by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

Patch 2.1 was supposed to breath new life into Diablo. Greater Rifts, Seasons, Leaderboards, New Legendary Items, you name it. Blizzard tried hard to provide Diablo players with endlessly repeatable fun, but did they succeed?

It my own observation, 2.1’s launch definitely got the game quite a bit of attention. I went from having  just a couple of b.net friends playing D3, to tens of them getting their Sanctuary fix. The surge in activity proved just to be a big burst, as the activity has been greatly reduced since. The admittedly small smart sample of my friend list puts activity just a tad above pre 2.1 levels. Personally, I quickly got my leveling conquest for the season and kinda lost interest not long after.

Greater Rifts provided us with some sort of end game, but it feels too RNG-Heavy. High-end build diversity is still awful and overall the experience hasn’t improved much.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Diablo 3. I was half-way through act 3 on my fist playthrough and I felt like I had gotten my money’s worth. I love the look of the game, the skill system, and a lot of the concepts that they are going for. But Diablo 3 right now feels more like a game that you get your hands on, you beat with a few characters, try out adventure mode, and then you are done.

Sure, there is more to be done. There’s always the endless loot grind to get the absolute best possible gear, and now you can also try to RNG-grind the greater rift layout and monster composition that will allow you to carve your name into the leaderboards, but that task is not going to be for everyone. Especially now, that there are just so many options to spend your playing time in.

2.1 wasn’t perfect, in fact, fixing some of the issues that came to light with Greater Rifts will be of utmost importance for the game’s health. But overall, this was a huge step in the right direction. Now it is time to look back and fix the old issues that have been plaguing this game since its inception. Maybe with a little balance fix here and there, and a brilliant new mode on 2.2, Diablo 3 can finally assert itself in the collective mind of the gaming community as a worthy successor of the acclaimed Lord of Destruction.

The future looks bright, so don’t sleep on this Diablo Team, they might still surprise you.