Did you check out the Diablo IV beta this weekend?

Lillith is the baddie… No, really

The past two weekends saw Activision Blizzard roll out twin betas for its upcoming hellfest, Diablo IV. Pre-order customers were given the opportunity to revisit Sanctuary on the weekend of March 17, while everybody was invited to Hell and back on the weekend of March 24. These betas would offer die-hard fans of the BIG DEEEEEE their first look at the dungeon-crawling epic.

Well, at least they were if they were able to get through the door… Online games, same old story, y’know?

I, legitimately, put well over 1000 hours into Diablo III. This was made possible thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend and longtime franchise fan, as well as the simple fact that I really didn’t have all that much to do in 2012. The point is, I really ate up the divisive release, pulling it apart at the very seams, exploring every avenue of gameplay that could be explored, and even completing it on Inferno Mode without utilizing the rightfully maligned Real Money Auction House, or waiting for the big Blizzard update that tweaked down the difficulty across the board.

I’m kind of a Big D Deal, is what I’m saying.

Still, 2023 is most certainly not 2012, and I don’t have over 1000 hours to dedicate to a single game these days, let alone one that launches the exact same week as Street Fighter 6. As such, I jumped into the Diablo IV beta with a secret desire that I’d “moved on”, or, much like Blizzard’s own Overwatch 2, that the franchise had simply dropped the ball magic between titles. Unfortunately, it turns out that I have not, in fact, “moved on”, as I actually found myself hooked once again. And I don’t mean by Tha Butcha.

It’s obviously the earliest of days, but I really dug my time with the Diablo IV beta. I like the new skill tree mechanic, I appreciate with the use of custom characters within cinematics — which adds an element of direct involvement Diablo III was sorely missing. I’m impressed with the new customization options. Diablo IV feels a tad more “personal” than its predecessor — as if The Wanderer is directly embedded in the action, rather than just a sort of “overseer mercenary” to the world’s events.

And then there’s Lillith, a character whom the story is attempting to portray as the antagonist, but is well-designed, seductive, and undoubtedly “cool”. Cooler than Grumpy Guts Inarius at any rate.

Do I have 1000 hours to spend on Diablo IV? No, not these days. But it won’t be for lack of trying.