felt more meaningful than that of D3. I'm hoping this changes as I get higher up and rely more on unique items, but then I have to worry that I'll be crippled if I don't shell out real money on the auction house. The crafting aspect is cool, and I like the addition of this mechanic to the Diablo formula, but it smacks of subscription-based MMORPG crafting, which was largely a time/resources sink to keep players investing countless hours (and subscription months) on top of their actual gameplay hours.
>>>SKILLS / CUSTOMIZATION: you get a skill point each level, but from what I've read/experienced, your 'skill point' each level is really an illusion. There's only one skill to enhance for each of the earlier levels, and later, there are only a few runestones to shift. Customization isn't a commitment, just an adjustment. There's nothing to lose or gain by going one way or another -- it does make for more fun with tweaking and re-tweaking your character to meet challenges, but a consequence is that it reduces my commitment to the character. Having this sort of setup means you're not going to be unique in your build -- and that means you're going to be more generic, and so will everyone else. Even playing with multiple classes in the party, it really seemed like the differences were mainly cosmetic, with some token mechanical differences (ranged vs. close range, but the maximum range is only 10 yards anyway and there's no running, so is it really that different?)
>>>MUSIC / SOUND / VOICE: Musically, the score is solid but doesn't mesh with the previous games in the series, aside from the install screen music, which is reminiscent of the Tristram theme music from Diablo I and II and sounds amazing. The score is going for that 'epic' feel but sort of comes off as generic. No offense to the composer -- you did a decent job -- but it lacks the atmospheric flair of the original Diablo or the catchy stylized themes from Diablo II. Sound effects are okay, nothing special. Voice acting is absurd. Skeleton King and NPCs in Act I a case in point. Good lord. Compare the Skeleton King's lines in D3 to Diablo or Mephisto's lines from D2. See the difference? Diablo 3's voice acting is excessive and vaudevillian to Diablo 2's atmospheric minimalism.
SOCIAL / DRM / ONLINE: Blizzard did a pretty good job making it easy to find and add your friends, and to invite them to your party/game. A big disappointment, though, is the failure to include voice chat. What the heck? Even 5 years ago, a console game could take voice chat for granted. Blizzard should have seen the value of voice chat when hundreds of thousands (millions?) of their WoW subscribers turned to Ventrilo or Skype or other similar applications to support voice chat between party members. I'm disappointed with this being left out of Diablo 3, especially since it's online-only. If it's online-only, we're supposed to be playing with friends. If we're playing with friends, let us talk! Chat isn't as important in single player, but then if we're going to play solo, why make us have an internet connection? Pretty weak.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
WoW Meets Diablo in a Single-Player/MMO Hybrid, with the Advantages and Disadvantages of Both
May 16, 2012
Fun:
I really want to rate this game higher than a 3, but some core features limit its appeal.
Unlike previous Diablo outtings, this not a single player game. It is a MMO/single-player hybrid. In order to play, you must maintain a constant connection to the battle.net servers. While this sounds fine in theory, it means if your internet connection is less than ideal, you face the possibility of being unable to use abilities because of lag or (much worse) being kicked from the game. Being kicked from Diablo 3 is especially frustrating for the reason below:
Unlike a "real" MMO, when you are kicked from Diablo 3 your quest progress is only partially saved and you are sent back to the start of the area. A spell of lag during a boss fight means you might very well be booted all the way back to town. While there are teleporters available to get you closer to your objective, people with unpredictable connections are likely to be very frustrated. As of this writing, 15 seconds of lag or so is usually enough to get booted. (This is ignoring the various issues that have plagued the Battle.net servers since the game's release, which obviously magnifies the problem.)
The actual multi-player is a mixed bag. There are some significant improvements from previous Diablo games and from WoW: all loot is individual (no rolling for gear or fighting over who gets to pick up an item, if you see it, it's yours). However, it is not possible to search for games to join directly. Being kicked from a game in progress means that unless you know the global names of the players you were teamed with, you are unable to rejoin that specific game. That means, again, if you are halfway through a quest and get booted, the next game you join probably means doing everything over again (although you do get to keep your items and experience).
Seemingly gone from the game entirely are stats, specs, skill trees or anything that would resemble character customization. Your character gets 6 spells or abilities, of which there are approximately 8 variations. Some of these variations change the power drastically, others change the power in a modest way. For example, one of the Wizard's Magic Missile variations simply improves the damage of Magic Missile. You are able to swap your powers around at almost any time. New variations of powers automatically unlocked as you level. Because of this, there is seemingly little reason to play through Diablo 3 more than once per class, because once powers are unlocked you can switch to them at any time. While this alleviates some of the frustration of Diablo 2's over-complex build system,it may limit replay value and sense of ownership for the player.
Previous Diablo games did not allow customization of the player-avatar, but that was more understandable due to the use of sprites instead of 3-d models. Diablo 3 is entirely 3-D, but you still must play using the pre-designed models. You are not even allowed to recolor hair/skin or add/remove beards, which at least would have established a bare minimum of ownership.
Graphics and sound are good, occcasionally exceptional. Fights are fluid and fun overall. Assuming there is no lag, the game responds fluidly to player inputs. Each act of the game is fairly long. Unlike previous Diablos, a significant number of "drop in" on you using creative animations (e.g. skeletons climbing up the sides of the maze).
Combat now includes the possibility of interacting with the environment in limited ways. For example, you can cut the cord on chandliers to drop them on enemy's heads, or knock supporting pilons out, causing walls to crumble on enemies. Although these moments in some ways have a tendency to feel "scripted" the animations involved are stunning.
Among the best improvements versus D1 and 2 are a significant reduction in "inventory Tetris" and potion management mini-games. It is also often far less required that the player return to town to restock on gear. Arrows are infinite. There are no "mana potions" as mana returns on its own fairly quickly or via abilities.
Should you buy Diablo 3? It depends on what $60 is worth to you. Overall I think there is a pretty good game in there trying to get out. Blizzard is known for post-release tweaks, so its possible several issues may get patched up. However, as of release date, the game could stand some improvement.
Unlike previous Diablo outtings, this not a single player game. It is a MMO/single-player hybrid. In order to play, you must maintain a constant connection to the battle.net servers. While this sounds fine in theory, it means if your internet connection is less than ideal, you face the possibility of being unable to use abilities because of lag or (much worse) being kicked from the game. Being kicked from Diablo 3 is especially frustrating for the reason below:
Unlike a "real" MMO, when you are kicked from Diablo 3 your quest progress is only partially saved and you are sent back to the start of the area. A spell of lag during a boss fight means you might very well be booted all the way back to town. While there are teleporters available to get you closer to your objective, people with unpredictable connections are likely to be very frustrated. As of this writing, 15 seconds of lag or so is usually enough to get booted. (This is ignoring the various issues that have plagued the Battle.net servers since the game's release, which obviously magnifies the problem.)
The actual multi-player is a mixed bag. There are some significant improvements from previous Diablo games and from WoW: all loot is individual (no rolling for gear or fighting over who gets to pick up an item, if you see it, it's yours). However, it is not possible to search for games to join directly. Being kicked from a game in progress means that unless you know the global names of the players you were teamed with, you are unable to rejoin that specific game. That means, again, if you are halfway through a quest and get booted, the next game you join probably means doing everything over again (although you do get to keep your items and experience).
Seemingly gone from the game entirely are stats, specs, skill trees or anything that would resemble character customization. Your character gets 6 spells or abilities, of which there are approximately 8 variations. Some of these variations change the power drastically, others change the power in a modest way. For example, one of the Wizard's Magic Missile variations simply improves the damage of Magic Missile. You are able to swap your powers around at almost any time. New variations of powers automatically unlocked as you level. Because of this, there is seemingly little reason to play through Diablo 3 more than once per class, because once powers are unlocked you can switch to them at any time. While this alleviates some of the frustration of Diablo 2's over-complex build system,it may limit replay value and sense of ownership for the player.
Previous Diablo games did not allow customization of the player-avatar, but that was more understandable due to the use of sprites instead of 3-d models. Diablo 3 is entirely 3-D, but you still must play using the pre-designed models. You are not even allowed to recolor hair/skin or add/remove beards, which at least would have established a bare minimum of ownership.
Graphics and sound are good, occcasionally exceptional. Fights are fluid and fun overall. Assuming there is no lag, the game responds fluidly to player inputs. Each act of the game is fairly long. Unlike previous Diablos, a significant number of "drop in" on you using creative animations (e.g. skeletons climbing up the sides of the maze).
Combat now includes the possibility of interacting with the environment in limited ways. For example, you can cut the cord on chandliers to drop them on enemy's heads, or knock supporting pilons out, causing walls to crumble on enemies. Although these moments in some ways have a tendency to feel "scripted" the animations involved are stunning.
Among the best improvements versus D1 and 2 are a significant reduction in "inventory Tetris" and potion management mini-games. It is also often far less required that the player return to town to restock on gear. Arrows are infinite. There are no "mana potions" as mana returns on its own fairly quickly or via abilities.
Should you buy Diablo 3? It depends on what $60 is worth to you. Overall I think there is a pretty good game in there trying to get out. Blizzard is known for post-release tweaks, so its possible several issues may get patched up. However, as of release date, the game could stand some improvement.
202 of 262 people found the following review helpful
Fun:
Gone are the days when people could buy a game, install it, and play the single player mode. Diablo 3 requires internet connection to play. Just like World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2, Diablo 3 will have maintenance "down time" every week during which players won't be allowed to play. Diablo 3 is also going through a pathetic launch where 80% of people who purchased the game cannot even log on.
As bad as these statements sound, I choose not to belittle Diablo 3 based on frustration and disappointment caused by server launch problems. After all, Diablo 3 is the most pre-ordered PC game in the history. It would have been a crazy achievement for Blizzard to meet the server demands on Day 1.
But the sad part is, Blizzard DID have the time and resources to prepare. The beta test for Diablo 3 lasted forever, and during the open beta weekend, during which servers crashed left and right, Blizzard responded by saying that the purpose of the open beta was to stress the servers. Well, they did. So why couldn't they fix the problem before the launch?
Beyond the initial server problems, Diablo 3 remains a shallow shell of a former greatness. The 4 acts are blatant rip-offs of the 4 acts from Diablo 2, albeit different names. Five heroes, same mouse clicking, same gameplay, etc. It should be obvious to everyone that Diablo 3 development team studied Diablo 2 extensively. They chose not to derive too far away from the core of the great Diablo 2, which sold 12 million copies worldwide. So why did they fail? Why am I not enjoying this game nearly as much as I did with Diablo 2?
Diablo 3 and the new Battle.net are integrated into a synonymous service. Battle.net 2.0, introduced with Starcraft 2, still functions in the same way for Diablo 3, and I have same beefs with it.
Online PC games are supposed to be chatty. Console gamers don't have keyboards, because they are accessories. PC gamers all have keyboards. Therefore, it would seem only natural that a greater emphasis should be put into accommodating chat functionalities for PC games. Battle.net 2.0 does not endorse that. After 12 years, you can still log on Diablo 2, join a busy chat channel, and have conversations with people whom you've never met before. In Diablo 3, it is much more difficult to achieve that. It's actually hilarious, that Diablo 3 awards players for so many achievements, like "killing many monsters with a single blow," but they forgot to allow players to achieve "chatting with other players to boost online gameplay experience." The chat box is ridiculously small, hard to read, and filled with NPCs talking. There are only 6-7 public chat channels, which are barren and empty. I don't blame other people. I miss chat like hell but these public chat channels aren't really functional. They are just there because people whined about chat support. So Blizzard threw in chat support. "There you go gamers, now are you happy?" No, because some idiots designed it. How do I describe it to people who haven't played Diablo 2 or other old Blizzard games? It's like you going to your old favorite restaurant, whining that the menu changed, the waiter giving you the old menu, but the new chef not knowing how to cook off the old menu.
New Battle.net is completely centralized and gives players zero freedom. You can't even name your own game! Diablo 2 game names were limited to only about ~12 characters, but these 12 characters served so many functions thanks to the collective creativity of gamers. Now the only thing I can do is to join a random public game based on the quest I'm on. Battle.net will then randomly assign me to a game where 3 other players are doing the same quest. In Diablo 2, the system did not restrict players to do certain things. You make games, you join games, and you do the things you wanted to do. In Diablo 3, the only similarities you will share with the 3 other people in public games are the quest progress. So you do the quest, over and over and over and over. I've played Diablo 2 for years and had fun. I can't imagine myself doing these boring, uninspired quests over and over and over and over. There is no way.
Another big issue I have with this game is dialogue. I've started to become worried when they introduced the monk and the demon hunter. The trailers for them were so hilariously bad that I dared to question Blizzard's ability to make a good game. I know, right? Questioning the great Blizzard.... But right about now, that doesn't sound so crazy anymore. The dialogue for this game is totally bust. It's filled with cliche like "I am justice itself!" Oh my god, I shudder every time I hear another cliche in Blizzard game. Diablo 3 dialogue is almost as bad as Starcraft 2 dialogue. I'm sure the same people are responsible for their "contribution."
Just to amuse you guys, in Starcraft 2, in the FIRST MISSION, some random civilion comes to you and says something like this. "Oh no, everyone is dead. My neighbors... my family... Fight to the hell!" I couldn't believe it. Whoever wrote that actually put NEIGHBORS before FAMILY. Blizzard games are now filled with bad scripts that make me question their target age group. Are they trying to sell a rated M for mature game to children?
As bad as these statements sound, I choose not to belittle Diablo 3 based on frustration and disappointment caused by server launch problems. After all, Diablo 3 is the most pre-ordered PC game in the history. It would have been a crazy achievement for Blizzard to meet the server demands on Day 1.
But the sad part is, Blizzard DID have the time and resources to prepare. The beta test for Diablo 3 lasted forever, and during the open beta weekend, during which servers crashed left and right, Blizzard responded by saying that the purpose of the open beta was to stress the servers. Well, they did. So why couldn't they fix the problem before the launch?
Beyond the initial server problems, Diablo 3 remains a shallow shell of a former greatness. The 4 acts are blatant rip-offs of the 4 acts from Diablo 2, albeit different names. Five heroes, same mouse clicking, same gameplay, etc. It should be obvious to everyone that Diablo 3 development team studied Diablo 2 extensively. They chose not to derive too far away from the core of the great Diablo 2, which sold 12 million copies worldwide. So why did they fail? Why am I not enjoying this game nearly as much as I did with Diablo 2?
Diablo 3 and the new Battle.net are integrated into a synonymous service. Battle.net 2.0, introduced with Starcraft 2, still functions in the same way for Diablo 3, and I have same beefs with it.
Online PC games are supposed to be chatty. Console gamers don't have keyboards, because they are accessories. PC gamers all have keyboards. Therefore, it would seem only natural that a greater emphasis should be put into accommodating chat functionalities for PC games. Battle.net 2.0 does not endorse that. After 12 years, you can still log on Diablo 2, join a busy chat channel, and have conversations with people whom you've never met before. In Diablo 3, it is much more difficult to achieve that. It's actually hilarious, that Diablo 3 awards players for so many achievements, like "killing many monsters with a single blow," but they forgot to allow players to achieve "chatting with other players to boost online gameplay experience." The chat box is ridiculously small, hard to read, and filled with NPCs talking. There are only 6-7 public chat channels, which are barren and empty. I don't blame other people. I miss chat like hell but these public chat channels aren't really functional. They are just there because people whined about chat support. So Blizzard threw in chat support. "There you go gamers, now are you happy?" No, because some idiots designed it. How do I describe it to people who haven't played Diablo 2 or other old Blizzard games? It's like you going to your old favorite restaurant, whining that the menu changed, the waiter giving you the old menu, but the new chef not knowing how to cook off the old menu.
New Battle.net is completely centralized and gives players zero freedom. You can't even name your own game! Diablo 2 game names were limited to only about ~12 characters, but these 12 characters served so many functions thanks to the collective creativity of gamers. Now the only thing I can do is to join a random public game based on the quest I'm on. Battle.net will then randomly assign me to a game where 3 other players are doing the same quest. In Diablo 2, the system did not restrict players to do certain things. You make games, you join games, and you do the things you wanted to do. In Diablo 3, the only similarities you will share with the 3 other people in public games are the quest progress. So you do the quest, over and over and over and over. I've played Diablo 2 for years and had fun. I can't imagine myself doing these boring, uninspired quests over and over and over and over. There is no way.
Another big issue I have with this game is dialogue. I've started to become worried when they introduced the monk and the demon hunter. The trailers for them were so hilariously bad that I dared to question Blizzard's ability to make a good game. I know, right? Questioning the great Blizzard.... But right about now, that doesn't sound so crazy anymore. The dialogue for this game is totally bust. It's filled with cliche like "I am justice itself!" Oh my god, I shudder every time I hear another cliche in Blizzard game. Diablo 3 dialogue is almost as bad as Starcraft 2 dialogue. I'm sure the same people are responsible for their "contribution."
Just to amuse you guys, in Starcraft 2, in the FIRST MISSION, some random civilion comes to you and says something like this. "Oh no, everyone is dead. My neighbors... my family... Fight to the hell!" I couldn't believe it. Whoever wrote that actually put NEIGHBORS before FAMILY. Blizzard games are now filled with bad scripts that make me question their target age group. Are they trying to sell a rated M for mature game to children?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
One of the few games that has ever lived up to all of the hype.
The first four hours alone have been the most fun I've had playing any game in years. For all of those worried about the servers being down, simply wait a few days and buy the... Read more
Published 7 minutes ago by franknwh
Holy Crapola-fest Batman!!
Thank all that is good and holy I got this steaming pile of you-know-what for free. I will only say 1 thing to sum up my review: 12 years, and THIS is the best you can do??
Published 14 minutes ago by Nick
Trying to Re-invent the Wheel
My first impression of Diablo 3 was that it was a good attempt to further the franchise. The game is a little bland but the main problems arise from their attempt to socialize an... Read more
Published 15 minutes ago by G. Roberts
Need Internet connection... not going to spend the money then
I was/ am a fan of the Diablo series, meaning Diablo 1 & 2. After reading some reviews here on Amazon I have decided not to buy this game. Read more
Published 27 minutes ago by Brian King
Thank god I didn't pay for it
I've been a WoW player for 3 years. I have been bored with it for a long time. Constant quest/gear/level/material grinding isn't fun, and I was excited to play Diablo to get away... Read more
Published 30 minutes ago by Gleefulevil
ripoff
Well I what an idiot I was to at least try this "you have to be online to play garbage" from Blizzard. Read more
Published 33 minutes ago by Carl W. Taitano
Great Game
Aside from the initial problems that some people are facing Diablo 3 is a good game. It has a dark gritty style that pays homage to the original games. Read more
Published 36 minutes ago by CuzMikDontTalkAbout
Drm is a terribad idea
The makers of Diablo 3 failed so terribly with their inclusion of over done drm.
I am disappointed with any game company who would suck all enjoyment out of their title with... Read more
I am disappointed with any game company who would suck all enjoyment out of their title with... Read more
Published 42 minutes ago by Nick the tall
You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it.
Blizzard did me a favor. They made a crappy game so that nobody else will play and the server will be open for me. JK.
Reading the reviews saved me $60. Read more
Reading the reviews saved me $60. Read more
Published 47 minutes ago by Discovery Counseling
5 Stars let it Be known
This game is a reborn classic in the Gaming world. The Changes are a First with the RMAH or the regular AH DRM online only access. The story is well done Blizzard Quality. Read more
Published 1 hour ago by Jolly
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