Diablo III - Thoughts after Completion on Normal

Hello everyone..

I have just killed Diablo on normal and I figured as there is a lot of mixed opinions (most of which from people who have never even touched D3) I would do a short, honest review to clear the air a bit..

During the lower levels I was a tad taken off as there are is a much more limited selection of skills and spells per class.. After unlocking skill runes (runes that modify your skills.. sometimes changing the skill all together) however I discovered that D3 class skills were not at all lacking in diversity.. In fact I found the ability to customize what your skills do to be a breath of fresh air..

I'm going through on a monk for now and I have found them to be quite entertaining... At first the monk class is a tad weak but once you reach the teens that all changes.. (Level 36 now) At first I thought the class balance was horrible as the DH is really OP at lower levels.. This seemed to change as you progress to higher levels..

The story line was very well done IMHO and definitely includes elements that keep you guessing... There is quite the diversity of Items. (and unlike D2 I think rare items are going to play a much larger role as they have the potential to be just as uber as "legendary" items in many cases).. The multiplayer system is also very well done.. a one complaint I havebout it though is there is no voice chat.. I think in this day and age blizzard should have known it would be needed. However the channels and options for public games are there.. No PVP as of yet (which saddens me as I do enjoy the PVP aspect of multiplayer games)

The AH system is nice and as of right now the only one available is the in game currency AH. I personally think this is a plus as it allows for in game currency value to become established before implementing the RMAH.. I personally feel players will still make use of the GAH as most items will be far easier to sell.. I foresee high level legendary items however using the RMAH (Windforce etc.) which was to be expected..

I really enjoyed the implementation of magic,rare and unique monster sets that you randomly encounter throughout the game. They add that little bit of spice that would have otherwise been completely non-existent while mowing down extremely large numbers of mobs.

Normal difficulty was extremely easy even with all the rare monsters and bosses. (there are a lot more bosses per act than in previous Diablo games) Upon entering nightmare and completing the first act I would have to say this changed, thankfully.. I have a feeling Hell and Inferno skill level will be less about your character level and more about gear which I like personally. I do know for a fact that Hell and Inferno will be a challenge (as nightmare has already shown to be)

Boss fights were pretty well tank and spank save for the prime evils..... Diablo on the other hand was a pretty nice fight although extremely easy on normal... Judging by the difficulty presented by A1 Nightmare bosses I foresee this not being the case in the future as you enter the higher difficulty levels.

I think it would be worth mentioning that you should not pass judgment on the difficulty of the game until you reach the higher difficulty levels. One of my friends did that and he ended up dying in A1 nightmare many times..

The aspect of crafting is nice although I have not yet really begun to scratch the surface of that aspect.. I will say though that gem stones are going to play a big part in D3 as they played a very nominal role in D2.. I do like the ability to create items from mats you get from magical items (you will find a ton of magical items and finally the blue items are useful!!)

As you go through the acts, every now and again you will find a triggered event.. These are basically little mini game missions that give you the opportunity to find loot and add a little extra something to the overall game play..

Final Thoughts:: Yes I understand that many of you are angry with Blizzard for one reason or another... Does that mean that Diablo III is not a very well done game?? No no it doesn't...

Personally I find it idiotic to pass judgment on a game without even touching it and after spending quite a few hours playing this one... I have to say most people's judgment is unfounded and inaccurate..

If you're going to complain about a game... PLAY IT FIRST..

That is all..

I don't like playing games just to justify complaining about them. With all the thousands of games out there nowadays, I'd rather just read a review.

But since I trust you actually (for this topic at least), maybe I should get D3 also.
I was a huge D2 fan and have been awaiting D3 for a long time.

I don't know what I have been waiting for....oh yeah, I have to drive to town to pick it up.
And I'm being lazy.

Originally posted by DaMod

Normal difficulty was extremely easy even with all the rare monsters and bosses. (there are a lot more bosses per act than in previous Diablo games) Upon entering nightmare and completing the first act I would have to say this changed, thankfully.. I have a feeling Hell and Inferno skill level will be less about your character level and more about gear which I like personally. I do know for a fact that Hell and Inferno will be a challenge (as nightmare has already shown to be)

I remember in D2 Hell difficulty could actually become impossible sometimes.

I remember having to run back to find my body so many times, and having 2-3 naked friends running around like headless chickens with me while 100 zombies followed us.

Yes it was fun sometimes, but also it could suck when you would get stuck somewhere for 30minutes...

To close to wow for my likings. After playing Beta I knew it was going to be half assed. Story line like all blizzard games is great, diversity sucks compared to D2 or even D1. Lack of voice is only an issue on nightmare when your group is ready to down Diablo, but by then, you already are in xfire or ventrillo.

I used to be crazy into the diablo series, stopped for a bit and then got into it hardcore again in the last two years in anticipation for this game. 12 years ago Diablo two came out, and i was pleased with it then and i will still play it today.

I haven't beaten d3 on normal yet, but im making my way there (strapped for game time lately), I am really enjoying the storyline too, and the skill system is really interesting, im glad they changed it and made it work well because this just opens the door for more possible skill combinations, its awesome! I mean, you have to change between games because if d3's skill system was exactly the same or close to d2's, it would just be the same thing as diablo 2. I like the way it changed because it gives us Diablo series fans a chance to learn a completely new style of playing diablo , oh how things change.

Originally posted by AaronWilson
To close to wow for my likings. After playing Beta I knew it was going to be half assed. Story line like all blizzard games is great, diversity sucks compared to D2 or even D1. Lack of voice is only an issue on nightmare when your group is ready to down Diablo, but by then, you already are in xfire or ventrillo.

I never played WoW, so i wouldn't know
I've cruised through the item lists, weapons, armor, etc. Lots of items. Lots that aren't on the lists either.

Originally posted by muzzleflash

Originally posted by DaMod

Normal difficulty was extremely easy even with all the rare monsters and bosses. (there are a lot more bosses per act than in previous Diablo games) Upon entering nightmare and completing the first act I would have to say this changed, thankfully.. I have a feeling Hell and Inferno skill level will be less about your character level and more about gear which I like personally. I do know for a fact that Hell and Inferno will be a challenge (as nightmare has already shown to be)

I remember in D2 Hell difficulty could actually become impossible sometimes.

I remember having to run back to find my body so many times, and having 2-3 naked friends running around like headless chickens with me while 100 zombies followed us.

Yes it was fun sometimes, but also it could suck when you would get stuck somewhere for 30minutes...

Me and my two friends took on Uber Tristram by ourselves.
My one friend can do it HIMSELF (which is next to impossible).

Hell difficulty was a breeze once you got to level 80 or so.

D3 is AWESOME. PM me if you want to exchange battletags!! lvl 30 wizard just got to act 4

Lvl 42 Monk Act II Nightmare:

I am really impressed and having a great time playing. They found a way to make replaying the same story line enjoyable by changing the difficulty and adding on the complexity of play style with new items etc.

Initially I too was upset about not being able to distribute skill points etc, I thought it made my character less customizable etc. HOWEVER as I have played I have changed my mind. The on the fly ability to change your skills and runes is amazing...it adds so much depth to each encounter/act etc by allowing you to insta-respec to suit your current situation. There are an unlimited amount of combinations between all skills and runes that I haven't even touched the surface of yet.

This I personally think is WIN...because instead of maximizing one stat and having one best playstyle and one best type of gear...there is none...they have enhanced situational play and taken "farming" out of the equation because there is no "one ring"...at least so far as I can tell...

For example after nightmare resistance gear will become invaluable, which means you will end up sacrificing other stats to gain survivability. Each resistance is individual so you will constantly have to change your resistance gear setup because the champs/rare mobs are random...you will never constantly be dealing with the same situations, and this is what eliminates the cookie cutter builds/gear setup and THIS is what is ultimately going to keep people from peak gaming and dying out of boredom...ala farming...

The story line was pretty decent too, the length of it although it could have been a bit longer wasn't too bad and has a lot of replay ability.

My one and only major gripe is that bilzz made it mandatory online play...which is just ridiculous, I understand their justifications but there were ways to accommodate both online and offline play so those with bad connections or no connection could/would still be able to enjoy the game the spent money on. Release day logg on crisis is a perfect example of why online only is/was/will forever be a horrible idea.

Even predominantly online games know better than to make 100% of their content online only...COD for example is predominantly online only....99% of the game and replay ability is online, however they at least give you zombies or spec ops and a shabby single player to pass the time if their servers go offline or someone in your neighborhood wrecks into a teliphone pole...

other than that I really enjoy playing D3, just somewhat uncomfortable the entire game is at the whim of an internet connection.

Originally posted by Gwampo
D3 is AWESOME. PM me if you want to exchange battletags!! lvl 30 wizard just got to act 4

Same for me, ATS D3 party?

reply to post by AaronWilson


I would have to disagree.. It is nothing like WOW imho save for having the skill bar for access to more skills.. It's a hack and slash... In wow you focused on one maybe 2 mobs at a time...

In D3 you're mowing down monsters in Masse..

reply to post by AzureSky


my battletag is

Pro#1675

reply to post by muzzleflash


When you die you respawn from the last checkpoint... Thank god for this as I would have been so screwed a few times.

Originally posted by DaMod
reply to post by AaronWilson

 

I would have to disagree.. It is nothing like WOW imho save for having the skill bar for access to more skills.. It's a hack and slash... In wow you focused on one maybe 2 mobs at a time...

In D3 you're mowing down monsters in Masse..

Are you ever! Jeez! Walk into a room and the screen is filled, plowing through them with everything you got and hope you don't die. I love it.

I plan on playing every class on every difficulty. I have lots to do in d3 , hehe

reply to post by Sly1one


Yeah they really screwed the pooch on that one.. There really should have been an offline mode... I can understand why the don't have one though (with all the hacking / duping problems in the past)

*Cries*
I really want this game. Need to get a decent graphix card first though. *choked sob*
Wouldn't worry about the lack of in game chat, if WoW's is anything to go by, it would just be a load of arse anyway. Better off communicating with tin cans on a string.

Originally posted by Suspiria
*Cries*
I really want this game. Need to get a decent graphix card first though. *choked sob*

You can get an ATI 5770 for around 120 bucks now i think, maybe even less. It will play d3 no problemo!
If you have the money.. then the game is like 60 bucks :|

reply to post by AzureSky


Will that one see me through to the future though? Most annoyed was I to once play WOTLK on Ultra only to be knocked back into cack screen land.

Originally posted by Suspiria
reply to post by AzureSky

 

Will that one see me through to the future though? Most annoyed was I to once play WOTLK on Ultra only to be knocked back into cack screen land.

Its the card my friend is running d3 max on, i have a 5870.
If you're looking for future-proof your looking at double the cost or more. 250-300 or so for something good. 500 if you want epic.

D3 was all hype...

I got it for free via the season pass on WoW and i'm regretting it..

I really dont like Diablo

and my main complaint, is the freaking mouse... WHY CANT I CHANGE IT>!?!?!?!?! WHO moves with the left click...

I mean srsly Blizzard