Possibly the biggest franchise in all of ARPGs is sitting right there, and you’re just not playing it?!
Recently, Path of Exile 2 released an expansion called “Dawn of the Hunt” and a lot of the players were left very dissatisfied and even angry at the changes that this brought. So, I was thinking that a lot of fans of the ARPG genre are probably looking for a new game to play, so now I get to preach to you about Diablo 4 and every reason you should try it!
If I end up convincing you to give this fantastic game a shot, then maybe you will also consider Diablo 4 power leveling to get exactly the experience that you want out of the game!
Dark and gritty
If you’re anything like me, then the one of the first things that jumped at you about Path of Exile 2 was how dark it looked, it reminded me of Diablo 1 and 2. In my opinion, Diablo 3 was a little too colorful and so are some of the other biggest ARPGs such as Torchlight. However, Diablo 4 is a total return to form for the franchise. They made this game dark in both aesthetic choices and story. You will surely relive some of your early Diablo memories in this game.
Massive open world
Unlike Path of Exile, that has Instanced Areas and Procedurally Generated Maps, Diablo 4 introduces a fully open world. Sanctuary is now split into five massive regions that you can explore freely, each packed with secrets, side quests, dungeons, and world events. Take part in the main story or go off to do many engaging side quests around the map!
Satisfying gameplay
The combat feels heavy and impactful, with incredible sound design and looks to every attack. Coming together to create a feeling of being truly powerful in this oppressive world. The loot system has changed quite a bit from the older entries. Instead of a lot of fodder loot that you don’t really care about, You’ll find weapons and gear with meaningful stat boosts and modifiers.
Seasons
Much like Path of Exile 2, this game has a live service system and has seasons. Each season changing mechanics of the game to keep it fresh and bringing updates based on the player feedback. They also have a battle pass that offers mainly cosmetic rewards. All of this gives the game new life even after you finish it, so you can keep coming back!
Microtransactions
The game has microtransactions, but they’re mainly for things that are cosmetic, such as armor transmogs and mounts. Unlike in Path of Exile 2 where you can buy stash tabs besides the regular cosmetic things. So you won’t feel like you’re missing out if you’re not giving into the microtransactions in this game.
Classes
Path of exile features a massive passive skill tree that gives players incredible freedom when it comes to building a character. Diablo 4 might not have that, but it does feature the biggest skill tree for each of their six classes that they have ever done. Each tree featuring powerful abilities that feel distinct and useful. So if you’re into making builds, this game will still give you your fill of content!
Story
Diablo 4 features a great story, as you come to expect from this team. The focus is on Lilith, the Daughter of Hatred, whose return to Sanctuary sets off a chain of terrifying events.
The story is mature, emotional, and full of twists. With fully voiced dialogue, cinematic cutscenes, and deep lore, the narrative gives the action weight and purpose.
Choices
Diablo 4 introduces dialogue choices that enable you to take part in different moral dilemmas, such as having to choose between furthering your own power or helping someone in need. This isn’t usually seen in this genre of game and is a welcomed change as it ensures you remain engaged with the story as you paly.
Co-Op
The game not only features a full coop system where you can play pretty much the entire game with a friend, but it also features couch coop for the console versions! You can team up with a friend, join a clan, even run into other players while roaming the world. Bringing a social aspect that the franchise hadn’t reached yet!
World events
While we’re talking about Co-Op, let’s talk about world events. Whether you’re with a friend at the time or not, sometimes there are these moments where you’re given a difficult mission, like protecting a city. However, this mission is given to everyone in your world, so every player usually comes running to get a good reward from this challenge. These missions lead to epic moments of team work with both friends and strangers!
PvP
Diablo 4 also has PvP areas where you get to fight against other players to see who’s more powerful. You even gain different materials and loot that can only be used in this Versus mode.
This is a completely optional feature. If you don’t feel like playing it, you won’t be missing much, but I like that it’s there to show off your build and show your friend who’s boss if they have been talking smack!
In conclusion
I don’t mean for this article to become a hit piece on Path of Exile 2. However, right now there must be a lot of gamers that are looking for a game to fill the ARPG shaped hole in their heart. I aim to help with that. I’m sure that if the devs fix the issues that the new update brought, then gamers will flood back. It is an early access game, after all, so changes are to be expected. However, until then, why not try out Diablo 4 and see what all the fuzz is about? I’m sure you will find a community that’s open and friendly and make friends thanks to the way the game implemented its multiplayer system.
