A More Diverse Endgame
4 Things We Want to See in “Diablo 4”
It took a while, but Diablo 3 did finally settle into an endgame that suited it. Building up a character that could, (a); survive the most difficult rifts, and then, (b); complete them in record times, is very fun in short bursts. Diablo 3 is one of those games that I play obsessively over a few weeks, but then get tired of it until someone asks “hey feel like playing some Diablo?” and then the cycle of getting new set gear, and challenging the hardest rifts, repeats. I also enjoy the more chill bounty mode that anyone can do to grind out useful crafting materials.
I think that some version of the Diablo 3 endgame should carry over into Diablo 4, but Blizzard would be wise to add on more. I would love to see something that caters to Diablo 2/old-school fans, and something completely out of the box and new. That way, all bases are covered in the next game. You make the Diablo 3 fans happy, grumpy traditionalists that flocked to games like Path of Exile have a reason to give the new game a go, and something brand new to make the sequel feel fresh.
Also, while we’re at it for the most part, ladder seasons in Diablo 3 have been pretty dry. Occasionally they have introduced new content and features, but a lot of the time, it’s just, well a new ladder season to start over with.
It would behoove Blizzard to find some more creative ways to kick off new seasons. Although incredibly late, they are sort of starting to get the message it seems with themed seasons being introduced recently. However, in Diablo 4, or whatever is coming next, new seasons should be something that is something is exciting to not only current players that have seen and done it all, but also players that have drifted away as well to bring them back.
Might we suggest playing a little more fast and loose with new content? I know Blizzard has a very high standard when it comes to putting out, well, anything, but seasons that added new abilities, classes, areas, game features, etc. on a regular basis would make for a much more cheery and enjoyable experience.
Less Forgiving Progression
4 Things We Want to See in “Diablo 4”
Diablo 3 offers unprecedented freedom in the series as far as character building goes. You can mix and match skills, and passive traits from any skill “tree” that your chosen class had access to. This has led to some very creative builds that are able to take advantage of powerful set bonuses. Certain builds have risen and fallen as the meta has shifted, but there’s nothing that stops players from trying out any combination of abilities that they want.
While there are certainly some benefits to that approach, what it gave up in return was strategic pre-planning of your character and tough decision making it when it came to picking abilities. Leveling up is essentially just a small hurdle you have to clear before the endgame of finding the right set pieces to match a build you find online for clearing rifts quickly.
We’re not suggesting that Diablo 4, or whatever is next, go full reverse into permanent choices for everything, but there is probably a balance that could be struck between flexibility and creativity, and some permanent choices that give you a sense of attachment to a character you’re working on.
Let’s Try PvP One More Time
4 Things We Want to See in “Diablo 4”
At launch, Blizzard had ambitious goals for Diablo 3’s PvP mode. Initially, it was something that they were hoping would resemble traditional PvP game modes seen in other genres. Understandably, the team was swamped with putting out the debacle over the PvE’s endgame first, but when the fire was finally put out, their vision for PvP never actually came to fruition.
There’s potential for PvP to succeed in Diablo 4, but Blizzard just needs to think outside of the box. Leave traditional dueling in as an option for the old bodies like myself, but might I suggest a competitive PvE option? Instead of trying to find a way to balance the classes which will likely never happen, especially in a team format, let’s see two teams race against the clock in trying to clear whatever the Diablo 4 equivalent of rifts would be.
Hell, Diablo 4 could borrow from their new cousin, Destiny 2, and incorporate what will be featured in the new Gambit mode. In Gambit, two PvE teams are racing against each other to clear a stage as quickly as possible, but at certain points in the match, players from one team can invade the other and cause havoc. It’s something that on paper at least, sounds like it would fit Diablo like a glove.
If Blizzard insists on finding a way to make PvP work in the traditional sense, then an entire PvP skill tree would probably be the way to go. That way, Blizzard can make changes to PvP over time, without affecting the fun of PvE.
Make Loot More Special and Exciting
4 Things We Want to See in “Diablo 4”
Now let’s make one thing perfectly clear: I love the effort that went into Diablo 3’s set bonuses. They radically changed how classes could play, and it’s something that not only do I hope continues in Diablo 4, but I think other loot-based games such as MMORPGs, and hybrids like Destiny, should take inspiration from.
However, Diablo 3 upped the loot ante to an extreme where it became similar to Borderlands, a game in which most drops don’t actually matter at all. Even those awesome set pieces, you probably already have plenty of what you technically need, you’re just looking for optimal stat distribution. That’s all well and good, but it’s not as exciting as actual, rare, drops that get you pumped up instantly. As currently stands, it’s more a case of, hey, neat, that dropped, let me check the stats… OK never mind, it’s trash.
Again, like the skill points earlier on, I’m not suggesting that the current system gets thrown out entirely. It’s great that there is so much gear the rains all over you when you complete stuff, but there has got to be a way to inject more of the “OMG” back when you see something drop.
That does it for our suggestions, What do you want to see in the next Diablo game? Let us know in the comments below!
About the author
