Diablo III Preview

The Diablo franchise is quite the conundrum. Taking the hack-and-slash formula and combining it with an addictive loot-driven system was a recipe for success for the first two entries to the series. Since then, multiple games have tried to replicate the success of these games.

However, none have matched the polish or the addictive nature of the Diablo series. Now that Diablo 3 is upon us, Blizzard hopes to capture the essence of the previous games to give gamers the hack-and-slash title they so desperately want. This week we finally get our hands on the much anticipated 3rd release – here’s one last look at what we’ll be playing.

A quick recap of Diablo 3 gameplay

The gameplay of Diablo 3 is really quite simple. You hit enemies, you unload your skills on them, and then they die. After their deaths, enemies may drop equipment that players can pick up to upgrade their own fighting skills.

While the basic gameplay may be similar to Diablo 1 and Diablo 2, some of the deeper systems have been completely reworked. For one, potions are gone. Now, enemies drop health orbs, which do away with the need for health potions.

Skills are upgraded in a different way as well.  As a character levels up, their skills unlock modifies. In each modifier, players can insert runes to change how the skill works. Some runes do small thing like decrease the amount of arcane power or mana, and some change the attribute or scale of certain skills.

Also, mana has been totally reworked for each class. Check the character section below for details. In addition to these gameplay features, Diablo 3 also has an updated quest system and random level and encounter generators. There are also NPC followers that can accompany players throughout the game.

There are also a few controversial choices that Blizzard has made to Diablo 3. Blizzard has implemented an Auction House that can be used to acquire in-game cash and real-world money. The fact that they haven’t implemented PvP yet is also puzzling. However, all of these changes are meant to enhance the Diablo experience and streamline the game’s systems.

Diablo III Gameplay video

Diablo 3′s 5 playable classes

Just like the previous entries, Diablo 3 has a variety of classes that players can choose from based on their own personal preferences.

Witch Doctor

Slightly like the necromancer, the Witch Doctor’s skills reflect voodoo rather than reanimation. The Witch Doctor is able to summon monsters, cast curses, harvest souls and use poison. This is the only class that actually uses mana like previous characters fro Diablo 1 and 2.

Barbarian

The barbarian is the main melee fighter of Diablo 3. They have many crowd control techniques and are quite powerful. There skills are used through a fury system, which builds up as enemies are attacked. However, fury isn’t persistent and runs out over time.

Wizard

The wizard is the basic spellcaster of Diablo 3. Their skills range from fire bolts and lighting rays to time manipulation and teleportation. The wizard uses arcane magic, which is a like mana, but regenerates faster.

Monk

The monk is the other melee fighter in Diablo 3. In addition to martial arts skills that cripple foes, resist damage, and attack quickly, monks can also use healing skills. The monk’s skillset uses spirit. Spirit is generated by attacking enemies and, unlike rage, does not degenerate.

Demon Hunter

The Demon Hunter takes cues from the Amazon and Assassin classes. They use crossbows and bombs as their weapons. The Demon Hunter actually uses two types of resources for skills: Hatred and Discipline. Hatred is used for attack skills and Discipline is used for defensive abilities.