Diablo III: 12 Years In The Making

For the benefit of those who haven’t played Diablo or Diablo II, Diablo III is an action-packed role-playing game that combines elements of the hack and slash genre. The highly anticipated release of Diablo III is imminent. It has been twelve years since Diablo II was released, yet to this day there are still people playing it. This speaks volumes on the longevity and detail of the games in the Diablo franchise. Gamers have high expectations for Diablo III and, considering the fact that it has taken 12 years for the sequel to be released, fans wouldn’t be too forgiving if the game slips up in the slightest. It is not a surprise that Diablo III is expected to sell around 3.5 million copies this year, although considering that Diablo II sold four million copies in 14 months, it is likely that Diablo III will sell around four million units this year alone. Here is a brief rundown of what’s to come in Diablo III.

Storyline

The story continues on from Diablo II, 20 years into the future after Sanctuary was saved by powerful heroes. The story follows a new generation of heroes, whose job is to protect Sanctuary from evil forces. At the end of Diablo II, the Worldstone was destroyed, leaving behind a giant crater. The plot of Diablo III follows Deckard Cain, one of the main characters, who works to discover more information on the whereabouts of the last two evils (Azmodan and Belial) and why no invasion took place. The rest of the story largely focuses on Tyrael, the angel of justice, and what happens to him after the world was destroyed. The game also introduces a new character, Leah, who is shown to be the niece of Deckard Cain.

Characters

Demon Hunter: The Demon Hunter is a character that possesses a range of melee combat and attacking skills. Its skill tree, comprising of offense, discipline, and utility, features a range of weaponry and trapping skills that make this character such a strategic player. Demon Hunters are equipped with artillery such as dual-wielded crossbows and grenades. They use two resource pools: Hatred and Discipline, which combine together to offer an array of offensive and defensive maneuvers. Demon Hunters will be a popular character choice for strategic players as they can also cloak themselves using shadow magic.

Witch Doctor: The Witch Doctor is a spell-attacking class that deals with elemental magic and natural magic. It can summon pets and creatures, as well as cast curses and exploding skulls to assist in combat. The Witch Doctor has a skill tree that comprises of a physical realm, spiritual realm, and support. It is also the only character that uses mana as a character resource. Common spells that can be used to slow enemies with the Witch Doctor include curses and hexes.

Monk: As the name suggests, Monks are religious and spiritual warriors. The class is based on agility and martial arts, with its skill set focusing on holy energy. Monks can be difficult to master, but once this is accomplished, they can be quite powerful. Monks particularly excel in close combat as they utilize spiritual energy to attack in stages that build up in combos to offer a variety of maneuvers.

Wizard: The Wizard is an aggressive spell caster that combines skills from Diablo II and other role-playing games. The character can be played in a male or female version, with the male character representing more of a traditional sorcerer from the original game. The Wizard’s signature skills include: magic missile, shock pulse, spectral blade, and electrocute. Also, the Wizard uses arcane power as a placeholder resource pool.

Barbarian: This is the only returning character from Diablo II. The class allows three play styles, which include: Juggernaut, Battlemaster, and Berserker. Juggernaut has usually been the most popular class as it features a variety of all-purpose skills. The Barbarian is a bulky character that relies on sheer force in combat. Its skill set comprises of fury and stamina. Also, players have the choice of choosing a male or female version of this character.

Diablo III is set to be released on May 15th. Fans have been eagerly awaiting its release since the beta was available. Beta gameplay did not disappoint as it showed the level of detail put into the graphics and offered very impressive gameplay. If the beta is anything to go by, the final version of Diablo III will certainly live up to all the hype surrounding it.

What do you think about the upcoming release of Diablo III? Do you think it will live up to the high standards set by Diablo II? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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