It’s time to save the world from the forces of evil. Again.
Recently I returned to the world of Diablo to prevent another invasion from Hell’s minions. For a Diablo veteran like myself, it was an awesome feeling.
I have a long history with this game franchise. I have vivid memories of the first time I played Diablo. I was 13 years old and mum had just brought home some Burger King meals for my sister and myself. It included a disk with game demos on it; a novel concept for the time.
I had recently completed the Super Nintendo classic Chrono Trigger 8 times in a row, so I was eager to try something new. I installed the Diablo demo and was instantly blown away. The production values were exceptional for its time. The sound design was memorable, with well-executed character dialogue and a dark and haunting soundtrack.
Coming from a era of colourful, anime-inspired Japanese roleplaying games, Diablo’s dark and mature themes were refreshing and exciting. I was hooked instantly.
I powered through the 100-level descent into hell in non-stop gaming sessions that varied from 5-8 hours.
Diablo II marked another era of my life. I was in Catholic Junior College at the time and I stayed up late with my best buddies Vincent and Junxiang as we powered through the game. My household was still using dial-up and I learnt the hard way that the greatest threat to Barbarians is not the progressively challenging minions of hell; it’s lag.
The three of us had decided that Junior College life wasn’t suitable for us so we were fueled by a mixture of self-destruction and youthful brashness. I was, in particular, especially self-destructive. At that time I told my father that I wanted to withdraw from the Junior College and enrol in a polytechnic. He was unwilling to withdraw me, so I did my best to get kicked out.
Diablo II was another outlet for my rebellion. The 3 of us would stay up until 4 or 5 am in the morning and we’d either go to school in a highly zombified state, call in sick, or just play hooky.
Sadly, I’ve lost contact with Vincent and Junxiang, but the time we spent together is something dear and precious to me.
That brings me to the present and Diablo III. How times have changed. Sadly, I do not have the time or the energy to do a non-stop 8 hour run, nor do I have the determination to stay up in the wee hours of the morning.
When I took leave on Thursday and Friday to play the game, I found myself having to take breaks after 1-2 hours of playing. The 13-year old in me was slightly disappointed.
Having an opportunity to reconnected with my friends felt great though. I managed play a few games with my old buddies from my National Service days. I even met my NS buddy’s new girlfriend through Diablo III (Hi Dionne!).
And what better way to meet someone than slaying digital minion of hell?
Non-gamers have difficulty understanding the social aspect of gaming. It brings people together through extraordinary experiences you could never have in real life. To the best of my knowledge, not many people have entered the depths of hell to slay the devil. Clergymen may have had different experiences.
To that degree, Diablo III does a great job. There has been some criticism about Blizzard (the developer of Diablo III) forcing players to play the game online, even for single player campaigns.
But from my 50-hour experience, it was the right choice. Players can join games easily and there is a strong emphasis on cooperation. And to those looking for a single-player only experience – what are you thinking? The Diablo franchise is best enjoyed with friends.
If you want a single-player experience, go play solitaire.
Blizzard has also done a great job of streamlining the game’s difficulty. It is a very accessible game, and gamers new to the franchise will be able to pick it up easily. The pacing is also very good and it contains elements that seem heavily inspired by old games like Golden Axe and Contra.
On a side note, I’ve had lots of fun playing the Demon Hunter class. Recently I slayed Diablo on the “Nightmare” difficulty with my level 46 Demon Hunter and 3 other friends.
My character had the lowest level in the party, but my character’s ability to stun enemies with a bola attack made defeating Diablo easy. Typically, defeating Diablo on the “Nightmare” difficulty would unlock the more difficult “Hell” difficulty. Apparently Blizzard thought that any character below level 50 wouldn’t be strong enough to defeat Diablo on Nightmare or attempt the game on the more difficult “Hell” difficulty. When I tried to access, “Hell” mode, I was told I need to be at least level 50!
I was proud that my character was slightly ahead of the curve.
Diablo III is a fun and accessible game that veterans and new comers can enjoy. Whether you are a casual gamer looking for something fun and exciting, or a discerning gamer looking for great production values and plenty of replay value, Diablo III will have something for you. More importantly, it upholds the Diablo tradition of creating great gaming memories that you can look back on fondly one day.
