

It's certainly better than the system the game launched with, where you were literally forced to beat story mode four times with each character on varying difficulties before reaching the endgame. Playing through all five Acts with my brand new Crusader (I didn't bother taking my PS3 out of mothballs to import my past character data), Diablo 3's difficulty curve proves as wonky as ever. The graphics themselves might not be anything revolutionary, as there's only so much to upgrade within the engine, but there's a smoothness here I've never seen across any other version of the game, and it makes it a joy to play. And this 1080p/60FPS version looks rather gorgeous on PS4 as well. Inventory management is a pain until you understand how to do it quickly, but overall, the game functions wonderfully with a controller.

Console D3 plays like an arcade dungeon fighter, is an absolute blast with friends, and I do not miss the incessant clicking and key mashing that comes with PC monster slaying. I've made no secret of my preference for the game on console over PC. Yes, this is technically the fourth or fifth variant of the game I've played, and I can quote nearly every line by heart at this point, but even if I'm growing weary of it, I have to say that objectively, this could very well be the best version of the game out there. I've played Ultimate Evil on PS4 for a long while now, and though I don't have a maxed out character decked out in the finest Legendary finery yet, I've played a healthy amount of the game to form a solid impression. The Crusader is a touch awkward at first with console controls, but once more skills are unlocked in time, that ceases to be an issue. It's all just monsters and loot, as God intended.Īs this version contains the expansion, there's a new, lengthy final Act V which makes up for the phoned-in Act IV in the original version, and it comes complete with a new class, the tank-like Crusader, a quasi-resurrection of D2's famed Paladin. The game's end-game content is now restructured as well, with an endless array of randomized dungeons to loot called "Nephalem Rifts." There are scores of bounties to complete in the unconstrained "Adventure Mode," where you can teleport anywhere, at any time, and don't have to deal with the pesky "story" of the game.
