Diablo 4 Beta Review: Character Customization and Engaging Gameplay Mechanics

Diablo 4’s beta version offers an exciting experience with its character customization options and engaging gameplay mechanics. The game introduces a full-fledged customization window and gameplay features that we will observe in this article.

The developers have set out to create an intricate and contemporary gaming experience, packed with impressive features and innovations. Naturally, for newcomers, it can be challenging to grasp the game mechanics from the start, leading many to seek assistance from boosting services for character leveling or purchasing diablo 4 gold. The difficulty of the game is something that some previous Diablo titles lacked, so fans are in anticipation. And we will analyze some of the features that are already known.

Characters

The game starts with character creation. The choice looks in the spirit of Diablo 2: all the potential saviors of the world have gathered around the fire, where they are waiting for your decision. And here comes the innovation. For the first time in the series, there is a full-fledged customization window with full customization of the selected character for yourself: gender, hairstyle, face, skin color, tattoos, and accessories. Before that, you could only choose a gender, and then only in Diablo 3. The appearance editor is not rich in features compared to other modern projects but still allows you to create your own unique image. 

There are five classes in the game: Wizard, Barbarian, Rogue, Necromancer, and Druid. In the beta version, the first three are available, the Wizard and the Barbarian stand out in particular. Both have been regular characters in the series since Diablo 2; in the fourth part got their best version. 

The magician actively uses the elements (lightning, ice, fire) and, perhaps, is even too cool: the power of spells allows you to play on increased difficulty from the start without any problems. 

Barbarian, at first, lacks speed and control over enemies, but with progress, this character accelerates and becomes a fun mixer for enemies. Run, spin, and cut the demons into minced meat. It turned out to be absurdly exaggerated: Barbarian carries four types of weapons at once (two one-handed and two two-handed), which can be constantly changed depending on the situation. 

But the Rogue is still boring. This is something between the most classic bandit with two knives and a shooter, without any special features. In the second part, the trickster hero Amazona had the unusual style of a fighting Greek woman, and in the third part, a demon hunter with magical abilities and hatred of the forces of evil as a resource for spells.

Against their background, an ordinary adventurer from the main road looks faded, and in general, this character is more complex. You need to customize it for yourself and finely select active and passive abilities, while the Wizard and Barbarian simply allow you to have fun with spectacular magic and superhero blows of hyperbolic power. What’s so cool about a crossbow bolt when you can break walls with your bare fist?

Story and world

In the first half hour, Diablo 4 stalls a little: you are led by the handle through dialogues and cut scenes, repeating the mistakes of the third part. No dungeons, cool loot, and crowds of monsters until you know all the exposition, basic controls, and cutscenes important to the plot. It’s only when your last companion goes on business with a list of important things to do that Diablo IV (or rather its beta version) begins for real. 

Beta perfectly keeps the balance between classics and innovations. Let’s start with the last ones: the fourth part is a part MMO game in the spirit of Destiny. All characters have one pre-made large world instead of randomly generated locations, as was the case in previous Diablos. In addition to you, live players run around the area and do their job.

Treasures and goals are unique for everyone, no one will take anything from you and the game experience will not be spoiled. But monsters and random events (for example, an attack on a caravan of merchants) are the same for everyone, which gives rise to interesting, atypical stories for Diablo 4.

Here you go on assignment to an abandoned temple, and on the road, you meet Barbarian, who is fighting with a huge demon. Helped him out – received a unique reward for killing the boss along with a random companion. It is worth actively joining such events, because for this they give experience, rare equipment and special bonuses like special currency and achievements.

This is one example of Diablo 4 mechanics aimed at making the grind fun. No matter how you turn it, but calling enemies will quickly get boring without the right approach. Fortunately, there are a lot of correct mechanics in the fourth part: non-story dungeons, full-fledged secondary tasks with small stories, world events, altars, and settlements captured by demons that need to be conquered back. 

In general, the ideas of the open-world game genre that has been fashionable in recent years (Assassin’s Creed, Horizon, The Witcher 3) are very successfully woven into the classic Diablo formula. But all these third-party activities do not bother. First, they are very fast and don’t waste your time.

Secondly, they give a worthy reward for them, and they are generally interesting. For example, each enslaved village has its own special final boss, and upon liberation, the outpost will turn into a town with merchants and, possibly, new additional tasks. And clearing the map gives permanent bonuses to the character.

The story campaign is now non-linear: you have a list of main tasks that you complete in different zones in no particular order. Alas, only one plot was available in the beta with the religious order of the Crusaders and the northern regions of people similar in culture and accent to the Eastern Slavs.

But on the release, judging by the preview and the list of tasks, from the start you can go to the icy edge or to the desert. The whole world adapts to you with the help of auto-balancing the level of monsters for you: there will be enemies everywhere

Conclusion:

The game successfully blends classic Diablo elements with innovative features, reminiscent of popular open-world games. Diablo 4’s beta version impresses with its character customization options, engaging gameplay mechanics, and the successful integration of open-world elements. With a promising non-linear story campaign and captivating activities, the game holds great potential to deliver an exceptional gaming experience upon its full release. So we are waiting for it!