Diablo III? Didn’t that game release last year? Well yes, there was a game by that name, but with just a few key changes, the console release is shaping up to be something very different. Oh, and you can play this game offline!
What it is: This version of Diablo III isn’t just a port from the PC. The main change, of course, comes from direct control. The team tried a twin-stick approach early in development, before settling on a setup very similar to last-gen classics like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath. So the game’s less clicky and more action-packed. Also in this version: less frequent, more interesting loot.
Why we’re excited: Local multiplayer really makes this a different game, and we think it’s better. The game’s built with that in mind; you can manage and sort through loot without going into menus. Also, without the PC version’s always-online and Auction House-fueled drawbacks, it’s more of a pure, fun thing to play.
What we’re wondering: There’s still one issue with playing a game with local friends, and it’s one that has plagued the subgenre for too long now: the late-joining companion. Dropping in and out is great, but if you’re all high-level characters and someone joins you with a freshly-created one, that person can’t do much of anything for a long time. There’s nothing in place to remedy this; will training someone up at that point be fast enough?
Diablo III‘s console version releases September 3 on 360 and PS3, and sometime later on PS4.
