Recent reviews by DartPancake

I’d be interesting to see the online numbers for PoE 2 during the league launch if nothing changes. A lot of new "soulslike fans" will likely run off, and ARPG enthusiasts will remain. And I seriously doubt that most people will be eager to suffer through 30-40 hours of the campaign every season. If people really wanted that kind of gameplay, then there would probably be more than just a couple of players in Ruthless mode.

Pros

1. Great graphics
But the color grading needs some work. In many locations, mobs blend in too much with the landscape.

2. Sound

3. Novelty

4. WASD

Cons

1. Incredibly oppressive atmosphere everywhere
Rolling, low movement speed, huge acts in the campaign, lack of loot—this isn’t difficulty, it’s just oppressive. When it’s new, it’s fine, but the longer it goes on, the more people will start showing fatigue through low online numbers.

2. Character customization is ruined
It’s now an ARPG with many limitations on skills based on class and weapon, very slow character progression, and a much weaker skill tree. Why play PoE2 if even in Last Epoch and Torchlight Infinite the customization is more interesting?

3. Low replayability
I said it earlier, most people won't want to do this campaign for the second time.

4. Sanctum for Ascendancy
One of the most poorly thought-out decisions. No matter how much people disliked the Labyrinth from the first game, it was unique, and it didn’t have that many downsides. The downsides of the Sanctum were known years ago—many didn’t enjoy the league, and ranged characters breeze through it far more easily than melee ones.

What I’d like to see

1. Easy mode
PoE1 has the Ruthless mode for those who love BDSM. I’d like to see a mode for normal people who just want to enjoy playing new characters in PoE2.

2. Trimming down the campaign

3. Removing some restrictions on character customization
For example, remove skill limitations based on the weapon used.

4. Active updates for PoE1 in the future
It’s already been neglected for a long time. It won’t be long before PoE2 turns out to be a long-term project failure, so I would advise developers to start moving over some of the good elements from the new game into PoE1 right after release.

In its current state, I only recommend the game to those who are interested in playing through the campaign once and dropping it. For those who like to play nearly every league, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’re better off enjoying other ARPGs

Best ARPG since 2013.

For those who are afraid of "Free to Play" - there is no Pay to Win. Only cosmetics and Quality of life improvements through stash tabs. I played first 1000 hours without leaving a cent in game. And if you want to buy stash tabs and feel comfortable - buying everything you need will cost half a price of Diablo 4.

It's the most difficult game to understand all and you will learn new things even after 1000 hours.

10/10

My favorite genre is ARPG. Overall, I have spent over 10,000 hours on games of this genre and more than 500 hours in Diablo 4 (Xbox + Steam). And I was really looking forward to Diablo 4. Not as my main game, because Path of Exile will always hold the top spot in my heart, but as a temporary game between Path of Exile seasons. But, like many others, I was greatly surprised when Diablo 4 was released. What could have been so surprising about a game made by the company that invented this genre?

First and foremost, the feeling that the game, in terms of its design, was developed in isolation from the changing market since the release of Diablo 3.

How is it possible, with so many competitors that have emerged in the last 10 years, to not consider not only interesting mechanics from other games, but also to not incorporate their own developments made in Diablo 3 over the years of its existence?


1. Graphics.
I think this is clear - the game was released in 2023, so it should have good graphics. Nothing groundbreaking.

2. Developers are working hard to improve the game.
It's good to see that they didn't give up on the game after a rocky start from the players' perspective. Considering the successful launch in terms of sales, they could have not been too concerned about the game's development. They have already made most of their money from it.

3. Campaign.
A good campaign, despite the flaws in the story. Most of the characters introduced during the campaign are forgettable, and overall, it's not the most important aspect for a game of this genre.

4. Character feel.
Blizzard has always excelled in this aspect. No matter how flawed their games may be in their genre, character control has always been better than others. Whether it's in World of Warcraft, Diablo, or their other games.

5. Multiplatform.
You can play same characters among all platforms. Also you can connect Xbox controller and play it exactly like you play it on Xbox. Great job here



1. Lack of interesting loot.
Loot is practically the most important aspect in games of this genre. And the developers of Diablo 4 really missed the mark here. Diablo 3 is much better in this regard, because despite its fundamental balance issues, which they tried to fix through +72000% damage buffs, the game is more fun and faster-paced than Diablo 4. In Diablo 4, they managed to make uniques so underwhelming that 99% of them are just junk for selling, rather than providing that dopamine rush (which good loot should typically provide in any game).

2. Issues with core mechanics in the game.
How could they release a game with broken resistance mechanics? Without an endgame in a genre where it's crucial? It's understandable that many issues will be addressed over time, but this leads to the next point.

3. Developers lack of vision for the game's future.
All the post-release content consists of nerfs, followed by player-suggested improvements. At first, Blizzard didn't want to listen much, but the wave of negativity became too high. The seasonal mechanics are terrible. 20+ years of experience and player feedback - all gone to waste. Diablo 4 feels like a game made hastily and only associated with the Diablo franchise by its name on the box.

4. Unfulfilled promises during development.
There were too many promises. For example, in Diablo 4, there will be more content in each season than in any season of Diablo 3. Yes, maybe there is slightly more content, but that doesn't negate the fact that most of the mechanics for the first two seasons are simply recycled from Diablo 3. All they can come up with is periodically shuffling things that were already in Diablo 3? No innovation, no imagination. Speed of implementing features is also a bit slow.

5. Lack of incorporating mechanics that people loved from other games in the genre.
Main complaint is the absence of a trading mechanic like the auction house in Path of Exile. in PoE, if I enjoy a certain type of activity, I can farm resources to trade for anything else. Here, you have to farm what you need by your hands, whether you like it or not. Community auction houses are incredibly inconvenient. Most items in the game cannot be traded and you should rely on luck much more often than necessary. Also, loot filters?

6. Replayability.
Mainly, there will be a comparison with the replayability of PoE. Farming in PoE is not as pointless as here. in PoE you build a character at the start of the league, continue farming, sell everything at the auction. After a week of farming, you buy everything for a more top-tier build. Got tired of the build and wanted to switch to another class? No need to start from scratch, you can buy items from other players using what you farmed earlier, sell all the items from that character, and essentially make a quick switch to another build. In Diablo 4 - start from the beginning. You spent time and resources, and that's it. Target farming is also much better implemented in PoE through divination cards (parts of items that you collect and exchange for a complete item), which allows you to obtain any very rare item. What they introduced as target farming in D4 six months after the release is a joke in comparison.

7. No competitive mode.
Not only is there no competitive mode, it is unclear where they would fit it in. In the current dungeons where you have to deliver 2 stones or free 5 prisoners, what could ruin the attempt? This is Diablo, not Skyrim or World of Warcraft. Who needs prisoners? Let people just enter the dungeon, kill everyone, get loot, and continue the dungeon rotation.

8. In-game store.
Many people compare it to PoE and say - PoE has it, what's the problem here? The problem is that the game initially costs $70, unlike the free PoE. You can play for a long time without spending a cent. And for a very comfortable gameplay, investments less than half the price of Diablo 4 would be enough. However, the quality and prices in the store leave much to be desired. Given the example of how it should be done like PoE, the skins here are dull, some are simply redrawn versions of skins already available in the game, and they want 20$ for this! There are no skill skins. If I like to play with roughly the same build for years, in PoE I can change the appearance of the main skill and have a different gaming experience. Here, there are fewer skills, and they will always look and feel the same.

9. Content presentations.
It doesn't quite relate to the game itself, but just comparing the season presentations of GGG (PoE developer) and Blizzard. In PoE - big presentations, content showcases through streamers, lots of details. In D4 - here's a 30-second gameplay video where nothing is clear. Can't Blizzard invest in that with their resources? Where is Blizzard with their best in industry cinematics?


I do not recommend this game to avid PoE fans. It is a game for those who are not willing to spend hundreds of hours on development of their character and their understanding of the game, but just want to play a couple of evenings on the couch. This is not a game to play every season, due to the slow development, it is worth jumping in every 2-3 seasons, no more often.

For everyone else, I recommend waiting for Path of Exile 2. Despite the fact that PoE is developed by a team with much fewer resources, they have a vision for the game, imagination for development and experimentation, and a love for the genre, not just the job, which allows them to create a product much superior to Diablo 4.

I give this game such a rating in hopes for the future of the game. If they continue to develop it at the same pace, then in a few years Diablo 4 will become the game it was meant to be from the start.

6/10

Best game in genre,

10/10