I've played the game more than 150 h (also Inferno) and think that I've made a very good picture of Blizzard`s newest concoction. I will compare the game in the following again and again with its predecessor, there for me Diablo 2 is the yardstick by which to measure the next title in the series must.
I. The graph:
It is typical of Blizzard and already from appearance no longer up to date. In action, however, the graphics is fine. A few more polygons certainly would not hurt, but it's also not a hanger and the effects are sometimes also nice to look at. I personally, however, the game is a bit too colorful. The somewhat gloomy style which especially in the first part was great, unfortunately drifted in the direction of WOW, but the tastes are obviously differ.
II The online compulsion.:
In Diablo 3, there is no way that game to gamble online. A LAN mode is not available. Although this was already announced in advance, there is no reason to find it good for me and not to criticize. Why?
- Without Internet access has also called Diablo Fan no chance 'enjoy' the game.
And even in this day and age there are in this world (also in Germany) still areas in which no or only poor Internet connections are offered.
- Blizzard manages not seem to get the server problem completely under control. Only 2 days ago I had to stop again because the lags were so massive that a gambling was no longer possible to play. The many fault codes with which one had to fight as a player at the beginning of weeks are indeed greatly reduced, but it still happens that one is thrown with a cryptic error message from the running game and the quest must start over.
The reason Blizzard is for the need of the online mode to keep out cheaters a farce because already dozens of cheats and hacks were days after the release in circulation, which have moved the game balance very to the detriment of individual players and are partly still in circulation ,
III. The Game:
There are 5 different character classes which can be played quite differently. Although the classes are not perfectly balanced, Blizzard has done in my opinion very good job here. In addition, you have the possibility to go up a NPC companion. As a novelty, there are two Handerwerkerklassen, the blacksmith and jeweler. The jeweler takes over the job of Horadrim cube from D2, only that combining better gems now costs money. However, it is now possible to remove gems from socketed items back, which I think is very good. The blacksmith is hardly worth Unfortunately, because the crafting of items is very expensive and the randomly generated features a gamble. Both craft classes can be improved in their craft level in order to produce better gems and better items can forge. The chest in which objects can be stored, has been increased compared to its predecessor and can also be extended with additional gold insert. Also I like that.
The game itself starts quite liquid and pulls a beginning also quickly into his spell. The Monster makes basting after such a long abstinence Diablo simple fun again. The play, the classes for the MMORPG principle as tank and damage dealer is a "Hack-and-Slay" game, however inappropriate. The cutscenes are Blizzard moderate to look at a very high level and nice. The story is not overwhelming and often predictable, but there have been worse. After about 10-20 hours you have played through the game, depending on the style of play on the first level of difficulty and can the next attack.
Unfortunately quest rewards exist (now and then also Items) almost entirely of experience points and gold. Attribute points, points for the skill tree or other rewards like in D2 there is no longer to win. The Dungeons and the 'upper world' vary no longer as strong as in the previous generated randomly. There are many passages which remain unchanged, which suggests are boring the game when a new playthrough, as was the case even in D2.
IV The multiplayer part.:
The chat in the game has been reduced to a minimum. Instead of a generous chats with various functions such as in D2 there is only a small chat window where you can not even see who else is online degrees. The maximum number of players in a game was limited by 8 (Diablo 2) to 4 players. For me, a shortcoming, as I was often on the road with friends to eight in D2. Furthermore, it is no longer possible to open games with a description. Kick it a multiplayer game outside the Friend List in, you will be thrown randomly into any open game of the selected Quest. Due to lack of description you can not see which classes on which level in the game are already in place and if the players ever to play the desired Quest or eg only farm gold. Thus, the search often degenerates to the appropriate party to a 'Spielgehobse'. One kuckt pure, Vice fixed it does not fit, go out, occurs in the next game, jumping if not satisfied out again, etc. That annoys those looking for a game and those who have opened a game.
In brief: The multiplayer features provided are a joke for a pure online game. Through the heavily reduced Chat and random assignment game it is harder than to socialize in the predecessor. In my view, in previous much better resolved.
V. The skill system:
a.) The well-known from the second part skill tree, which the character development has allowed in up to 3 different directions, has been completely removed. Do not know the D2 to understand for people: The Skill Tree had 3 different directions, at the sorceress, for example, frost, lightning and fire spells for each Char. For each direction, there were various skills which had to be unlocked Level Dependent and then with points which could strengthen in Level or received through quests. This allowed each Char customization because you could educate the diverse skills. Once defined, the selected skills could not be undone. While this had quite a certain frustration potential, since you his Char thereby also 'verskillen' could, however, also meant that it was always motivated to try new directions and to start a new character.
As it is in D3? Each Level yes on the achieved level fixed Skills are automatically unlocked. This can be refined and then also changed cheerfully repeatedly during the game by up to 5 different runes per skill, which will also be unlocked in a Level AUTOMATICALLY. The Blizzard of many ways the spec set as mirage out, since there are only a handful of useful skills in D3 (as in D2) for each Char, one wants to insist on the highest difficulty, or perfecting his char.
-> Character individualization? Wrong!
b.) The resulting attribute points at a level up can no longer be distributed as with its predecessors, as they wished to vitality, dexterity, strength and mana, but are distributed depending on the selected class from the system automatically. The player is further restricted unnecessarily.
-> Character individualization? Wrong!
In a nutshell: For me, this point is a big disappointment and one of the reasons why this game has absolutely no long-term motivation. All characters of a class at the same level are absolutely identical and differ only by the applied equipment. There is therefore no reason, for example, 2 barbarian leveling up, since both do not differ. Long-term motivation by testing the craziest Charakterskillungen and develop various individual characters as in D2? Unavailable! That the maximum level of Lvl99 was lowered to lvl60, is also no gain for long-term motivation, because you reach lvl60 after a relatively short time.
VI. Equipment, drop rate and attributes:
- Equipment:
As in D2 there is the usual item categories: White (Normal) Items without magical properties, Blue (magical) items with a few magical properties, Yellow (rare) items with even more magical properties and the sought-after of the first parts Unique items and set items.
The problem is that the properties of the items are thrown indiscriminately together. Thus, it may be that you will find a beautiful bow for the Demon Hunter, is what suddenly (absolutely useless for this class) equipped with strength and character-specific properties which can only use other classes, but which in turn can not do anything with a bow. In a nutshell: It's a game of chance, sometimes to find an item, which then has exactly the properties which are desirable for this item. The Unique Items have now almost only scrap value since they too have random properties and no set Grundstats more like in D2.
On the other hand equipment is all in Diablo 3. A good Char distinguishes the applied equipment of a very good Char ONLY. The choice of used Skills plays no more role in the proper equipment. Anyone who claims that he can a player with good equipment only go about choosing the skills the water with poor equipment of fibs.
- The drop rate:
Unfortunately, an absolute joke, as brutally reduced. I have in 150 hours play time 3 (three!) Unique Items found. By randomly distributed features on the items were all useless and 3 were melted at the blacksmith. Useful Rare Items I got almost exclusively at the auction house. Set Items I have not a single place.
- Attributes:
The attribute system has been simplified. It comes in D3 actually only 3 attributes: life, resistances, damage per second. Here you could have done a little more of it and be able to separate at least weapon damage from spell damage.
I do not understand anyway why my magician suddenly can cast a much stronger fire spell when I take a Swiss Army knife will give him a huge double-edged Barbarenaxt into their own hands.
In brief: to find the long-term motivation of D2, which consisted in complete set items, and the best Uniques and Rares is here almost completely destroyed, since one often even after hours of farms NOT ONE finds useful item and the 'reward' effect is absent , The further simplification of the general game mechanics I find as a proponent of more complex games in anyway simple games such as the Diablo series unfavorable, but that's a matter of taste.
VII. The levels of difficulty:
Normal: Very simple, according to Blizzard but only the 'tutorial', quasi to enter the game (A tutorial on 10-20h?).
Nightmare: Still easy to die to do quasi rarely
Hell: From here it is then time tricky, but still good to master every now and then.
Inferno: And from here it's off right: Act 1 is still halfway playable, it is from Act 2 really is not difficult, but just still unfair. The game here has absolutely no more balancing and to already anticipate, without the use of the Diablo's auction house is a liquid to continue from here virtually impossible.
Due to the (automatic and often unfair) compiled characteristics of Champion mobs and the extreme level of difficulty (2-3 hits and you're dead) dies you usually only by order somehow to reach the next check-point, or you kitet by ( attack enemies, run away, attack shortly, run away, and so on -often minutenlang- to the opponent or you're dead themselves). With fun, or a 'Hack-and-Slay' has then nothing at all to do from this point on. The high repair costs for equipment give an ultimately the rest.
For those who say: 'Then stop playing no Inferno if you do not do it!' I WOULD LIKE TO YES! Unfortunately, there are only from the Inferno really useful items to improve its Char. The items on Normal, Albraum and hell can unfortunately totally forgotten from Inferno. The player is therefore forced to if he wants to be better than to play Inferno, or shopping at the auction house, to which I will return to next.
VIII. The Auction House:
First off, there are two types of the auction house:
- The gold auction house. Here, players can buy and sell items found in the game against Gold. That sounds just fine the first time, is it not. This is due to various bugs, cheats and hacks, which have flushed billions of gold in circulation and have immensely more expensive the purchasable items. Result? Otto-Normal players can not afford very good items more because sometimes ludicrous million prices are required, for which you would need weeks farms only gold. Fun here? Nil.
- The real-money auction house:
Players can post their items for cash buy / sell directly in the game. Yes Blizzard has learned from D2 and the flourishing Ebay trading, and now wants abhaben also a part of the pie. Therefore it zwackt also for each sold article 1 Euro from the Blizzard's own purse. This now leads to my main criticism of the game, which is obvious once you reach Inferno. This game is no longer a Diablo, but a money-making machine developed by Blizzard, to which shamefully the Diablo universe was built as a cover.
Yes if you want to achieve something in the game, you have to play Inferno and there you have only a few options:
- Have been extremely lucky and find the items which you need to wander through Inferno itself (A 6 with bonus number in the lottery is much more likely)
- It belongs to the hacker communities and is able to create his Gold / his items himself or feared
- You're average Joe players and covers a at the auction house. Here you can choose the boring and absolutely annoying variant, without any fun and erfarmen his gold. So to have the 100,000 gold you manage already in the hour, then does so for a 10 million item once just 100 hours stupides gold farms. And then there is only one of many items, which requires the Char. Gold and items Yes or one buys simply to (much) Bares and Blizzard pleased. Thus mutated D3 to a pure 'Pay2Win', and it becomes clear why, as already mentioned above, equipment is everything in this game. Because Blizzard wants to earn a lot!
In a nutshell: The basic idea of Autkionshauses is not actually wrong, but it is the complete fixation of the game on the AH what bothers. In other words, Diablo 3 has no auction house, but the auction house Diablo 3. Players will consciously and subconsciously enticed or forced to use this facility, he wants because he quickly won the game.
Sure you can theoretically do without AH, but the road is bumpy and then much longer, and has absolutely nothing to do with gameplay as already mentioned. Because then only stupid Hour / Day / Month Long farms is announced.
And who is of the opinion that the drop rate so can not be that bad, because so many great items in AH are: Klaro, Blizzard is the stuff indeed themselves en masse purely to generate profit, as a game developer you may use the indeed and do not have to be dispelled fear.
Last applies: A five year old without any experience with 'hack and slash' can build with Papas golden credit card in a very short time a char, which is a 'hack and slash' veteran without cash payment not hinbekommt in 5 years. Not the skill makes it, but the size of the purse '
IX. Conclusion:
Diablo 3 has, in my view 2 major problems:
. a) it is designed only for one reason: To get the player as much money out of your pocket and make Blizzard much richer. The Blizzard wants to earn on his concoction money, of course, is entirely legitimate. The obvious way as it happens, it is, however, what bothers me massively. If Blizzard chosen the path through the game, and the long-term motivation related, and Diablo 3 developed in accordance with the player community, it would have been better in my opinion. So is indeed taken good money in the short term, however, the numbers of players break due to the meager contents already two months after the release of a massive. You have to remember that D2 is still, after 12 years played by many times! In my view, at D3 inconceivable from my Friend List now already plays namely not one more.
b.) That to be measured against his predecessor and the years of hype (which was also controlled by Blizzard itself) has to meet. Here failed Diablo 3 In my view, however, miserably in all disciplines and Diablo 2 can even remotely rich in any way the water.
And yet: Despite all the criticism that I make here, in my view, Diablo 3 is certainly not the worst game of the video game era. And I do not want to give the impression that (specifically D2) everything was perfect with the predecessors. This was certainly not the case. From my perspective, there are a lot of points but just having the predecessor simply better solved. My personal reasons, each read yes.
Whom therefore not interfere with my criticisms, or those who seek the entertaining game of 10-20 h and is prepared to pay 50 to spend, may be satisfied under some circumstances. Even those who enjoy it, hour after hour monotonously always the same same areas abzufarmen in the game for gold and items, or just want to earn hard cash, which is served here well. Who in addition to this complex game can not stand and happy with only two fingers and without thinking runs through a game (should not be here meant pejoratively), has possibly even found here his personal 'Game of the Year'. Even players who want to sit in the evening only from time to time and slice a few monsters on the lower difficulty levels and are not concerned at the perfect equipment here may happily.
However, all avid Diablo players and fans of the predecessor who think with Diablo 3 long-lasting and worthy successor of Diablo 2 to acquire, as well as all other I recommend: Stay away from this piece of work! You will not be happy with this game!
Who still asks why I give the game only one star in the standings, although I've played it more than 150 h:
- Because of these 150 hours, much of cramp more than fun was. As early as the second playthrough flattened due a lack of success moments (no good quest rewards, no good items, lousy drop rate, boring skill system, the Dungeons and construction areas nearly identical undundund again ...) the fun curve steadily.
Why did I continue to play anyway? In retrospect, a good question. I think it was the hope that it will be even better at some point that it can not have been that it is simply impossible that Blizzard has really messed up.
- Because I expect Diablo 3 a much larger long-term motivation. I think a lot of players who have played the previous, it is similar.
Recently I can only say: Blizzard has really made it so, and made a series of popular games for entertaining, maximum profit completely broken. For me this means: In the future, I no title comes without thorough preliminary research more of this game developers into the house.
MfG
