[Grisham]

Diablo IV Critic Reviews

Diablo IV has been reviewed by 173 critics and currently has a 'Mighty' rating. Read and browse them all to learn what the top critics in the video game industry are saying.

opencritic.com

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[Nikana]

 

[regawdless]

Good job @Théoden King

 

[JORMBO]

I was waiting for reviews to drop. I will put in a preorder for this now. Looks like fun.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Have we found out what kinds of microtransactions they'll be including at launch?

 

[CloudNull]

2023 is shaping up to be one of the best gaming years in a long time. The post covid boom.

 

[Calcium]

About what I was expecting review wise. Looking forward to this weekend to see how I like it in Hell.

 

[Hostile_18]

I have been on media blackout but what's the max coop size? Might be the first game we could get some coop action going.

I'm definitely up for some games as long as there isn't huge character level discrepancies.

 

[Grisham]

2023 is shaping up to be one of the best gaming years in a long time. The post covid boom.

 

[Bolivar]

There's been a problem for the last ten or so years that marquee PC games tend to get outstanding review scores as long as they're polished. However, the average mainstream game reviewer does not understand the series, genre, or platform well enough to gauge how a diehard fans will receive it or whether the game really has any longevity. So there's been an infamous series of massive disconnects between professional and user reviews, probably the last big example being Company of Heroes III.

I don't think that will necessarily happen here, because my time with the game has blown me away, but I could see something coming up like the microtransactions being invasive or the endgame just not being quite there yet.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

There's been a problem for the last ten or so years that marquee PC games tend to get outstanding review scores as long as they're polished. However, the average mainstream game reviewer does not understand the series, genre, or platform well enough to gauge how a diehard fans will receive it or whether the game really has any longevity. So there's been an infamous series of massive disconnects between professional and user reviews, probably the last big example being Company of Heroes III.

I don't think that will necessarily happen here, because my time with the game has blown me away, but I could see something coming up like the microtransactions being invasive or the endgame just not being quite there yet.

I think they're making it very clear they're courting the D2 fans, and that's what puts me off the game (personally)

Since the consensus became "D2 was a million times better" it feels like Blizzard is always name dropping D2 and buttering up that audience

 

[Zeta Dragoon]

2023 is without a doubt the best year for gaming since 2017 easy, and will probably easily surpass it if it has not already with Dead Space Remake, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Metroid Prime Remaster, Hogwarts Legacy Octopath Traveler II, GrimGrimoire Once More, then Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Future Redeemed, Jedi Survivor, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Street Fighter VI and Diablo IV then with Final Fantasy XVI, Armored Core VI, Starfield and Baldur's Gate 3.

Even with some delays into 2024 like Homeworld 3.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

I have never played anything from this series

People seem to really like it tho

 

[Zeta Dragoon]

I have never played anything from this series

People seem to really like it tho

Diablo 2 has a very 1999 Mummy adventure/horror vibe. Dated though, even though it looks great with the Resurrected Remake. Enormous influence on a lot of games, but you can outright see where Path of Exile does a New Zealand mythos take on Diablo 2 and its gothic atmosphere/Angels vs Hell theme.

Path of Exile 2 is likely the only ARPG that will be competing with Diablo IV, barring massive strides by Last Epoch or a Grim Dawn 2 reveal and even then those games would still not be in the same ballpark, through a potental Grim Dawn 2 would certainly have the chance at being the outright best ARPG.

Diablo 3 has legit one of the dumbest stories ever put into a AAA video game though the expansion pack Reaper of Souls has more competence I hear. It was one of the first major fiascos in Blizzard losing a lot of their reputation.

4 is trying to strike a balance between 3s streamlined modernity but with 2s atmosphere and tone.

 

[Calcium]

I have been on media blackout but what's the max coop size? Might be the first game we could get some coop action going.

I'm definitely up for some games as long as there isn't huge character level discrepancies.

Group size is four.

I have never played anything from this series

People seem to really like it tho

Do something about this. Immediately.

 

[HE1NZ]

I wouldn't trust these yet. Diablo 3 had glowing reviews too.

 

[Zeta Dragoon]

I wouldn't trust these yet. Diablo 3 had glowing reviews too.

This to be honest. So did Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite and Skyward Sword.

 

[Hostile_18]

So did Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite and Skyward Sword.

Two of those games are brilliant

 

[Zeta Dragoon]

Two of those games are brilliant

Brilliant at being terrible betrayals of their franchises, yes at least in my opinion. Add Diablo 3 and Dead Space 3 also.

Spoiler: Diablo IV Spoilers

Reviews, at least IGN are saying Diablo IVs story is lackluster but still noticeably better than 3s very low bar.

 

[Hostile_18]

I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3 and had no problems with the ending. I thought all my choices were about the size of the army I could muster at the end so, was fine. Infinite I LOVE time travel and that type of stuff, the setting was a welcome change after two games in Rapture. Diablo 3 I enjoyed as much as Diablo 2. I only jumped in once it was patched with the expansion however (on console).

 

[McHuj]

Waiting for the official DPAD review before I know what to think

 

[Calcium]

Spoiler: Diablo IV Spoilers

Reviews, at least IGN are saying Diablo IVs story is lackluster but still noticeably better than 3s very low bar.

Spoiler

Ugh, this is what I was afraid of. Fucking pathetic that Blizzard can't top Diablo 1 or 2 in terms of narrative. I bet it sucks because they were too concerned with inserting diversity or strong representation, just like everything else these days. Just write a good story, for fuck sake.

 

[Nikana]

I wouldn't trust these yet. Diablo 3 had glowing reviews too.

Diablo 3 wasn't the travesty people want it to be. It's simply a different game than people wanted.

 

[Calcium]

Diablo 3 wasn't the travesty people want it to be. It's simply a different game than people wanted.

Which is a travesty.

 

[Nikana]

Which is a travesty.

That's a fair take, but...it has a lot of the features Diablo addicts asked for but then complained when they got em. Can't please em all.

Personally, in hindsight, I think it's good they are totally different games. But I get the arguments as well.

 

[Calcium]

That's a fair take, but...it has a lot of the features Diablo addicts asked for but then complained when they got em. Can't please em all.

Personally, in hindsight, I think it's good they are totally different games. But I get the arguments as well.

I was disappointed in Diablo 3 for a lot of reasons, but it was still a 7/10 overall for me. I'd probably enjoy Diablo Immortal too if I hated myself enough to play a mobile game.

 

[Nikana]

I was disappointed in Diablo 3 for a lot of reasons, but it was still a 7/10 overall for me. I'd probably enjoy Diablo Immortal too if I hated myself enough to play a mobile game.

Vanilla D3 had a grind that was rough but the loot mattered. The eventual pivot to armor sets and changing your build on the fly was pretty fun.

It did make the end game feel a bit shallow. But paragon levels and rifts helped quit a bit.

It took em awhile to get there but I think they got there in the end.

I think D4 will have a significantly better reception because it's splitting that difference. But...won't know for a few more weeks.

 

[Zefah]

Diablo 3 wasn't the travesty people want it to be. It's simply a different game than people wanted.

Agreed. I had a lot of fun with it even at launch, although the changes they made later on were for the better.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

No idea what to think, I thought Diablo 3 was mediocre as Hell and it got about the same score

 

[Zeta Dragoon]

Diablo 3 wasn't the travesty people want it to be. It's simply a different game than people wanted.

Always on-line and auction house were both gigantic shit storms at the time, even before going into the other problems the game had.

 

[Nikana]

Always on-line and auction house were both gigantic shit storms at the time, even before going into the other problems the game had.

Always online yes. The auction house became a scapegoat for every issue people had with loot and grind.

 

[Hinedorf]

I'm too hyped for this and I'm going to bite it and buy the Digital Deluxe to play Thursday afternoon, for 20$ extra it includes the battle pass which I was planning on getting on initial launch as I know Ill be grinding the hell out of the game.

I'm also considering the fact that last public Diablo3 launch was A COMPLETE FUCKING NIGHTMARE this is a perfect workaround if indeed the servers become a shit sandwich on Day 1

 

[DonDonDonPata]

Brilliant at being terrible betrayals of their franchises, yes at least in my opinion. Add Diablo 3 and Dead Space 3 also.

Spoiler: Diablo IV Spoilers

Reviews, at least IGN are saying Diablo IVs story is lackluster but still noticeably better than 3s very low bar.

Lol who cares about story in this series? It's a pretty boilerplate medieval fantasy, and tbh the more they add story the worse the story gets.

Excellent cutscenes and badass characters are what Blizzard does. Been playing their stuff since Warcraft 2 and the first Diablo and I've never cared about "story"

 

[Zeta Dragoon]

Lol who cares about story in this series? It's a pretty boilerplate medieval fantasy, and tbh the more they add story the worse the story gets.

Excellent cutscenes and badass characters are what Blizzard does. Been playing their stuff since Warcraft 2 and the first Diablo and I've never cared about "story"

I do for one. If I'm slaughtering armies of demons and getting tons of loot I want at least an interesting reason for why this is happening. Sanctuary at least looks like it has a ton of places and side stories to explore at least. Why can't there be a good story on top of good combat and loot?

Diablos 3 main story was so bad it actively killed my interest in the series until 4's reveal and 2 Resurrected it. No amount of awesome loot can make up for something like that. Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, Dead Space 3, Diablo 3, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy but mainly the Last Jedi, than newBattlestar Galactica season 3 onwards, Game of Thrones Season 4 onwards, all examples I hold of how to kill a franchise and not to do a story.

 

[Calcium]

Lol who cares about story in this series? It's a pretty boilerplate medieval fantasy, and tbh the more they add story the worse the story gets.

Excellent cutscenes and badass characters are what Blizzard does. Been playing their stuff since Warcraft 2 and the first Diablo and I've never cared about "story"

An eternal war between Heaven and Hell with humanity caught in the middle is "boilerplate fantasy"?

If you don't give a shit about the story that's fine, but claiming nobody does is fucking dumb.

 

[AJUMP23]

I will be the judge.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

I do for one. If I'm slaughtering armies of demons and getting tons of loot I want at least an interesting reason for why this is happening. Sanctuary at least looks like it has a ton of places and side stories to explore at least. Why can't there be a good story on top of good combat and loot?

Diablos 3 main story was so bad it actively killed my interest in the series until 4's reveal and 2 Resurrected it. No amount of awesome loot can make up for something like that. Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, Dead Space 3, Diablo 3, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy but mainly the Last Jedi, than newBattlestar Galactica season 3 onwards, Game of Thrones Season 4 onwards, all examples I hold of how to kill a franchise and not to do a story.

I don't get why you'd need motivation or deeper nuance for archetypal angels vs demons theme. If you like it, that's cool, but the more Blizzard explained the lore the worse it got. Unlike you though, it never hampered my enjoyment of the series.

This is a Blizzard problem, not a Diablo problem. Overwatch, Warcraft, and StarCraft have also suffered from bad story paired with excellent art direction and cutscenes.

An eternal war between Heaven and Hell with humanity caught in the middle is "boilerplate fantasy"?

If you don't give a shit about the story that's fine, but claiming nobody does is fucking dumb.

I didn't claim nobody does. My lol was to make fun of the people who do care about the story to the point where it "kills their enjoyment"

 

[Calcium]

I didn't claim nobody does. My lol was to make fun of the people who do care about the story to the point where it "kills their enjoyment"

Lol who cares about story in this series?

Pretty clear implication that nobody cares about the story in the Diablo series. If that's not what you meant, fine, but I took it as you being dismissive to the idea that anyone could possibly enjoy the story.

I'm with you on the effect Diablo 3 had on the lore going forward, they really shot themselves in the foot. Where I disagree, though, is that the series never had good stories. The first two games are fucking great - the first was elegant in its simplicity and the second had a pretty amazing narrative. The story of Marius following the Dark Wanderer culminating in the twist at the end is one of the few game storylines that stuck with me.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

The first two games are fucking great - the first was elegant in its simplicity

Yes, because there was barely any story, and what was there was an incredible simple journey, my point exactly.

and the second had a pretty amazing narrative.

Meh, would you read an expanded universe novel about it? I also found the narrative entertaining, but if I wrote it down and read it out loud there's nothing special about it, certainly not the main draw of the game.

The story of Marius following the Dark Wanderer culminating in the twist at the end is one of the few game storylines that stuck with me.

Yeah it was told well, especially at the beginning. Following up on the hero-turned-villain was cool but comprised a fairly small part of the game, bookmarking the Acts.

The lore and world building and "story" were all more complex and took up a larger portion in D3 yet so many people hated it. Seems like Blizzard should focus less on story since that isn't the main draw of their games. That doesn't mean no one can ever enjoy Diablo's stories, it's just not the point of the games so I don't judge the games based on it.

 

[Calcium]

Yes, because there was barely any story, and what was there was an incredible simple journey, my point exactly.

They worked within their limitations back then. Atmosphere and presentation sold the setting incredibly well. What was presented as a "simple journey" became much more than that the more you uncovered about the possession of Albrecht and the Lord of Terror. Not great, but certainly memorable for the time.

Meh, would you read an expanded universe novel about it? I also found the narrative entertaining, but if I wrote it down and read it out loud there's nothing special about it, certainly not the main draw of the game.

I would absolutely read a novel based on the story in D2.

Yeah it was told well, especially at the beginning. Following up on the hero-turned-villain was cool but comprised a fairly small part of the game, bookmarking the Acts.

Stop complimenting it, you are supposed to hate it.

The lore and world building and "story" were all more complex and took up a larger portion in D3 yet so many people hated it. Seems like Blizzard should focus less on story since that isn't the main draw of their games. That doesn't mean no one can ever enjoy Diablo's stories, it's just not the point of the games so I don't judge the games based on it.

Diablo 3 was a colossal failure from a storytelling perspective. It let down the series and has me doubting the story in lV. It didn't suck because it presented more of the lore, it sucked because the people that wrote it are morons.