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Diablo 3: Review-in-Progress Part One
MikeB
Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
After 12 years was Diablo III worth it? That's far too loaded a question to answer in just a single piece, so we're putting together a review-in-progress series leading up to our final review. Today, we look at Diablo III's launch day and offer our take on our experience with the game so far.
Diablo III didn’t get off to a great start; in fact, it got off to a horrible start. As I write this article, the servers are down for maintenance, which is pretty much par for the course over the last 24 hours. I was hoping to finish Act I by the time I put this thing together, but alas, Battle.net isn’t feeling cooperative. A lot of readers like to point out that Diablo III isn’t an MMO whenever we post an article or news post about the game, but it looks like the game shares at least one thing in common with MMOs: crap launch days. They’ve gotten better over the years, sure, but Diablo III’s launch experience hearkens back to MMO launches of old due to the widespread instability and lack of service. That ‘always online’ bit? Not such a great idea after all, eh?
Read more of Michael Bitton's Diablo III: Review-in-Progress Part One.
Comments
I am only a couple hours in but I am having fun, ( notwithstanding the server issues ) Playing a witchdoctor and loving the abilities i have learned so far. I am not a power gamer and am just enjoying the ride for now, will see how crazy it gets as the difficulty increases
"All expectation leads to suffering" Buhhda
Not using the keyboard for anything is off-putting. I almost wish I could have my WASD back.
The storyline isn't bad thus far.
The servers are crap, and shall remain crap henceforth until... well who knows. Someone at Blizzard better fix it.
People said it's not too easy, it's not too hard. Only time I've died levels 1-14 was because I was trying to see just how many people I could get into a circle and AOE the ever living daylights out of them. (I think the total was 30 before I died)
The no offline play killed the game. I dont want to put out 60 bucks for a game with single player and then not be able to play because i cannot get online.
I returned my copy and exchanged it for a gift card....thats how much i hated the game.
They intentionally blur the graphics for some unknown ridiculous reason and in general the graphics look like they're from 5-7 years ago. Very disappointing.
"Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky
Completed the game at level 36 just over 15 hours gameplay, Worth it? not really bored the hell outta me.
was wondering when you guys would talk about server issues. its sad- after a beta stress weekend, they would fall worse than the weekend itself.
-but its an awsome game, its like having a ford GT without gas. i look forward on many hours of gameplay!
<.<
Tell that to this guy...
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Good and fair write-up so far. Wonder what your eventual mileage playing this game will be. The "auto leveling setting" analogy is exactly how it felt to me.
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The estimated play time is 20-30 hours of content x Multiple modes.
This is likely to be a sore point for players very quickly.
And why is a game that is clearly not an MMO getting an in-depth multi week review on MMORPG? Have we run out of things to talk about that actually are MMO related?
i'm 6 hours in and still on the first half of act 1. Soooo...ya that all depends on playstyle. For me I should be able to get quite a bit more. If you rush well thats your decision. Not fun to me rushing though.
Happy I decided not to buy, hate the restrictive DRM and ego has become a company run by accountants not gamers.
Waiting happily for Torchlight 2
No DRM
Software developement kit
lan play
single play
$20
pets
Like Mike pointed out it has at least "crappy launch days" in common with mmorpgs. Lolz.
Also I think it was Suzie or Bill that said that even when Diablo III isn't technically a mmorpg, it has many things in common (apart from the massively bit) and the target groups overlap for a great deal too.
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I Lol'd.
Like Mike pointed out it has at least "crappy launch days" in common with mmorpgs. Lolz.
Also I think it was Suzie or Bill that said that even when Diablo III isn't technically a mmorpg, it has many things in common (apart from the massively bit) and the target groups overlap for a great deal too.
This and the fact that majority readers asked for it to be covered. Plus, at BlizzCon, Wyatt basically said "It's an MMO in our eyes, but we're not calling it that officially." Yes, it's missing a shared world, but given the always-on (except when it's down, lolz) nature of the title and its social aspects, is it really that much of a stretch?
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I tihnk the thing to write here, Michael, is that while Diablo 3 is a good polished game, it isn't genre defining more a re-work and update of Diablo 2. Blizzard/Activision have done a good job here and I am certainly playing and having fun. However, I think one of the disapointments is the game's graphics, it really needs something above the current offering of high setting, If they can patch that in it would improve the game. Game itself is standard RPG/ DUngeon hack stuff.
My rating...
8/10
Was quite dissappointed. I'm not saying the game is bad...but its been 12 years since D2...which was amazing...but I didnt' expect another D2...I expected an upgrade. This is just D2 with better graphics, a more linear area to roam in (smaller areas) and really boring classes. The classes in D2 were amazing. To this day i'd say the necro in D2 was the best necro class in any game ever. This game did not live up to the hype....sad.
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Actually Bill, it is.
It's about as much an MMO as starcraft 2. Having RPG elements doesn't change that. I get why you guys are covering it, it's popular, but I wouldn't try and justify it as being an MMO when it's clearly not.
"Error 37!? What the f*ck are the other 36!?" bout choked on my coffee with that one.
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It's clearly not a MMO nor should it be even compared to one. I don't think it belongs here.
That said, In My Opinion (!) it's a fair game. Not awesome by any stretch of the imagination. I'd rate it as a 6 on a 10 scale. It's pretty but the gameplay doesn't really bring anything special to the table. The server issues should be irrelevant but they aren't. I don't condone piracy but this game is begging to be hacked to separate it from Battle.net so people can at least enjoy the single player experience.
i disagree with u on this/// people are rushing to finish quickly so they can start farming and get to AH with paypal etc- depends on play style- iam here for the lore and graphics-not to beat the game. when i do....i do.
yes i pick up every little book and listen to them. for lore.
I held off buying D3 and I'm really glad I did. I won't touch it unless they add offline play. I'm sure they will get the server issues under control eventually, and some of it can be explained (if not excused) by tons of people hitting the server at one time, but if it can happen now it can happen again in the future. There's no good reason why people who pay decent money for a game should have to deal with server outages for the single-player game.
same here buddy, i am opening every bit dark spot on the map and looking under every little stone or breaking every vaze!lol i love this game so far 7 hours in it and almost done act 1, but i am pretty sure before i leave an area that the map is TOTALY clear :P
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