Diablo III

 PC
User Score
4.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 10199 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,918 out of 10199
  2. Mixed: 1,570 out of 10199
  3. Negative: 5,711 out of 10199
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  1. Omni
    May 25, 2012
    7
    Diablo 3 is entertaining and fun but fails to meet expectations of previous Diablo fans.
    Pros:
    -Fun to hack and slash and tear up large groups of enemies (What you expect from Diablo) -Achievements add a small but fun element to the game. -Gameplay is smooth and animations such as exploding enemies is enjoyable -Conversations and side stories are interesting and a change of pace the    Diablo 3 is entertaining and fun but fails to meet expectations of previous Diablo fans.
    Pros:
    -Fun to hack and slash and tear up large groups of enemies (What you expect from Diablo)
    -Achievements add a small but fun element to the game.
    -Gameplay is smooth and animations such as exploding enemies is enjoyable
    -Conversations and side stories are interesting and a change of pace the first couple playthroughs

    Good and bad at same time:
    -The leveling system is straight forward and does not require hours of grinding to reach the level cap.
    -No skill trees and stat point distribution allows you to focus on loot and killing but does not make your character feel unique. It gives you the flexibilty to try new builds and change your skills to work best with whatever group you play with at any given time
    -Grouping with friends and creating game is quick but doesn't allow you to make games people can look for or go back to previous difficulties and is centered solely on what quest you select which is restricted by level.
    -Requires an online connection at all times. This might be frustrating for those that only want to play single player but If it reduces hacking and duping that plagued previous Diablo games then it is welcome. Due to the very bad latency though I have already heard claims that it is possible to duplicate items.

    Cons:
    -Itemization is horrendous. After hour upon hours I have yet to see any legendary or set items drop but I already have blue items with better stats and more damage than the best legendary items. Legendaries should be above average rare items with rare items having the potential to be better than legandaries with near perfect stat rolls. Blue items drop way too easy and it is very discouraging to have essentially no goal in terms of items except for finding another blue or yellow item with more of you main stat and more vitality. Many Diablo 2 players can recite nearly all of their pieces of gear by name and I don't see how that will become the case in this game.
    -The story was okay but the ending seemed very rushed and short.
    -When grouping you are unable to use your companions and companion customization/gearing provides little to no benefit except when soloing.

    TLDR;

    Very fun game but missing the best things that have made Diablo 2 such a huge long lasting sucess. Hopefully they are listening and will fix these things with an update or expansion similarly to what LOD did for Diablo 2.    … Expand
  2. iamanime
    May 25, 2012
    7
    I've finished the game on normal, I'm halfway through nightmare on one character and I've played all of the classes to level 20 now.

    The biggest problem are the skills. Not having skill points and the limitation of the skills you put on your bar creates too many limitations. With all classes I find myself constantly wanting to swap out skills for different situations and it's not    I've finished the game on normal, I'm halfway through nightmare on one character and I've played all of the classes to level 20 now.

    The biggest problem are the skills. Not having skill points and the limitation of the skills you put on your bar creates too many limitations. With all classes I find myself constantly wanting to swap out skills for different situations and it's not easy/fun/fast to do it. Why can't you have multiple configured preset skill bars? Why are there skills with long cool downs that I can't swap out until they finish (I understand why but, GOD it is really annoying sometimes).

    It feels like you have to keep "working around" the damn skill system.

    Killing groups of monsters and getting loot is pretty good. graphics, animation is good. The story and cinematic cut scenes are good.

    The server play is fairly bad. There's a lot of latency even in single player, but I have found with groups it gets even worse. Lots of "rubber banding" stunting, freezing, and sometimes that results in death and it's very aggravating. I just couldn't imaging playing hardcore with the game in this state.

    Overall, I'm glad Diablo was released and that I got to finish it. Improved graphics, story, cutscenes, are great. The skill system is unsatisfying, the loot system doesn't feel as exciting as diablo 2, the crafting system is kind of boring, purchasing storage and leveling your crafters is just a big gold sync to keep gold important and feels more like a chore than an exciting achievement. And the achievements system is similar to what you find in other blizzard games and brings no innovations there. Custom banners are nice.

    7/10 - Good but with some frustrations and disappointments.    … Expand
  3. IRentMyGames
    Jun 2, 2012
    7
    I have never played any Diablo game before as I am mainly a console gamer but due to the lack of seriously good games on consoles at the moment I turned my attention to Diablo 3.
    I have not encounter any connection problem and installation was a breeze. Even creating my Battlenet account was very easy.
    So now about being online all the time. Who came up with such a bad idea. I play on a    I have never played any Diablo game before as I am mainly a console gamer but due to the lack of seriously good games on consoles at the moment I turned my attention to Diablo 3.
    I have not encounter any connection problem and installation was a breeze. Even creating my Battlenet account was very easy.
    So now about being online all the time. Who came up with such a bad idea. I play on a laptop so no way for me to take my laptop and play somewhere with no internet connection (train , plane...) or at least I don't want to pay for while on the go.
    The game itself:
    The graphics are pretty poor for such a long awaited game. The story is so poor that I don't even follow anymore.
    Let be clear the best part of the game is the fighting and looting and so it should be. Fighting is fun, fast and furious. Looting is plentiful.
    The game is very easy to pick up. there is no learning curve install and play it.
    For whatever it is worth if you re ready to bear to be connected non stop to play even in single mode this game is fun. It is not the big blockbuster I was expecting and I am moving back to consoles as soon as I am done with Diablo 3 and from what I see it won't be long.
    Hopefully this kind of "big Brother" control won't come to console soon but I fear it is closer than we think.    … Expand
  4. mzhang
    May 26, 2012
    7
    Emotions and poor analysis aside, Blizzard isn't stupid. Most gamers today ARE casual WoW-babies with bad computers that need everything dumbed down and low graphics. If they had kept the complexity and and darker/high end graphics, this game would have a much smaller niche community. You can't really blame them for appealing to the largest demographic. As for story, repetitiveness, itemEmotions and poor analysis aside, Blizzard isn't stupid. Most gamers today ARE casual WoW-babies with bad computers that need everything dumbed down and low graphics. If they had kept the complexity and and darker/high end graphics, this game would have a much smaller niche community. You can't really blame them for appealing to the largest demographic. As for story, repetitiveness, item farming, I see no difference with Diablo 2. I think a lot of us have a different impression of Diablo 2 because we were younger. Today, I would rush through D2 in a day and farm items over and over, same deal here. RMA AH is not great, but consider 1. D2 probably had the largest illegit item selling market of any game ever made and 2. Blizzard is the only game company that provides servers for big population games like Diablo and Starcraft series with no monthly fee. Hosting isn't free people.… Expand
  5. annoyed
    May 27, 2012
    7
    i like the game its cool i like how they give you a reason to play the other difficulties and pvp will be added later...>_> if i was to give a real rating i would give it to people sometimes I wish i wasn't human because we all are really a bunch of ****
  6. opensauce
    May 28, 2012
    7
    How does a person write a good review without being biased? A brilliant game, excellent cinematics, but...... DRM - Another terrible "Big Brother", approach to telling you WHEN and WHEN NOT to play the title.... Not being able to play single player offline is a bad approach to game security. For a company who sold 6.3 Million copies in the first week, you will thinl they would plan forHow does a person write a good review without being biased? A brilliant game, excellent cinematics, but...... DRM - Another terrible "Big Brother", approach to telling you WHEN and WHEN NOT to play the title.... Not being able to play single player offline is a bad approach to game security. For a company who sold 6.3 Million copies in the first week, you will thinl they would plan for players not being locked to online play only! After over a decade, you would think that they would have many more diverse features and extended ideologies..... No Unique, magical or rare sets.....you need to skill up beyond the level of fair to MAKE your own sets.... Normal mode is more like Easy mode, with two more difficulties to follow.... Altough the game has been fun, and has a few new ideas, it is worthy of getting a 7 / 10.... but come on Blizzard... surely with over $300 million in the bank, you can make some "FREE" extras, and unlock the DRM for people to play offline or at home with their friends on a LAN withouth the need of a permanent internet connection???… Expand
  7. Exhumus
    May 28, 2012
    7
    Still getting lols out of Metacritic user reviews for Diablo 3. Apart from way too many server restarts and the occasional lag spike the game is running fine and looks great (higher res textures for the character select screen couldn't have hurt though). The story isn't original but it's engaging. As to gameplay, it's almost the same game as Diablo 2, minus the skills system which IStill getting lols out of Metacritic user reviews for Diablo 3. Apart from way too many server restarts and the occasional lag spike the game is running fine and looks great (higher res textures for the character select screen couldn't have hurt though). The story isn't original but it's engaging. As to gameplay, it's almost the same game as Diablo 2, minus the skills system which I personally prefer. The only thing that bothers me is the random stats on gear producing an abundance of throw-away items, which is fine on blues but shouldn't really happen on rares or legendaries, particularly class specifics. It seems as though most items are meant to go to the Smith for crafting mats, I'd rather this was a more difficult choice where gear was auctionable or worth keeping for other characters. My only other major complaint its the AH, where pattern and artisan training searches in particular appear to be broken, but I'm confident that longer term this will be resolved. In all, an addictive game and a solid successor to a game that was always built around epic gear lust with fun but shallow actual gameplay.… Expand
  8. jim109109
    Jan 22, 2014
    7
    I'm not surprised by the black and white "0 or 10" mentality adopted by the average reviewer, or the fact that 90% of people dissing D3 have never played it because they listened to metacritic. If you really, truly believe this game is worth a 2 or a 0, you are much too retarded. Diablo III is not a bad game, and I've played tons of bad games before. As many have pointed out, it suffersI'm not surprised by the black and white "0 or 10" mentality adopted by the average reviewer, or the fact that 90% of people dissing D3 have never played it because they listened to metacritic. If you really, truly believe this game is worth a 2 or a 0, you are much too retarded. Diablo III is not a bad game, and I've played tons of bad games before. As many have pointed out, it suffers from blandness and lack of being unique. This game is is in the "slightly above average" spectrum of things, and while that may be frustrating for many fanboys, it shouldn't affect score. All things considered, it's a fun and enjoyable game, I'm glad I've played it, I won't play it for years to come but that is rarely the case with any game. I recommend this game for a discounted 20$ price tag, because it's about equally as good than Torchlight II or Path of Exile, which are respectively 15$ and free.… Expand
  9. concharty
    May 18, 2014
    7
    I honestly never expected to be playing Diablo 3 again, but here I am. Patch 2.0.1 has officially saved this game from being the biggest disappointment I'd ever experienced in PC gaming. It took them two years post release to get here, but it's finally worth playing. If you heard it was bad at release, it was. It was bloody terrible, but they finally fixed it. If you already own it andI honestly never expected to be playing Diablo 3 again, but here I am. Patch 2.0.1 has officially saved this game from being the biggest disappointment I'd ever experienced in PC gaming. It took them two years post release to get here, but it's finally worth playing. If you heard it was bad at release, it was. It was bloody terrible, but they finally fixed it. If you already own it and haven't played it since then, I suggest you give it another try. I was pleasantly surprised. It still has some issues, like in order to fix the horrible economy they basically destroyed trading(in that all the highest tier items are pretty much account bound), but the fact that you'll actually find items worth using makes that a whole lot less painful than you would think, and it's definitely better than that awful auction/trading house mess that they had at release. As of 2.0.1 it is good enough that I spent money on their over priced expansion pack, and I honestly was planning on never giving Blizzard another dime, ever again.… Expand
  10. Seoulstice
    May 30, 2012
    7
    I've read some of the bad reviews, and a lot of them don't really apply to the actual game itself (such as "OMG I can't log in on launch day!"). It almost seems like some people (such as tsu2k) didn't play the game at all and just quoted what others have said read about the game. There is no arena pvp yet, so I don't see why people are mad saying there is only arena pvp. It hasn't beenI've read some of the bad reviews, and a lot of them don't really apply to the actual game itself (such as "OMG I can't log in on launch day!"). It almost seems like some people (such as tsu2k) didn't play the game at all and just quoted what others have said read about the game. There is no arena pvp yet, so I don't see why people are mad saying there is only arena pvp. It hasn't been implemented yet. Now on to the review.

    The good:
    - Decent voice acting
    - Scoundrel has some hillarious conversations when talking to other people
    - Amazing CGI cut scenes
    - You can pretty much use all your skills even when you are 60. I remember back in Diablo 2, you would never use the skill you got early on when you hit 99 or even 20.
    - Some challenging battles (challenging vs cheap)
    - Easy to play gameplay so it opens up the series to beginners and advance players alike. The learning curve isn't bad, but with runes and such, advance players can have fun trying out new play styles.
    - Loot!

    The Bad
    - ONLINE DRM (horrible idea and as I see it as a disservice to customers. If I'm expected to play single player, but always have a internet connection, then I expect Blizzard to always have servers ready for the high payload of customers logging in. To this date they have had some issues of logins (for example yesterday I received the infamous error 37 again).

    - Only 4 people can play together in a party together vs 8. Hell, at LEAST make it 5 people since there are 5 classes.

    - Story is a bit cliché. Not to ruin it for anyone (and don't read any further if you REALLY don't want a hint about the story) but remember how Starcraft had Kerrigan and Warcraft had Arthas? Not exactly like that, but similar in some ways.

    - Magic find % seems useless at times. Now I know it's random, but I had 125% magic find with no rare drops in 2 hours of playtime on Hell mode. My friend had 9% and got about 10 rare items. Again I know it is random, but it has happened on many occasions. Interesting thing is, when you play a lower difficulty or do a second run through again on the same difficulty, rare items seem to drop more.

    - There's a difference when a game is challenging and just plain cheap. Some parts of hell are fun, but there are others when an blue mob has both freezing and desecration ability and freezes you in place, then burns you down while frozen with their desecration move and on top of that they can teleport and shoot 5 arcane sentry laser to burn you further while you are frozen. - No more spamming heal pots! That's what made grinding fun back in D2, you can carry a stack of potions and it made it intense fight. Versus waiting 30 secs or something like that. Blizzard should at least shorten the cool down time or remove it.

    - Blizzard nerfs. Sad to say, but I feel as PVP comes out, they will start nerfing classes even more to the point where classes become useless in PVE. Hopefully (and a BIG hope at that) PVP will have their own sets of class "nerfs" to balance issues, but PVE will be untouched (or at least make classes useful for PVE'ing). FYI I have a Monk and I feel they are the Death Knights of being nerfed constantly.

    Finals thoughts:
    While this game is fun, it doesn't deserve a perfect a review. The very fact that Blizzard has taken out content that was suppose to be in the game doesn't help. Yes I know they plan on perfecting it (which I am a fan of when companies sincerely want to improve something), but I find it hard to believe it took them 10+ years to still perfect a game. Heck even 4 years since they debuted the Barbarian gameplay. IMHO, I strongly feel Blizzard is trying to milk out the game as long as possible by bits and parts of the game that should've been ready to go from the start (pets, pvp, enchanting, etc). Don't get me wrong, it's a fun game to play with friends and family, however it's far from being a perfect and polished game that doesn't warrant the 10+ years of waiting.    … Expand
  11. CharismaJustice
    May 30, 2012
    7
    Let me start off by saying that the server issues will be fixed. That said, the drm on this game is unacceptable and must be fixed I mean really, mandatory internet connection for everything? What most people enjoy in this game is online, so let me have my single player when i'm in bed and can't connect. In this day and age, this sort of drm is unacceptable. With that out of the way, whatLet me start off by saying that the server issues will be fixed. That said, the drm on this game is unacceptable and must be fixed I mean really, mandatory internet connection for everything? What most people enjoy in this game is online, so let me have my single player when i'm in bed and can't connect. In this day and age, this sort of drm is unacceptable. With that out of the way, what you find in this game is a promising albeit far too linear game. In such a deep dungeon crawler, the simplified stat system just isn't right. Maybe for less experienced players, but for all, just no. Also, the way i'm spoon fed quests, makes me feel like there isnt much else to do in this game, theres occasional optional dungeons, but the rewards in there are mediocre at best. At least the deepish combat redeems the games flaws and playing never feels like a chore, i'm challenged even on normal. Music and sound are great and the soundtrack always feels right. I can see how some dont like the graphics but they're satisfactory in my opinion. And finally, the story is there, but i dont particularly care about it, it's not all that engaging. In Closing:
    The anticipated diablo 3 is a good game, but has an abundance of flaws for Blizzard to fix. If they can fix the character customization and stat assignments, along with further expansions making the game feel more open, they'll have a much better game on their hands, remember internet, it's been out for 2 weeks. **** will be fixed.
    The Verdict: Unless you MUST play this game, download the cheaper Torchlight 2 and wait for Diablo to get a few more patches(i hope these patches will fix stuff) or maybe an expansion.    … Expand
  12. CulturalFiend
    May 31, 2012
    7
    Diablo 3 is an excellent game. However the game has some terrible design choices. For one, the auction house ruins the balance. Characters can fly by the first two campaign difficulties after purchasing 100,000 gold worth of items in the AH. In PVP, I really hope you cannot use items purchased in the AH, if that's the case, then PVP is completely futile, and utterly stupid. Anyone canDiablo 3 is an excellent game. However the game has some terrible design choices. For one, the auction house ruins the balance. Characters can fly by the first two campaign difficulties after purchasing 100,000 gold worth of items in the AH. In PVP, I really hope you cannot use items purchased in the AH, if that's the case, then PVP is completely futile, and utterly stupid. Anyone can spend cash on gold, or even cash in the real-world currency AH, buy all the gear they want and then go "pwn sum nubs" with their elite gear that they just bought from someone who spent hours to find it. Another dissapointment is the completely ridiculous, unoriginal pile of trash that they call a story. Who wrote the story for this game? Were they drunk? Were they dropped on their head as a child!? The story is so mediocre that I can't even describe in words the mediocrity of the depth and lack of any actual interesting aspect within D3's plot. Towards the end it gets interesting, but just for a few moments, then it goes back to being an uninspired joke. The cinematics are epic, but way too short. I really think that Blizzard could have done better wtih both the story and cinematics. Diablo 2 had much better cutscenes, and the fight scenes within D3's are very short and uninteresting. Very disappointing Blizz, Starcraft 2 had better cutscenes than this, so why couldn't you do D3's with the same energy that you put into SC2's!? Now, the ranting is over. On to the good. Diablo 3 has a unique and interesting skill system. The game is designed to be unique to each individual, and that their is no supreme, or most-optimal build. This is true, and Blizz designed the skill system well. The game now relies more on skill rather than what website you copied your build from. I am impressed by the rune system and the sheer amount of variety you can have toying with your character's abilities. One thing that I love about Diablo 3, is the art style. Yes it is mildly cartoony, and I am aware of the seemingly WoW inspired graphics, but the environments look awesome, enemies are great to look at, and the backdrops are interesting. Another problem I have in this game, is the ridiculous character design. The Witch Doctor looks fine, so does the Barbarian, but a few of the others are bizarre and almost out of place. The female monk looks like a white Halle Berry, the male Wizard looks like he just stepped out of a Japanese anime and the male Demon Hunter looks like a teenaged junkie. In conclusion Diablo 3 is an excellent game, even if you must suffer through digital communism, er, I mean Blizzard's DRM via Batle.net. I give D3 a 7.5/10. Pros: Addictive gameplay, great skill system, varied enemy variety and interesting artstyle Cons: DRM, auction house DESTROYS balance, short and non-epic cutscenes, terrible story that lacks both imagination and originality… Expand
  13. Sleepwalk
    Jun 2, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've played 100+ hours of this game on Hardcore mode. Leveled each class to at least 30+ (except Wizard).

    Here is a pro and con list that I've compiled:

    Pros

    1. Skills and runes are varied.

    2. The affixes for monsters are cool and interesting.

    3. Hardcore mode was included.

    4. The sound bites of lore.

    5. Achievements. 6. The banner that you can customize.

    7. Armor dye.

    8. More gem grades (more than D2).

    9. Cool cinematics.

    Cons

    1. A lot of the skills and runes seem worthless compared to others.

    2. Players can receive credit and quest experience while sitting in town.

    3. The checkpoint system is easily exploited. For instance, players can repeatedly farm the same rare monster pack if it's subsequent to a checkpoint.

    4. The art direction is a little too over-the-top. In other words, too WoWish, with the big hands, shoulders, etc. I'd prefer it if Diablo 3 were a little more bleak and realistic looking. The monsters in this game look evil, but they're evil in a silly over-the-top way, not in a "holy #&#@ that thing is actually scary" kind of way.

    5. The story is juvenile as well as predictable.

    6. The voice acting is too over-the-top and the lines are, again, juvenile. Not all of it, but a good portion. For example, "You will never defeat me! Rawr!" - Skeleton King. Come on now. The Skeleton King in the original Diablo was much more intimidating and scary.

    7. Game is too short. In an age where games like Skyrim exist, this is unacceptable.

    8. The music is forgettable, and the way it is blared in the cinematics is annoying. The only song I liked was the reimagined Tristram theme in the first act.

    9. Followers can't be used in multiplayer games.

    10. A lot of times, there are too many effects, monsters and stuff on the screen all at once in multiplayer games.

    11. Itemization in its entirety is less interesting and simpler in D3 than D2. "I'm a Witch Doctor; therefore, I concentrate on intelligence (DPS) and vitality, derp. All done." And the items are equally uninteresting. Then there are the horrendous drops. Does Magic Find even work? Finally, legendaries seem too rare and are not powerful enough.

    12. Wizards running around with two handed axes and Barbarians with daggers. In other words, classes, for the most part, do not restrict which items you can or cannot use.

    13. Male wizard looks like a pansy while the female wizard looks fine.

    14. No way to search for players to look at their items, achievements, and characters. You can only look at the profiles of players who you've recently played with--or your friend's. 15. The time it takes to get to 60 is too short. 16. No PKing. And by PK, I mean actual PKing, not World of Warcraft battlegrounds and Arena (but as of now we don't even have that). 17. Matchmaking as opposed to a readily available list of public games where you can select exactly which game you want to join like in D2. 18. Having to listen to the same lines of dialogue and play through the same story events over and over again even though you're at the point where you've experienced it all before and is now only interested in leveling and itemization. 19. The servers are too unstable for a game that is online only. 20. Feminine-looking Diablo. Why did they do this? I don't know, but it looks stupid.    … Expand
  14. Timeyy
    Jun 10, 2012
    7
    +Combat feels awesome
    +Graphics are really pretty and run smooth
    +Loads of Gametime (it took me 20h to finish normal difficulty) +Multiplayer is really easy and smooth +Good voiceacting and soundtrack -ridiculous always online drm -item variety feels a little disappointing -character customization lacking -story feels really rushed in the last chapters Im gonna give it a 7/10, very fun    +Combat feels awesome
    +Graphics are really pretty and run smooth
    +Loads of Gametime (it took me 20h to finish normal difficulty)
    +Multiplayer is really easy and smooth
    +Good voiceacting and soundtrack

    -ridiculous always online drm
    -item variety feels a little disappointing
    -character customization lacking
    -story feels really rushed in the last chapters

    Im gonna give it a 7/10, very fun game but it does not live up to the hype    … Expand
  15. Sunfire
    Jun 12, 2012
    7
    This is a good game,with many fixable problems(servers/loot/diff). But! This is not a diablo game,it lost its atmosphere,its feeling,it turned into a grind game with roles, Yes just like wow.I'd rather had 5 more diablo 2 expansions thans this gam,and i want Jay wilson to gtfo of diablo and these guys come back!( The game, with its dark fantasy and horror themes, was conceptualized andThis is a good game,with many fixable problems(servers/loot/diff). But! This is not a diablo game,it lost its atmosphere,its feeling,it turned into a grind game with roles, Yes just like wow.I'd rather had 5 more diablo 2 expansions thans this gam,and i want Jay wilson to gtfo of diablo and these guys come back!( The game, with its dark fantasy and horror themes, was conceptualized and designed by David Brevik and Erich Schaefer, who with Max Schaefer acted as project leads on the game. The producers were Matthew Householder and Bill Roper.) - taken from wikipedia - Diablo 2 Even if i played like 120hrs now,i will play more but it bores me now,diablo 2 never bored me for 4 years, Everybody say that D2 became good after lod and patches,in my opinion if this is true why couldn't they bring those goodies in D3. If this game hadn't been called Diablo it would be a 10+++++ rated game,but because it bears the name diablo,and cant exceed the minimum for it,it gets only 7.… Expand
  16. Nominrath
    Jun 18, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Good:
    Diablo III has the formula that made it's predecessors work down to an art-form. The story, while not particularly deep, is a great monster-slaying setup with stunning cutscenes and story elements. The gameplay is addictive and intuitive, offering many choices on builds for characters and the ability to swap skills/powers in and out on the fly is a welcome feature. The visuals and soundtrack are equally great, continuing to bring the dark, medieval fantasy setting of the Diablo universe alive and keeping it dark and foreboding in tone. The game length is just long enough, neither being too long or too short... especially since the game kind of dictates multiple play throughs. The multiplayer is well-implemented, the fact that you can choose to play with friends or in public games makes it the game much more private and fun than that of an MMORPG, but at the same time keeps the kind of feel of being part of a community.

    The Bad:
    The item drops are way too random and the 'magic find' trait is misleading in it's function. Items you need or want won't drop unless you spend several hours, maybe even days, 'farming' for them and, more often than not, 90% of the item drops you do get will be fodder for salvage or straight-up selling. The blacksmith's item creation is also too random often requiring mass amounts of gold, resources and several costly tries to produce an item of any kind of use, which seems unfair after all the gold and resources you already dump into him to level him up in order to make him capable of making certain level items... not to mention the items he creates can only be sold for any kind of profit on the Auction House, which is hit or miss. Skills, while varied in their styles and powers, are only a masquerade. Several classes have what could be awesome abilities, but after Act I, Normal difficulty, these powers lose any and all usefulness. The class' all seem to have one or two skill/rune set combos that are the best, rendering all the other abilities obsolete, which only gets worse the higher level the character gets. This creates the illusion of customization, but it's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Multiplayer, while fun, is required on higher difficulties, which sucks some of the fun out of it. Personally, I'd like to be able to go through the game by myself on any difficulty. Cramming multiplayer down my throat is an unwanted feature.

    The Ugly:
    This new fad games are trying to use of only allowing players to play if they're online, even for single player, seems to be unnecessary. The Auction House, while a cool idea and useful, is a cop out, but at the same time you'll find that you have to use it in order to get your character up to a level in which he/she can survive... especially on higher difficulties.

    Overall:
    It's beautiful and keeps things simple and in the vein of previous Diablos making it accessible to old and newcomers alike. The random item drop seems way off kilter, not giving you what you need to progress and forcing you to spend oodles of gold (or even real money) in the Auction House to get 'caught up'. The skills have enormous unrealized potential by only picking a few of the 'best' skills and making those the best build options and not allowing equal optimization with all the powers.    … Expand
  17. Helladen
    Aug 27, 2012
    7
    The game was a 6 until patch 1.0.4 hit, so it appears to be going in the right direction, but the content and story are both lacklusters. If you're in it for those two areas then this isn't the game for you. Basically, content is not very random at all, and it feels very stale after playing through it several times. Unlike Diablo 2, areas have preset generators, so it isn't randomThe game was a 6 until patch 1.0.4 hit, so it appears to be going in the right direction, but the content and story are both lacklusters. If you're in it for those two areas then this isn't the game for you. Basically, content is not very random at all, and it feels very stale after playing through it several times. Unlike Diablo 2, areas have preset generators, so it isn't random whatsoever, and many of the areas are simply recolors. The story the first time told was very interesting, but after I played through it a few times the story became more clear, and noticed that it wasn't that good at all. The story wasn't told very well and was hard to understand the first time through, many things they were talking about I had no clue about. The journals are very frustrating due to not being account-based (only have to get them once). This makes it annoying to close each one you pick up, and having to find them for each character you make. There should be an option to turn it off, along with the entire lore, so we don't have to spam escape to skip each scene. One last issue with the game is the grind - it feels like it is gold you are farming for when it should be items, and once you beat Inferno there's nothing else to work for. It just feels like it lacks so much, and we can only hope they fix these issues in the future. I've played around 300 hours on this game and experienced everything it has to offer plus more. I enjoy the game, but it barely deserves what I gave it. It is around a 6.5 to be honest. I believe if it had offline play, and many improvements to the other areas listed it could earn an easy 9.… Expand
  18. weetduck
    Jul 1, 2012
    7
    Ok, as far as the game I'm really enjoying the game play as it is exactly what I expected. Graphically the game looks amazing. There is a decent variety of mobs to slaughter and the terrain really sets a mood. On the down side the "random" generation of the world is not nearly as good as it was in the previous versions of the game. After 10+ years of waiting I'm not sure it was evenOk, as far as the game I'm really enjoying the game play as it is exactly what I expected. Graphically the game looks amazing. There is a decent variety of mobs to slaughter and the terrain really sets a mood. On the down side the "random" generation of the world is not nearly as good as it was in the previous versions of the game. After 10+ years of waiting I'm not sure it was even possible to live up to my expectations. Was I disappointed with the lack of customization available for the classes, extremely. Does it kill the games fun? In my opinion, no. Because the limitation will breed more creativity in character builds. Many people will disagree with that but this game is still incredibly young and as patches continue to roll out the balance will become more apparent. I have to say that the reliance on gear as opposed to player skill and character skill is pretty annoying because I get the sneaking feeling that this is being used to push the RMAH. The game is very good, not great. I'm hoping that as future patches roll out the game gets better and better and Blizzard doesn't disappoint.… Expand
  19. osta2501
    Jul 3, 2012
    7
    After more than 200 hours of gameplay, I can objectively say that this game has mixed feelings. Overall, I feel it's a good game, but so many aspects of the game leave me sour. The whole "balancing", be it the loot worth, the weapon mechanics, the auction house, all feel like I'm playing a MMO, even a f2p, instead of playing the great action RPG game D3 should have been. I don't know whyAfter more than 200 hours of gameplay, I can objectively say that this game has mixed feelings. Overall, I feel it's a good game, but so many aspects of the game leave me sour. The whole "balancing", be it the loot worth, the weapon mechanics, the auction house, all feel like I'm playing a MMO, even a f2p, instead of playing the great action RPG game D3 should have been. I don't know why the developers chose to go in that direction, since D3 has no subscription fee. In my opinion, it would have been better to let every players easily acquire awesome loot and plow through Inferno easily than forcing them to grind countless hours in gold and/or gear farming. When you get in the Inferno difficulty, the game changes from being a leisure to being a chore. Almost every problems Blizzard had with illegal activities (bots, etc) resulted in patches that punished the legit players more than the botters. The always-on DRM was supposed to solve many problems, but ended up being a pain more than a solution.

    I estimate my enjoyment and experience value of the D3 product to 40$, maximum. In the future, I will be wary of acquiring another Blizzard product, as it will take good convincing from both reviews and friends before considering purchase.    … Expand
  20. kirkteegardin
    Jul 4, 2012
    7
    Diablo 3 is a game that is a lot of fun depending on what class you play. I researched the different classes before the game was released and believed that I would love the Barbarian class. I did for awhile. Once I reached Inferno mode the game sucked. This game gets a 9/10 until you play Inferno as a melee class. Even with elite gear I believe that it would still be difficult to playDiablo 3 is a game that is a lot of fun depending on what class you play. I researched the different classes before the game was released and believed that I would love the Barbarian class. I did for awhile. Once I reached Inferno mode the game sucked. This game gets a 9/10 until you play Inferno as a melee class. Even with elite gear I believe that it would still be difficult to play as a barbarian. Since the melee classes are almost unsaleable in the last game mode it greatly effects this game overall. I have beaten the game three times as my barbarian just to find out I picked the wrong class. Cool story. Since I am not going to level another character to 60 I am basically done with this game.… Expand
  21. Scythian
    Jul 7, 2012
    7
    This isn't a bad game. Some things were done very well. I had no real problem that there is an RMAH. If a game is going to be supported there needs to be a n ongoing revenue stream. My problem is that it felt like less of a game than I expected. In D2 you start in Tristram, go to the desert, then to a jungle, then to Hell. LoD added Arreat. In D3 you star in NEW Tristram, go to a desert,This isn't a bad game. Some things were done very well. I had no real problem that there is an RMAH. If a game is going to be supported there needs to be a n ongoing revenue stream. My problem is that it felt like less of a game than I expected. In D2 you start in Tristram, go to the desert, then to a jungle, then to Hell. LoD added Arreat. In D3 you star in NEW Tristram, go to a desert, skip the jungle, then to Arreat and then to Heaven. I guess the expansion will add a jungle. At the end of D2 the Worldstone has to be destroyed which was supposed to remake the world. Perfect lead in for a completely new storyline. But instead D3 just throws that out and plays it safe with a D2 retread.… Expand
  22. ToastyPotato
    Jul 14, 2012
    7
    Normal difficulty is so easy that it is simply a chore to play through. Nightmare is only really challenging with a full group that is under geared or just inexperienced. The game doesn't feel like Diablo until just about Hell difficulty, which is a shame. Additionally, the always on connection require to even load the game is unforgivable. And lastly, the system by which LegendaryNormal difficulty is so easy that it is simply a chore to play through. Nightmare is only really challenging with a full group that is under geared or just inexperienced. The game doesn't feel like Diablo until just about Hell difficulty, which is a shame. Additionally, the always on connection require to even load the game is unforgivable. And lastly, the system by which Legendary items are generated seems completely busted, as you are much more likely to gain useless junk or at best, a decent item that is outclassed by a [yellow] type item of the same level.

    Story wise, not as compelling as Diablo 2, and the in game cut scenes are shockingly bad compared to Starcraft 2's in engine work. Unfortunately, some key moments in the plot are told this way, rather than in actual cinematics. Overall, the game is necessarily BAD, however it fails to live up to its legendary predecessor.    … Expand
  23. Srsly
    Jul 18, 2012
    7
    The newest Diablo is somewhat shallow and repetitive with the main focus being on collecting loot rather than progressing through a storyline or using the slightest hint of strategy beyond the odd kite or dodge mechanic. The randomly generated dungeons do little to add to the replay of the game as the short scripted events remain constant throughout all playthroughs and the obstacles orThe newest Diablo is somewhat shallow and repetitive with the main focus being on collecting loot rather than progressing through a storyline or using the slightest hint of strategy beyond the odd kite or dodge mechanic. The randomly generated dungeons do little to add to the replay of the game as the short scripted events remain constant throughout all playthroughs and the obstacles or randomly generated mobs differ little throughout all four acts. The story itself is standard gaming fare. It doesn't try to redefine the genre and I don't really feel it has too. The classic good vs evil tone and predictable character turns are a staple for this genre and there's just something fun about the melodramatic tones throughout the story.

    The difficulty level is a little low for those who just want to playthrough the story once and move on. When set to normal the game will only take a day to see from start to finish and while newbies may die from time to time you never really get to a point where anything seems impossible. Seasoned veterans of the genre will laugh as they make it to the end. The real difficulty actual comes from rare spawns on later difficulties who may leave you frustrated from to time as they seem to have the perfect combination for nullifying a particular classes strengths. So why is Diablo getting a seven from me? The game is polished and I personally enjoy the classic art style. As shallow as the game maybe, I also found myself inexplicably spending hours playing through the different difficulties while attempting to upgrade my character and keep up with my friends. I'd actually say the game warrants closer to a 6.5 but for the sake of bumping up the overall score that I feel is far too low for the effort put into the title I feel a 7 is more than fair compared to say a 6. Finally I feel the need to restate that everything about the game is done server side. This means the game requires a constant connection and uses quite a bit of data compared to other titles. I found the game actually used more data than WoW overall and this should be considered by all gamers who live in areas where bandwidth caps are a concern. It's not going to push you over your cap on its own but all know little things like this add up and a couple hundred mbs for a multiple hour sitting is a lot to swallow.    … Expand
  24. Zegu
    Jun 5, 2014
    7
    Updating my review past all of the changes.
    Finally they did what players wanted. They made the game about loot. It still gets tedious very quickly solo player, but the new Adventure mode is great to play with friends
  25. Greg_Heavy
    Jul 23, 2012
    7
    This could've been a masterpiece,but sadly, it's only very good. There's always hope Blizzard will polish it further, until it reaches the level of it's prequel.
  26. Shubidoo
    Jul 30, 2012
    7
    I got lots of fun out of this, playing hardcore and only hardcore. But after round about 500 hours i cannot find any motivation to even log in.
    Now, that is an aweful lot of time. So the game can't be bad, can it ?
    No, but it could've been on hell of an uber-game with some little tweaks. If they had only realized, what made D2 so succesful in the first place, like diversity in builds,    I got lots of fun out of this, playing hardcore and only hardcore. But after round about 500 hours i cannot find any motivation to even log in.
    Now, that is an aweful lot of time. So the game can't be bad, can it ?

    No, but it could've been on hell of an uber-game with some little tweaks.
    If they had only realized, what made D2 so succesful in the first place, like diversity in builds, no stupid free respecc, no real hard lvl cap, smart itemization and the list could go on for quite some time.
    Everything here is just way too simplified to be fascinating in the long run.
    Bummer.    … Expand
  27. Kyo
    Aug 5, 2012
    7
    Diablo 3 is not a bad game, it has good graphics, fun gameplay especially in multiplayer, and a good atmosphere. At first this game is really epic I really got into it, and after the first cutscene man I had the chills, but it dies down after act 2 or the middle of act 2. I like the classes and how each one is individual and different, from voodoo magic, traps and crossbows, powerfulDiablo 3 is not a bad game, it has good graphics, fun gameplay especially in multiplayer, and a good atmosphere. At first this game is really epic I really got into it, and after the first cutscene man I had the chills, but it dies down after act 2 or the middle of act 2. I like the classes and how each one is individual and different, from voodoo magic, traps and crossbows, powerful punches, and brutally killing everything with a giant axe. The talent trees are not that great they lack customization and kind of make you character all over the place with different skills, I would have loved to be a fire Mage for instants (No fireball spell? Really!?). That doesn't mean the skills were not cool, they felt awesome to use even if some were useless. The story is really nothing to look forward to, some plot points will really piss you off , and some would just be 'meh" nothing epic when it should have been. I got 1 character to Hell mode then stopped there feeling Diablo'ed out and haven't really touched it since, but i know I will play it again eventually. The game was fun when it lasted, and I don't regret having it in my collection.… Expand
  28. SimplyCactus
    Aug 25, 2012
    7
    To be honest I can't understand why the user ratings are so bad. What did you people expect? I bought the game knowing what I was getting into. Yes this is just a repetitive hack and slash. Yes the main point of the game is to just kill stuff and loot items. No depth really. And you know what? It is fun and addictive. It does get boring sooner or later, but what doesn't?

    I've played    To be honest I can't understand why the user ratings are so bad. What did you people expect? I bought the game knowing what I was getting into. Yes this is just a repetitive hack and slash. Yes the main point of the game is to just kill stuff and loot items. No depth really. And you know what? It is fun and addictive. It does get boring sooner or later, but what doesn't?

    I've played about 100 hours and I'm quite happy that I bought this game. I've had a fair share of fun. Also I expect to come back from time to time, just to have some hack' n slash fun with my friends.

    What makes me wonder the most is why does Diablo II have a much higher rating? D3 is really the same game as D2, just newer. It has new graphics and content, but all the main features, weaknesses and strengths did not change at all.    … Expand
  29. Kingmannie
    Sep 1, 2012
    7
    I played Diablo 2 and much anticipated this game. I loved the single player element, the visual effects and story cinematic's were something magnificent that I will never forget. As a fan I enjoyed this game however I felt it was too short amongst other things which have ultimately left it on the shelf gathering dust whilst Diablo 2 was still being played at this point. In my opinionI played Diablo 2 and much anticipated this game. I loved the single player element, the visual effects and story cinematic's were something magnificent that I will never forget. As a fan I enjoyed this game however I felt it was too short amongst other things which have ultimately left it on the shelf gathering dust whilst Diablo 2 was still being played at this point. In my opinion the fundamental downfall of Diablo 3 was that the developers didn't take enough of the right risks. If there was a focus on more features rather than the testing aspect I would probably be looking forward to logging in tonight. Final word: Fantastic artistic and entertaining game lies within this, its too short and very few will remain to play on, the real money auction house is a bad idea and the normal auction house has the same pitfalls it did in Diablo 2 but its worth the time and money for a short lived cinematic experience to the extent of buying avatar on DVD however very few will remain interested in this dust gatherer.… Expand
  30. Enclave_X
    Sep 7, 2012
    7
    The game looked nice, played fantastically, and was very addictive for the first 100 hours or so. Considering I can play through most campaign based games in under 20 hours. After I hit about 200 hours I can't even think about playing. Its core mechanics are overall very great but where Diablo fails is keeping itself new and refreshing. Randomized layouts of the various dungeons is notThe game looked nice, played fantastically, and was very addictive for the first 100 hours or so. Considering I can play through most campaign based games in under 20 hours. After I hit about 200 hours I can't even think about playing. Its core mechanics are overall very great but where Diablo fails is keeping itself new and refreshing. Randomized layouts of the various dungeons is not enough to make this game seem like anything more than running through the same enemies multiple times for items (Although I understand that is the point for some people). The newly added paragon system actually turned me away from the game even more. Patch 1.0.4 added something like 1000+ more hours of gameplay just to reach max level. I don't have the time or the patience to farm some act on some mission for 1000 hours. Having to use the Auction House to progress can also be slightly annoying as it takes away any self reliance. All in all, you'll probably get your money's worth in time played but something about the game makes you feel like you just wasted your time.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best PC Game of 2012
1
#1 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
3
#3 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 81 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 86
  3. Negative: 1 out of 86
  1. Thunderbolt
    Aug 31, 2012
    90
    My one major complaint is that the game never feels very difficult, especially on Normal. There are frustrating moments, hordes of baddies, and increasing difficulty levels, but the same feeling of utter defeat never really happens as it did in the past.
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  2. Hyper Magazine
    Jul 18, 2012
    80
    For all the game's missteps, though, you certainly can't accuse Blizzard of phoning it in - if anything, the game suffers from the tendency to try a little to hard at times to evolve the design. [Aug 2012, p.61]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Jul 3, 2012
    80
    When it works, Diablo III is the best of the Diablo games. When it doesn't, all it does is make you mad. [July 2012, p.54]
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