Diablo 4 Beta Review: A Look at the New Gameplay Mechanics and Features

The open beta for the fourth installment of the highly anticipated isometric role-playing game Diablo 4 just ended. The people have a lot to say regarding different aspects of the game.

Bugs and glitches were a given since it was the beta version of the game and not the final product. However, it gave us a first look at the gameplay and mechanics of one of the pioneering looter RPG genres.

Let us discuss this in greater detail, highlighting what we thought about the gameplay loop in this gothic setting and whether the mechanics and features were enough to divert the attention of the fans from the glaring bugs and other technical difficulties.

The Game Play

It seems that the game stuck to its original formula for combat, which is the bread and butter of the game, as you will find yourself smashing enemy skulls or raising undead armies from the grave to fight your foes for the majority of the game.

Even though the combat style varies from class to class, at its core, the combat comprises you utilizing the diverse skills at your disposal, either augmenting yourself with increased defense or thrashing enemies with your great axe.

Great thought and hard work has been put into the skill design, and it shows. Each skill feels essential to the combat, with each fireball or corpse explosion providing you with an impact while being incredibly balanced so that it does not turn you into some overpowered entity and turn the entire game into a cakewalk.

The skills all have an essence or mana cost, with most heavy hitters coming with a notable cooldown time, which is why you will use your basic skills most of the time.

However, that does not slow down or make the gameplay clunky due to the traversal freedom and the responsiveness of each dodge which gives players the feeling of dodging and weaving through a mob or boss's attacks.

The Mechanics

Even though a vast majority of the players who took part in the beta had a lot of positive things to say about the game's combat mechanics and how it encouraged you to play tactically, the real winner of the show was the incredibly well-done gear and crafting system.

Even after numerous hours clocked into the game, the players were pleasantly surprised when they came across unique gear with game-changing stats and incredibly complex talents associated with legendary grade gear.

They do it pretty well for a game about looting and gear, allowing players to switch loadouts on the fly so that they can try different builds accompanied by the fleshed-out gear system.

Conclusion

It isn't a game by Blizzard if there are no excessively long wait times and various bugs and glitches are involved. However, considering this was simply the beta test, the overall combat and other gameplay mechanics and features which they have added seem to provide the game with a fresh change of pace.

Even though they have a long way to go and a lot of fixing to do, Diablo 4 certainly seems to move on the right path.