Return of Diablo, A popular license for exorcism, is at hand.
Activision Blizzard, the company behind the game, has not announced a release date Diablo IV, except sometime in 2023. This would put it about 11 years from the release of Diablo III. It’s a long time to wait between games, but now Blizzard has revealed one part of the upcoming episode in a small preview.
Blizzard’s preview build provided access to most of the game’s original gameplay, although it was limited to three playable classes (Barbarian, Sorceress, and Rogue) with a max character level of 25. (Blizzard says the absolute max level will be 100, and (Most players are expected to finish the campaign around 40-45.)
Courtesy of Activision Blizzard
For the unconverted: Diablo is a third person, dungeon crawler. You choose a group of heroes and blast other demons either in single player or multiplayer. The story has its share of convolutions and complicated characters, but at its core is a battle between good and evil. The powers of Heaven and Hell are locked in a constant power struggle. You play as one of the poor bastards caught among them in the deadly Sanctuary.
Yes, you are not really helpless. The Diablo Franchise has always been a strong fantasy, and Diablo IV it’s not a waste of time to let you kick ass. Within seconds of taking control of your character, you’re freed to destroy enemies and collect loads of loot to become even more powerful.
The Big Bad you are responsible for defeating is Lilith, also known as the Daughter of Hate. As the name implies, Lilith’s influence on the world is cruel and evil. The location of the game reflects this. The light is low, the landscape is scary and broken. The characters you meet vary from restless widows to bloodthirsty murderers. Remnants of ritual sacrifices and other violent riots are everywhere.
Diablo has been calm, but the world of Diablo IV it’s a big change from its predecessors. As several of the game’s developers have repeatedly said in interviews, Diablo IV is the “return to darkness” of the series. Diablo III caught flak for its bright, vivid colors and tone. Diablo IV it wants to drag the franchise back to the macabre. The aesthetics lean more heavily into horror than ever before. The universe has different shades of gray, especially when everything is not blood.
“Darkness is common now,” franchise chief Rod Fergusson says. “This became a fun place to go, to bring Diablo back to its roots.”
John Mueller, Diablo IVThe art director, says the art group looked to the great works of Renaissance art for inspiration. (Think of the right group of Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Pleasures.)
