With Diablo IV still a while away, Diablo Immortal is the most recent entry into the beloved dark fantasy RPG franchise. Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase released the game for iOS and Android devices as well as started the Open Beta for PC in the beginning of June.
For me, this is my first time playing a game of the Diablo series. I am not very knowledgeable about its lore but Immortal immersed me into the world of Sanctuary by letting me interact with unique characters, both allied NPCs and enemies.
Diablo Immortal is a free-to-play action RPG that was revealed back at Blizzcon 2018 to mixed reactions. Surprisingly, despite being a mobile MMO that got ported to PC, the game features an interesting story and a pleasant gameplay loop. As you progress through the game, you will frequently run into other players, see everything they do, unite into groups to go through dungeons, raids or simply quest together.
The developers from Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase have considered that the game will have players that only have a few minutes for a quick demon-slaying session as well as those ready to spend hours ridding Sanctuary of bad guys. To that end, the team made the main plot reflect the actions of players as well as added books, notes and other sources of lore for those interested in learning more.
The events of the game take place between the destruction of Mount Arreat at the end of Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction and Diablo 3. You begin your adventure by arriving in a small village not too far from the ill-fated Tristram. As you progress, the quests will take you through different zones and locations.
At first you might feel that the combat is way too easy, but as you learn more abilities the battles become more interesting, providing you with motivation for further improvement. Some boss fights include multi-stage combat sequences that reward you for learning their move set. Though, once again, earlier bosses are quite easy to tackle.
Diablo Immortal features six unique classes, mostly familiar to players coming to the game from Diablo 3. The game allows players to become Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer or Wizard. The classes have access to two primary and 12 secondary abilities, which makes DI’s skill customization weaker than its analogue in Diablo 3.
You can find Legendary items that change your character abilities, be it armor or weapons. Additionally, players can equip normal and legendary gems. The normal variety can usually be acquired by completing dungeons or hidden lairs of the location. Diablo Immortal will notify you when you have a few minutes to search for and get into a particular lair.
You can earn up to six normal gems a day by doing quests in the hidden layers. They can also be obtained as part of bundles that can be purchased for real money, through the Diablo Immortal auction house or from vendors for the in-game currency.
The Legendary gems are the most powerful in terms of bonus for your character, they add improvements and new abilities to your attacks. Blizzard and NetEase have developed a system for obtaining them in the following way: the Legendary gems have a chance to drop only in dungeons, called Rifts in Diablo. You can play one of them any time you wait, and it takes no more than five minutes to finish.
However, Diablo Immortal also has a huge level of content monetization, expressed in the improved battle pass, various cosmetics, buying gems and more. Most of the proposals could easily be integrated into the game as rewards for doing quests or getting achievements. For example, character outfits/costumes could be added for completing complex dungeons in a short period of time.
On the topic of the battle pass, the developers have tied it to a single character that you buy it on instead of the entire account.
When it comes to the overall monetization of Diablo Immortal, Blizzard managed to jump into hot water all on their own. Previously, the developers assured the community that one cannot buy any in-game equipment with real money. However, as it turned out Legendary gems are sold as a part of certain bundles, and they affect your character’s capabilities in a meaningful way.
I think overall Blizzard and NetEase have made a fun game, both for mobile and PC, packed with action, featuring memorable story and characters from the previous games of the series but they overdid it with the clear desire to milk the community. Very soon it stopped being pleasant to log back into Diablo Immortal because every time I would enter the game or finish a location, DI would remind me of a new bundle that can be bought for a certain amount of real-life cash.
This kind of predatory monetization can easily chase players away.
