by Jin Lovelace, HSM team writer & filmmaker

I’m staring at my copies of Champions of Norrath, and its sequel, Return to Arms, in my PlayStation 2 collection — and I begin to have these fuzzy feels about all the time I’ve wasted on those games.

I mention the two titles because they were the first products that introduced me to the dungeon crawling genre that everyone has been so hellbent over, and for great reason. Before those, however, came the game it was inspired from: Diablo. 

During the time I didn’t have access to a PC, so I never knew of the game, let alone played it. I’ve viewed groups and forums that generated some conversation about the title, but it didn’t catch much of my attention mainly because I was already hooked on the Champions titles.

Though my memory doesn’t serve as much of the story (it was truly that forgettable), what drew me into the EverQuest spin-offs were not just the online features, but how immersive the world was. The customization was a bit lackluster back then (you only had a few hairstyle and facial options) but I didn’t care at all: I created my female Barbarian, donned my weapons, and set off on my journey to kill my curiosity and the rest of my free time that I had.

There was something special about going into these dark caves, traversing into the (then) beautifully-rendered waterways (an engine that Snowblind Studios created for their titles on the PS2), and repeatedly pressing X to swing your weapon — with an occasional hold of the R1 button and tapping O to unleash a devastating attack on monsters. That was all so sound then, especially when you get that sense of thrill for picking up gobs and gobs of loot to outfit your character with crazy stats while you sell off the rest of the gear and watch your cash pile grow.

You also had your alignment options, which didn’t change much of the game (the story was the same throughout; nothing changes) but to have the option available and interact with the NPCs of the same moral alignment as your character added a unique perspective on good and evil dynamics in gaming. Your character wasn’t some overtly emotional, whiny brat that had to come to some conclusion that he/she had to save the world; you were destined and played out a big role in the background, which blends and ties the game into this enchanting world that I enjoyed so much.

So when I saw my friend, Jayson619, posted Diablo III on his Facebook wall, I was rekindled with the familiar gameplay that inspired the Champions universe. Immediately I knew I wanted to get my hands on it and put on my thinking cap to immerse myself into an enchanting world once again.

Well, in the world Diablo III, there’s nothing enchanting at all. In fact, there is a lot of “holy shnitzels, Batman” and “OH SNAP! *expletive* just got REAL” moments that I didn’t expect.

The story, for the most part, definitely caught my attention; it’s highly creative. You’re quickly whisked into a world — or in this case, the Sanctuary – of despair based on a fallen star that hit a nearby town. Your character, the Nefalheim (the one you create and name) thrusts into action to investigate on the happenings. From there on, it’s you against these hordes of minions that are thrown your way to stunt your progress to find out the truth about the meteor that landed.

Along the way, you’ll met with a few characters that’ll aid and assist you during your quests; some that are temporary to help guide you through the storyline, while others are your permanent party members, or followers. These characters will fight alongside you, and it’s up to you on how you outfit them with the right gear, weapons, and skills to be of some benefit to you and them.

You can choose up to six classes: Barbarian,  Monk, Crusader (specializing in close-range attacks), Demon Hunter, Witch Doctor, and Wizard (all long-range attacks). Each class has their own unique attributes and skill sets that are exclusive to them; how you play depends solely on your approach.

There’s also an online matchmaking feature where you can either meet up to four randoms to journey along the way with you, or invite your friends on your list to serve as your assistant — though the more that drop in, the stronger the enemies become. Something to consider there.

For the most part, not only am I having a blast playing this game, but the replay value is through the roof. At higher levels, you can gain access to much better equipment and raise your stats even higher. Diablo III offers a linear path that involves the story you can play out or head into the competitive arena to test your skills.

This game seriously has me hooked and then some. Aside from the immersive plot (and plot twists that I didn’t see coming), nothing was cliche or predictable; everything played out so well in this universe, I was instantly hooked and I’m a sucker for stories like this. The game play, for the most part, is just too insane for me to put into words. All of the elements that I’ve once remembered in Champions are present in this game, but with more to do and a comprehensive system direction.

If there are any gripes that I have about this game, it’s one that’s starting a recent trend in a few games: lack of a kick-player option. As I was attempting to kick a few idle players that came into my server, the choice isn’t made available at all. I find this to be confusing; maybe to avoid players that would abuse the option, who knows. However, this can be inconvenient for players that would run into fellow players who really need to be removed.

However, I find Diablo III to be a well developed game for everyone to play. The amount of hours you can pour into this game to at least unlock some of the best gear and items available is quite staggering. If you have time to kill and are looking for a classic game that’s addicting as well as fun, then check out this title.

Check out Fred E Fuego’s first-impressions video on Diablo III for more.

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One Response to “Diablo III: the Addiction is Real”

1. AAMCSYSTEMS says:

   October 10, 2014 at 12:23 am

   Hmmm, very interesting, been hooked on Skyrim as of late, was thinking of trying this next, just gotta figure out which class……

   Reply