With it being over a decade since Diablo III launched in 2012, fans of the series have been waiting patiently for a full-fledged release from publisher Blizzard.
The announcement of a mobile spin-off Diablo Immortal back in 2018 felt like a slap in the face to a community who were anticipating the latest instalment in the series.
During a Q&A session fans let their frustrations known with one fan even asking if it was a joke.
Thankfully, their patience has been rewarded with Diablo IV as it delivers the type of sprawling action role playing game that is sure to keep fans happy for the next decade.
The sheer scale of the world is impressive with each area full of demonic dungeons to plunder and dynamic world events to tackle with other online players.
It can be overwhelming at first, but the way the missions slowly introduce you to new areas makes it feel more than manageable.
The game is set in the eery world of Sanctuary and begins with The Lord of Hatred, Lilith being resurrected by a group of cultists.
Your character known as "The Wanderer" is captured by some of her followers and fed blood pedals which conveniently gives you a connection to Lilith.
Like most RPGs (role playing games) you start by choosing your class and then create your own character. There are five classes to choose from: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue and Sorcerer.
I chose the Necromancer character whose special ability is being able to turn enemies you kill into your own personal skeleton army.
Each class has their own special ability as well as strengths and weaknesses. The Barbarian character for example is a traditional tank who is best suited to dealing damage up close but is less adept against more nimble enemies.
Regardless of who you chose, you will be hacking and slashing your way through enemies in no time.
Each boss fight offers a different challenge and more than likely you will not defeat them on your first try....and that's OK
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Each boss fight offers a different challenge and more than likely you will not defeat them on your first try....and that's OK.
World tiers
As someone who is new to the Diablo series, I was pleased to see the game does not just throw you into the deep end straight away.
As well as choosing your typical easy, medium or hard difficulty there are two different world tiers available.
In World Tier I the enemies are much easier to kill and while the bosses are still a challenge, it never feels like you are overwhelmed by enemies.
If you are looking for a real challenge World Tier II fits the bill and if you are playing co-op, it really tests your teamwork.
After getting our asses handed to us in one boss fight, my co-op partner and I regrouped and focused on the boss's minions and made sure we killed them before going after the boss itself.
Co-op gives you a real opportunity to combine your abilities; as one of you stuns the enemy the other can pick them off with long range attacks.
It is satisfying figuring out the best way to tackle each situation and in the midst of the chaos you have to think on your toes when facing tougher enemies.
Speaking of enemies, the variety overall is great whether you come across: ghouls, skeletons, spiders, vampire, werewolves, or wraiths.
The same goes for the locations, as you travel from depths of a spider’s dungeon to the summit of frozen peaks. Every area tells a story about this desolate world and adds to the sense of hopelessness.
The main story missions on the other hand relay the gravity of Lilith’s influence as her corruption rapidly spreads. You come face to face with characters whose lives have been ruined by her actions.
It is a smart way of showing her trial of devastation rather than having her crop up ever few hours for the sake of the story.
Final verdict
Whether you are a Diablo veteran or an intrigued newcomer, Diablo IV is an incredibly polished and accomplished game with a seemingly endless amount of content.
It is not a game that is going set the world on fire by any means, but it is hard to deny how well crafted an experience it is.
In a world where games are routinely released broken and half-finished, Diablo IV is a rare diamond that marries quality with quantity.
