Diablo 4 Coverage

[Alanar]

When I read the Diablo 4 articles at PCGamer I can't help but wonder if there is an undertone of bias against the game. I'm not arguing there aren't problems...but things like fighting a level 25 boss with a cap of level 20 are obviously only down to the beta limitations.
There is also a sense of wanting to compare the beta to a 10 year old live service game in path of exile. Is it going to be as polished or as deep as poe at launch? Doubtful. But I feel this attitude is why companies increasingly just patch the same game for decades rather than try their hand at sequels. It's higher risk but in my opinion we want to see big titles get sequels rather than yet another expansion or dlc.

I don't mind the critical commentary. That's PCGamer's job. But I think the overall negative tone based on items that are transient within the betas isnt very helpful to the readership. Unless the idea is to push everyone just sticking to the aging titles in the genre.

 

[Colif]

D4 introduced comparisons to POE by having a skill tree very similar to it (though not as insane) and adding end game to a genre that didn't have it before. When you copy from POE, you bound to be compared. Diablo used to be the leader, now they follow.

 

[Rolfil]

Any new ARPG is going to be compared to Path of Exile. Having played the 2nd Beta it's so much slower paced, which might actually be a good thing. You can easily be one shot by something off screen in PoE.

However the skill tree is in no way comparable to Path of Exile. In D4 you pick a class and then specialise it by the skills you choose. The skill tree in PoE can define how much life or energy shield you have, how much of a certain type of damage you do and how your defences work.

For instance this league I played a Explosive Arrow Totem Champion. But there's a similar build built around an Elementalist version. There are builds built around running maps really fast for currency and others that are boss killers. It's so complicated it will give you nightmares

The endgame atlas now also has an atlas tree which allows you to specialise what type of content you want occur more often.

I can't really make my mind up it until it's shipped and I can tell what the crafting and end game looks like. Until then I willing to keep a somewhat open mind.

 

[Alanar]

D4 introduced comparisons to POE by having a skill tree very similar to it (though not as insane) and adding end game to a genre that didn't have it before. When you copy from POE, you bound to be compared. Diablo used to be the leader, now they follow.

Comparisons are fine. The tone of the coverage just seems a bit biased to me. Headlines like "total joke" seem a bit extreme for a stress test beta... especially with some complaints being clearly strictly beta issues like the level cap with the world boss....

 

[Colif]

I didn't read or write article, I was just going from what I have seen.

reviewing a stress test does seem odd.

 

[Frindis]

I can't really make my mind up it until it's shipped and I can tell what the crafting and end game looks like. Until then I willing to keep a somewhat open mind.

It will be interesting to see, especially since it looks to be more complex now with important nodes in different trees for a build. It does remind me a bit of the Grim Dawn star map in how you will have to think about what routes to take and how to minimize cost. As for how complex the game will be, I'm thinking it will land somewhere between Lords of Wolcen and Last Epoch. I'm also hoping that D4 will have end-game crafting somewhat similar to Last Epoch where you can craft your own special legendary that most likely nobody else will be able to have, like perhaps one with both Legendary and Unique effects to it. I don't think so though since it seems uniques will have set affixes.

 

[DXCHASE]

I find critical/negative feedback very useful when pondering a game purchase. I want to know straight up how someone feels about the game, especially from veterans of that genre. As much as people want to argue and disagree with PCG articles like this, those kinds of feedback are absolutely needed.

And any game from any genre thats similar to one in the same genre are always going to get compared because its a point of reference for someone who might know one over the other.

 

[Rolfil]

Now there's been a lot of reviews, mostly very positive and much more information about the game I will purchase it.

The paragon board system in particular looks very interesting, although before the first Season starts I'll probably just finish the campaign and maybe play two classes.

By then a lot of class balancing will have happened. The last thing I want to do is play a build to 100 and find it completely nerfed when the first season starts*

(*very common in Path of Exile....)

 

[Alanar]

Now there's been a lot of reviews, mostly very positive and much more information about the game I will purchase it.

The paragon board system in particular looks very interesting, although before the first Season starts I'll probably just finish the campaign and maybe play two classes.

By then a lot of class balancing will have happened. The last thing I want to do is play a build to 100 and find it completely nerfed when the first season starts*

(*very common in Path of Exile....)

I'm finding the game quite fun, but of course not perfect. I think the PCGamer review in progress speaks to what I was referring to when I started this thread a few weeks ago. I get the sense from reading Tyler Colp's review that Diablo 4 is being held to a much higher standard by PCG than other games I see reviewed here. The tone of the PCG review is littered with over the top language like "insulting" to describe a model that frankly isn't all that different from other games today.

 

[bclimaco61]

...
That other Diablo game which shall remain nameless was meant to be an introduction to the Diablo world to Asian market, so temptation to make it exactly the same must be high. If release order had been different we wouldn't be questioning their actions...

Problem with 10 years between games is you can forget what previous one was like when new one is announced. Unless you been playing seasons in multiplayer, you can only play it so long before you get bored.

Open world sounds interesting, playing stages in your chosen order rather than a set one. Could be good. Not many open areas in previous games, hope its not a big empty world. Videos I seen are very dull, not much color... remembers complaints before D3 being same, they included Whimsyshire as a reply to that then.

Any idea when its meant to be released?

think I know who they copying

Path of Exile. I get a feeling just watching this links below

 

[Colif]

Any idea when its meant to be released?

3 days ago. Or if you paid a little more, a week ago.

its already out. I been playing it a week now.