Diablo Immortal | Preview of the pocket Hack And Slash
The existence of Diablo IV, in fact, dampened the controversy surrounding Immortal, making it almost a ghost project… something that never existed. A real shame considering that we are talking about a production that has a lot to say, especially to fans of the saga curious to discover the events that took place between Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Diablo III. Immortal, in fact, should just fill that "hole of lore" which, until now, had never been dealt with in depth. Over the last few days we have had the opportunity to access the Diablo Immortal alpha, being able to sample a first appetizer of the game world and its peculiar mechanics, adapted for the occasion to mobile devices.
A new world of darkness
The story of Diablo Immortal stands as a bridge between the splendid ending of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and the beginnings of Diablo III. If you remember correctly, Tyreal destroyed the stone of the world after the death of the Lord of Destruction, Baal, scattering the fragments throughout Sanctuary. Our task is precisely to find these fragments and deny them to the demons who are looking for them for their dark purposes.On the journey we rediscover several old familiar faces, from the Necromancer Xul to the inevitable Deckard Cain. It should be noted, however, that the events dealt with in Diablo Immortal, while not erecting a mere narrative tinsel, appear much more as a simple enrichment of a lore that is already quite intriguing and well-constructed in itself. In the hours spent with the title we found a lot of fanservice, good narrative moments and some really intriguing ideas but, in general terms, Diablo Immortal left us the typical sensations of a mid-quel, where the excellent narrative tends to bend to a celebration of a past never written until today. However, it remains an excellent system for lovers of lore to get their fill while waiting for Diablo IV.
Slaughter of demons
Diablo Immortal offers sensations of accessibility, and immediacy, similar to those Diablo III: Destroying hordes of demons proves extremely exciting, as well as satisfying, thanks to an emphasis on the Hack And Slash mechanics, compared to the more RPG components. Clearly we have some simplifications, forced by the transposition on mobile platforms, on the side of the skills that are now only four and all linked to a Cooldown. The presence of Mana is therefore eliminated, in addition to the dozens of skills present in the previous chapters, limiting the player in choosing which skills to use to intersperse the auto-attacks.We can safely say that, together with a limited customization of weapons and equipment, these are the two characteristics that have convinced us less than Diablo Immortal. Although everything is designed to make the twin-stick formula usable, and enjoyable, those who like us come from the experiences gained with the previous chapters, will find themselves faced with a little stratified divertissement, even if it is fun and well done. We have not been able to test any compatibility with external controllers but we can reassure you about the excellent work done by Blizzard in keeping the screen clean of excessive indicators, as well as in ensuring always clear and responsive game action.
These elements , however, they must not discourage the players most loyal to the brand, because Diablo Immortal is much more than what appears from the first hours which, after a few chapters of the main story designed to level up your character, puts a cloud on the plate of missions, side activities, the return of the Rifts (with the possibility of competing with other players), bounties, some time challenges and dungeons. The latter can be played in the company of up to three other players or, if desired, completely solo and play the role of real raids with customizable difficulty. A useful way to find the rarest equipment and the most powerful items.
All these activities, which will be cyclically reset on a weekly basis, will be closely linked with the Battle Pass, a real novelty for the series that will fill the infamous monetization role for the game itself. A model that, at the moment, it has not been possible to analyze in detail but which if it will remain as seen until now will allow Diablo Immortal not to present annoying Paywall, binding its income to the canonical, aesthetic elements. Therefore, there are no annoying energy systems or economic progression constraints.
Summing up Diablo Immortal
After a few days spent with the Diablo Immortal alpha, we can tell you that we are dealing with a production that keeps its promises. An Action-RPG that does not show, at least for the moment, an excessive influence of the models proposed by NetEase in the past and that manages to release a streamlined and fun version of Blizzard's work. It is a well-made mobile game, able to keep the player glued to the screen for hours and which, with the due differences, has a type of production similar to what was seen with the recent League Of Legends Wild Rift, or a reduced version, but consistent, of the reference title.Graphically the title is impressive, full of particle effects to charm the player and an attention to detail that is very rarely found in productions of this type. The limitations, due to the environment for which it was developed, are many, the compromises also but everything seems, equally, positioned in the right place, going to offer an excellent pocket-sized Diablo Experience. While waiting to explore the nefarious underworld of the endgame (and fully understand the monetization system) we can already venture a shy positive opinion, which will however have to turn into a certainty when the final form of Diablo Immortal will be made available to everyone.
If you've never tried Blizzard's famous Hack and Slash series, you can try Diablo 3 for PlayStation 4
