Diablo 4 Steam Free Weekend (but not really, just trial with level 20 cap) First Impression.
I dont want to spend 20 minutes making a long review like i always did with image and everything. I just want to take this opportunity to install and play diablo 4 from start.
Pro:
1. CG Cinematic and Ingame cutscenes are top notch. Although it have some sense of goth, it doesnt have the mysterious feeling like diablo 2. You immediately shown full body of Lilith the moment you finish the prologue, making she felt just like Kerrigan from Starcraft game.
2. A dodge button? I dunno if i should appreciate this button with 4 second or not. I have played another game with less delay, and it felt more fluid and balanced. Although I appreciated now Diablo 4 have fully controller support on pc (despite diablo 3 exist on switch / console last time iirc).
3. Sound effect. Perhaps i didnt realize how crisp the sound here than other previous entries. I was playing with rogue, so the dagger and bow both feel impactful, especially when it hit the enemies.
Meh :
1. I feel like Im getting older. The game doesnt have dopamine kick like D3 or D:I in immediate effect and since you need to assign / respec your skill point, making it abit tedious to new skill. Sure it is low cost, because it still annoying.
2. Vast open world map. Again, compare to D3 or D:I feel like D4 is a bit MMOARPG-ish especially when you seeing other player in town hub. It always a dream for me, but I couldnt unlock mount immediately thus every feel like sloth journey / backtracking
3. Gameplay loop. I dunno what i expect from ARPG atm. I kill monster, I collect stuff, I switch gear if it higher number then i sell stuff at NPC. But city remain useless at low level where vendor have no new item (or too expensive to purchase) most of the the game.
Con :
1. Graphic. Im not fan of dark and hyper realistic, despite ppl might find d3 too cartoony. For me it is just too clutter especially with enemy particles effect is less telegraphed combined with floor vomit effect. Biggest offender is the absolute huge amount of fogs effect.
2. Side activities. Kinda weird that Im a person who love to clear map markers hate the renown system in diablo 4. It is not i hate it, but because of vast size of the map, lacked of fast travel points and lack of mount, made me just skip through all main story quest.
3. Biggest offender is definitely how blizzard did the trial. Diablo 3 maybe did a short run to King Leoric fight but it feel like a straight forward journey. My game was abrupted forced to quit when i was middle of quest, as i reached level 20. Bad demo. And you have alot of content available before level 20 that you couldnt do because you get kicked out.
Hours played : 5 hours
Verdict : Really, i think i will wait 50% off with next expansion tbh.
I rather stick with rogue-lite which can give me dopamine rush at faster rate and the grinding is shorter.
EDITED :
I have done the unthinkable, I have reinstall D3 again
It was a game i have play casually once a time to on specific season (2023 mark 10 years i guess?)
And considering, this is last season i have decided to just do the seasonal challenge again.
But anyway, the point i wanted to make is to share what i feel starting from scratch in d3 until end of king leoric fight.
I finished the boss at around level 15, so technically i could finish whole act 1 if i want to.
1. Game give you more skill slots / option from the start.
By level 4, you already get your 3rd skill. Less mundane to play around, unless you dodge button as "active skill". Most of the skill rune modification are impactful and really change how the skill work
2. Im not sure it fair to compare rogue to monk for fast-paced class comparison (i think demon hunter is better comparison) but i have more blast zooming around and delivering powerful AoE blow. Surely there is slow downturn when you fight the boss and the game can feel relatively easy, you have more difficulty option in base d3 than d4 world tier at least for sure.
3. Beat-to-beat D3 is much much faster. Again, im not sure it is fair comparison since I was trying to immerse with story / atmosphere in D4 while in D3 im trying to rush through campaign with my previous 10 years experience. Regardless, it feel like "walking simulator" in D3 than vast open world D4, which is a plus for me for first impression.
4. And there is hireling at start of the D3? I totally forgot about them and how they as addition to your gameplay. If you lacked survivability, then templar added big chunk of defensive option. Only struggled part i faced in D4 was running out of potions fighting boss or getting crowd controlled to death.
5. Speaking of crowd-control, the elite and champion here have more telegraphed ability, mainly the fire and ice explosion on the floor (i havent found the spinning laser yet). D4 visual is very clutter despite people said it is better graphic overall. I have issue trying to distinct too many objects on the the screen, so i appreciated D3 clarity more (despite ppl find it over saturated).
Uh, kinda funny that Im jumping back to D3. I do admit D3 doesnt have good endgame customization or game is too easy, the fun factor & dopamine for me is the main reason why I enjoyed D3 so much. Sure, it will make you only short time before reaching the boring gameplay loop at the end, but as someone who lacked free time & enjoy jumping from one game to another, D3 is perfect leisure game for me.
Expect less game review from me for next couple of weeks lol.