Diablo 3 of today is very different from the version that launched in 2012. The story of that game is one of severe teething pain; About the controversial (and quickly scrapped) Auction House, and about the much-needed Loot 2.0 redesign for the 2014 Reaper of Souls expansion, however, Diablo 3 has since gone from strength to power. one power to another. The game introduced a new and exciting class to combine 2015 builds with Kanai’s Cube, allowing players to extract and retrofit legendary powers. And since then, we’ve also seen the arrival of the Necromancer class, new legendary items and sets, a few new modes, and a few new demon slaying locations.
Diablo 3 is now ten years old and not only millions of people are still playing (Rod Fergusson told us in this interview), but its identity has evolved to become a game that is – first and foremost – all about entertainment. The last expansion may have been a while, but Blizzard continues to release new gameplay-focused Seasons with new toys designed to give players even more ways to have fun. Diablo 3 is now a celebration of itself, the players and what you can achieve, no matter what class you choose.
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The upcoming 27th season “Light’s Calling” – streaming on August 26, 5 p.m. PDT – is a prime example of that, as it will introduce a new item called Angelic Crucibles. These consumables can give any legendary item the perfect reels (handy for running high level Greater Rifts) as well as add one of three new bonuses that vary by game specific class . With seven classes, that’s 21 brand new legendary powers that open potential flood gates built with all the power of a two-handed Mighty Weapon.
As for Barbarians, Hammer of the Ancients can hit in all directions and create a shockwave that fills the screen dealing massive damage. Demon Hunter’s Strafe can use hatred spending abilities like Multishot. For the Necromancer, the Army of the Dead skill can automatically attack all enemies within 50 yards. The list goes on, and if you’re like me, someone who’s been poring over the theory and collection of Diablo 3 builds for years, it’s fun and exciting stuff.
When you consume the Angelic Crucible, the legendary item also turns ethereal white, becoming divine. You can only equip one divine item at a time – this puts the focus on these new powers for Season 27. The great thing about the new powers, though, is that they’re not limited to just one. specific construction or gameplay. That and they are really, really powerful. This is crazy. We’re talking fireworks that melt screen-filling demons that are superior even for Diablo 3. I’m the type of player who loves nothing more than a Diablo light show, so that’s the thing. that’s saying something.
Messing with Barbarians, Necromancers, and Demon Hunters in the PTR, experimenting with new seasonal themes, and deified items leaves me wanting nothing more than to go back to classes I haven’t played in a while. Watching Hammer of the Ancients unleash a massive shockwave that filled the screen was so satisfying, it brought something new to a skill I’d never actually used. Combining that with Hammer of the Ancients’ attack speed and key items is what makes Diablo 3 so much more interesting. Stack the numbers, percentages here, there and everywhere, and use the right legendary gems to send those damage numbers into the stratosphere.
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Likewise, the power of the Necromancer and the Army of the Dead took the idea of commanding an army of undead warriors and made it a free display for all. What was once an activated skill occasionally automatically targeted monsters in a way that amplified the ‘pet-making’ idea of just running around and watching the carnage unfold. For Demon Hunter, watching Strafe shoot Multishot after Multishot is equally satisfying.
Combine this with Season 26’s addition of Echoing Nightmares, a new mob mode that’s now a major feature of the game, and Season 27 really delivers on the promise of pure, pure fun. And that’s because Echoing Nightmare makes the whole boost a relatively pleasant experience (buffs for items with basic stats like strength or dex), so you can tackle Greater Faster high level rifts with stronger gear.
In the Diablo community, excitement for Season 27 is clearly visible, but if you’re new to Diablo 3 right now, you’ll discover a game that’s been designed to fit in with its human base. Its existing, continuous play. In Diablo 3, creep power was very, very real, and while that is indeed a good thing for those of us who get into each season, it’s not necessarily ideal for everyone else. Level cap and max difficulty can be reached after a day or two; The path from humble Nephalem to unstoppable demon-slaying superhero on fast-forward mega thanks to a few simple items.
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Season 27 and Patch 2.7.4 will continue to power up, with overhauled bonuses for Crusader and Necromancer to make some of their respective builds more viable late game. The revamped Death Nova set for the Necromancer in particular is not only powerful and tailor-made for speed, but is also a visual pleasure to boot. The constant move towards greater power may sound almost absurd, but it is actually quite astonishing. Aside from the fact that premium damage is now in the trillions, it plays a role in making Diablo 3 in 2022 interesting, while also showing that buffs could be a better option for nerfs. . Raising the weaker options up to the level of others helps level the playing field and ultimately adds variety. And with Diablo 3’s instant, explosive, and engaging combat, fueled by a powerful combination of skills, legendary items, setup items, passive abilities, gems, and other elements. Another factor, diversity is the spice of life in Sanctuary.
It must be said, however, that talking about Diablo 3 with this enthusiasm, shortly after Blizzard released the first new game in the series in years, is a bit odd. As a longtime Diablo player and fan, Diablo 3’s upcoming Season 27 excites me more than anything in the current Diablo Immortal roadmap. This is not to say that Diablo Immortal needs to be more like Diablo 3 and rely on the idea of power-creep – by the way, I would argue Diablo 4 is more like Diablo 2, but compare D3’s Patch 2.7. new Immortal season, and well, the difference couldn’t be more obvious.
On the one hand, you have an update that celebrates the game and the player base. It introduces some surprisingly fun new gameplay while focusing on making new and exciting game-changing builds. Meanwhile, in Diablo Immortal, seasonal rewards come in very little and barely affect players who already understand the game’s paragon system well. And other than that, there’s a new boss locked behind a super high arbitrary battle rating, and there’s no way to earn legendary gems to boost said rating without spending tons of money. It’s hard to understand.
So for many Diablo fans, the wait for Diablo 4 will not be eased by Immortal. It will be spent in the warm embrace of a game that only gets better with age, Diablo 3.
Kosta Andreadis is an Australian musician and freelancer. wrote this lengthy Diablo flashback. Check out his tunes and Follow him on Twitter.
