[pixel_tracing]

How things have deviated since Diablo 2, I’m so saddened by the lack of creativity in D4 compared to path of exile

[aliasxneo]

Couldn't disagree more. Played all of them, and the story in D4 is fantastic, not to mention the amazing cinematics. Well worth the asking price.

[dendriti]

The story in D4 is fantastic "for a video game". It's still a shitty video game story that wouldn't succeed in any other medium.

[fargoth]

This is interesting to me, because I always figured the Diablo series was prized for its moment-to-moment gameplay, rather than for its story or cinematics.

[bpicolo]

Blizzard cinematics have always set a high bar. The WoW expansion teasers are always phenomenal.

[bee_rider]

Their cinematics are pretty, but their plot is basically “spin the roulette wheel to find out which protagonist catches The Corruption.”

[TinkersW]

They were pretty but I mostly just wished to skip them..

[imbnwa]

Or just Warcraft III

[haint_]

What? The cinematics are absolutely incredible. Would definitely pay to watch a full Diablo movie.

[pixel_tracing]

Pretty much this +1 it was less about story or cinematics. I really enjoyed the build dynamics in D2

[antisthenes]

A game without actually fighting Diablo, that looks like an endless zone grind, based on what I saw on multiple Twitch streams.

No thanks.

[logicchains]

It's literally an endless grind because enemies scale with you as you level up, so all mobs feel the same and there's no sense of progression.

[pixel_tracing]

This, part of building your character is the power fantasy you get when you go to weaker zones and absolutely obliterate everything.

With the current system, you actually end up getting weaker as you level up

[denvrede]

But why should I do that? I don't get that argument. I've never went back to a low level zone in any game just for the purpose of "obliterating everything". If there is a quest I missed, sure. But what's the point doing that?

[kaoD]

Diablo 4 makes you go back and forth across zones, GTA-style. Not only for sidequests, but also the main storyline. D2 solved this by artificially constraining you to one region per act in a linear fashion.

In D4 when you pass through or go back to a zone you've been in, and the monsters are tougher, it feels awful.

[aliasxneo]

That has not been my experience. Yes, at certain moments, I am pressed to optimize. However, I'm currently wrecking WT3 with my necro. I know it won't last forever as I scale up, but that's fine with me, otherwise I'd have nothing to look forward to.

[parasubvert]

idk, i feel like items are how you progress - My character at 48 with upgraded legendaries is a badass compared to 28.

[epolanski]

To be honest, if I was interested in stories I would read a book, not play a HnS.

[pixel_tracing]

You get through the story in a few days maybe a week or so, then you have the rest of the end game.

Compare it to Path of Exile and the difference is night and day

[seattle_spring]

What about compared to PoE in the first week it came out? D4 will get better as they iterate on it based on gameplay and feedback just like they did with D3 and D2.

[broodbucket]

I'm sure they will expand on gameplay but there's no indication they'll come close to scratching the surface of PoE's depth, and I don't think they're trying to. D4 is supposed to be a simpler game with a lower barrier to entry that is more accommodating to casual players. You can't get a whole lot out of PoE as a beginner without third-party resources, there's certainly a tradeoff to its many layers of complexity.

D3 and D4 are games made for people in their 30s who grew up playing D1 and D2 and now only have a couple of hours a day to play, and that's fine

[pixel_tracing]

I really hope you are right, because I love Diablo and Diablo 2. I spent so many hours in D2.

Let’s see what happens I suppose