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. HonestRevier
    May 15, 2012
    5
    This is a serious review with no spoilers. To Blizzard and all developers that read this, DRM is not an option and gamers will not except it EVER. Single Player should mean offline play with NO INTERNET CONNECTION. Anyone giving this a low score because they cannot log in to play are morons. The graphics and sound are obviously going to be good. The story might pass or fail in the end. ButThis is a serious review with no spoilers. To Blizzard and all developers that read this, DRM is not an option and gamers will not except it EVER. Single Player should mean offline play with NO INTERNET CONNECTION. Anyone giving this a low score because they cannot log in to play are morons. The graphics and sound are obviously going to be good. The story might pass or fail in the end. But this game is a complete failure because of server side DRM being recquired. After so many years when blizzards servers shutdown my children will not enjoy this game because of DRM. Shame on you Blizzard and anyone who supports DRM games with their $$$. Duke Nukem may have been a bad game but at least the steam lets me play single player offline. Also wheres our LAN!… Expand
  2. strangel0ve
    May 15, 2012
    5
    on the plus side it looks very nice and combat is fun much like in previous game, at least so far, dumb story, characters and voiceacting, so what, i didnt expect more after all the revealed material before release. changes in char development, skills and stuff, wowlike attitude is something i dont like in the essence but still im only level 16 so until later in game it's to early toon the plus side it looks very nice and combat is fun much like in previous game, at least so far, dumb story, characters and voiceacting, so what, i didnt expect more after all the revealed material before release. changes in char development, skills and stuff, wowlike attitude is something i dont like in the essence but still im only level 16 so until later in game it's to early to judge but it's kind of a let down. all in all i knew it wont be so good as dia2 but part of the reason if not the main part is that dia 2 came out when i was younger so there was no way i was gonna enjoy this more than that.… Expand
  3. CoralChains
    May 15, 2012
    5
    Wait a month after release, the game will be great I'm sure. Can't really feel sorry for Blizzard, though. They should know better than requiring an online connection for single player. The nature of evil is to destroy. Even though the aggressor may gain a lot very quickly, the result will eventually be destruction of both the victim and the aggressor. Last time I checked, greed isWait a month after release, the game will be great I'm sure. Can't really feel sorry for Blizzard, though. They should know better than requiring an online connection for single player. The nature of evil is to destroy. Even though the aggressor may gain a lot very quickly, the result will eventually be destruction of both the victim and the aggressor. Last time I checked, greed is evil, and Blizz is guilty of it in this case.… Expand
  4. Fhonax
    May 15, 2012
    5
    Overall a good game, mechanics deserving a higher score than 4 or 5 but with a company as large as Blizzard I believe they owe more to their fans than to ignore such an obvious problem with the log-in process. If this had not been an issue with the game I would have given an 8 maybe 9, if this issue was handled well but still persisted then a 6-7, but just an apology from such a largeOverall a good game, mechanics deserving a higher score than 4 or 5 but with a company as large as Blizzard I believe they owe more to their fans than to ignore such an obvious problem with the log-in process. If this had not been an issue with the game I would have given an 8 maybe 9, if this issue was handled well but still persisted then a 6-7, but just an apology from such a large company with no obvious efforts to fix it is not right in my book. From what I have played of this game, it has been a decent dungeon grinder.
    Personal recommendation: Hold out for a major fix & price drop or Torchlight II.    … Expand
  5. HeintzFact0r
    May 15, 2012
    5
    GRIM DAWN is solution to D3 being too casual and DRM... If you want to play true hardcore ARPG in the next year, check this game. Offline single player, LAN and all hardcore char customization D3 left out.

    Played D3 in beta but now can't even log on. Even in beta though, char options a dissapointment and difficulty way too easy. Played through all of act one naked just to make    GRIM DAWN is solution to D3 being too casual and DRM... If you want to play true hardcore ARPG in the next year, check this game. Offline single player, LAN and all hardcore char customization D3 left out.

    Played D3 in beta but now can't even log on. Even in beta though, char options a dissapointment and difficulty way too easy. Played through all of act one naked just to make challenge and still never died. Skill system a joke! Story constantly make you have to run back and forth unlike real Diablo of past where it was player choice. Word is barely randomized, even loot chests appear in same locations. What they do for so long in development?    … Expand
  6. wkhigley
    May 15, 2012
    5
    The game itself is fantastic. I have very few complaints there as they've improved on a number of things since D2. Unfortunately Blizzard decided it was a good idea to require an always online connection for single player, meaning you lose your map every time you sign out, you risk lag induced stuttering if there's a problem on their end or yours, and LAN isn't supported. For people thatThe game itself is fantastic. I have very few complaints there as they've improved on a number of things since D2. Unfortunately Blizzard decided it was a good idea to require an always online connection for single player, meaning you lose your map every time you sign out, you risk lag induced stuttering if there's a problem on their end or yours, and LAN isn't supported. For people that mostly wanted to play online, that's all fine, but for the significant portion of users that are only interesting in single player and/or LAN, Blizzard has thrown in completely unnecessary problems with this ridiculous DRM. To make matters worse, they weren't ready for the launch despite repeating their mantra "it will be out when it's done" for the past several years. Many users, myself included, couldn't log on for hours after the release, and midway through the day the servers went down again. I also found that after logging off and back on, all my keybindings had reverted to the default, so there are definitely still bugs that need to be ironed out. I expect these day 1 problems from Bethesda, which is why I don't buy their games until they've been out for months or years, but Blizzard has always promised a polished, complete product on release. Sadly, they have not delivered that. As a result, I will not be buying any full price Blizzard titles in the future and will completely boycott any future releases with ridiculous DRM. It's sad to see Blizzard sinking to the ranks of companies like EA and Ubisoft.

    If it weren't for the DRM, Diablo 3 would get a 9/10 from me. But it has this horrible DRM and a terrible launch, so 5/10 is the most it deserves. Don't buy Diablo 3, at least not until the price comes down. Blizzard doesn't deserve to be paid full price for a game that was so flawed on release.    … Expand
  7. InfernalBase
    May 15, 2012
    5
    Don't get me wrong, Diablo 3 is a good game, it is fun to play, but the way Blizzard handles things is absolutely horrible, the sole reason why this game might not be enjoyable is because of the way Blizzard treats it's customers

    -You have to be online ALL the time, hell I even occasionally have lag in my singleplayer game?! Blizzard says this is because they wanted to make a multiplayer    Don't get me wrong, Diablo 3 is a good game, it is fun to play, but the way Blizzard handles things is absolutely horrible, the sole reason why this game might not be enjoyable is because of the way Blizzard treats it's customers

    -You have to be online ALL the time, hell I even occasionally have lag in my singleplayer game?! Blizzard says this is because they wanted to make a multiplayer game, not a singleplayer game, ok, then why do I even have the possibility to play alone? Also, if you make it online only, at least have enough servers to handle the **** storm? I mean the game took so many years to finish, so much money, and then on the last meters to a perfect product you blow it all away because you wanted to save some costs by halving the amount of servers? This is absolute **** and you know it
    -Mods are not allowed at all, another reason to not give your money to this company, the game you bought is not yours, you can't do with it what you want, you have to use it in only the way they want you to

    The only reason for this is to keep control of the people and make it slightly harder for softwarepirates to play, hell I will probably not buy it because of that, I will just get the game from somewhere else, crack it, mod it, play on private servers (might take some time but it will come) or I will just completely ignore it, because this is definitely not a "game of the year", and it will never live up to it's hype    … Expand
  8. honestreviews2
    May 15, 2012
    5
    Well I'm disappointed with no offline play. It's absolutely ridiculous they advertise this game on commercials and internet as May 15 release I've been able to play once for 10 minutes since it realeased at 12 am on the 15.

    Due to errors and server downtime I cannot play. This game needed offline implemented!!! As far as the game goes It's good, graphics are nice, story is good. I'm    Well I'm disappointed with no offline play. It's absolutely ridiculous they advertise this game on commercials and internet as May 15 release I've been able to play once for 10 minutes since it realeased at 12 am on the 15.

    Due to errors and server downtime I cannot play. This game needed offline implemented!!! As far as the game goes It's good, graphics are nice, story is good.

    I'm completely disgusted with the launch and no offline mode , so for that I'm giving it a 5    … Expand
  9. MrBuckie
    May 15, 2012
    5
    I played this game at the open beta, from that moment; I knew this game was a disappointment. The game itself isn't that bad, but it isn't good either. It's something in between. There are things I don't like AT ALL: The skill system and attributes. You can't distribute your attributes anymore, and the skills aren't as customizable as it should've been. I didn't really have a problem withI played this game at the open beta, from that moment; I knew this game was a disappointment. The game itself isn't that bad, but it isn't good either. It's something in between. There are things I don't like AT ALL: The skill system and attributes. You can't distribute your attributes anymore, and the skills aren't as customizable as it should've been. I didn't really have a problem with need for active connection to play, since I enjoy playing with friends more than playing alone. This game reminds me of WoW but with different angle. (I don't like WoW). But there are few things I like. The gameplay feels fluid and the control is responsive. Also you can choose some skills for your companion as well. I wouldnâ… Expand
  10. therealgamerevo
    May 15, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Diablo 3, if I had to describe it in one word it would be, rapid. It keeps your heart pounding and your fingers bleeding. Blizzard has made the action of the game a fluid and fast experience, but it seems more a method to cover up the games many flaws. First I want to start off by saying that the game made some great innovations. The inclusion of being rewarded for finding lore was quite enjoyable. Also the gameplay was quite challenging. However challenging, it loses the urgency that the first two games in the series had. If you die, while grouped, any of your teammates can resurrect you, any number of times. While the resurrection feature is somewhat necessary, it takes away ultimately any gravity to your death. Though this feature might become more involved on the harder difficulties, it is apparently apart of Blizzards attempt to make Diablo main stream. There is a growing trend in games that tend to be shallow or even flawed to have gameplay be too fast to catch your breathe, let alone enjoy the beauty of the design. This trend is a means to open a game series up to a broader spectrum of clientele. I do not fault Blizzard for that, I even support there goals, but forgetting the core gaming group who made Diablo a flagship title for a company is not good business practice. When I talk about forgetting about the core I mean that Diablo 3 Rehashed a great deal from their older games, and not in an original manner. In two of the acts we return to areas we have previously explored in the older games. That means that more than half the game is unoriginal. The first act, in keeping with Diablo 2 starts of in Tristram, you save it and rescue Deckard Cain. I was happy to see Tristram again, especially in 3d isometric graphics, but what drills the thought of the game being rehashed is the next two acts. The second act takes place is Caldeum. Though an original name, it not only plays a great deal like Lut Gholein, but it is a desert land too. Even more so the area deals heavily with illusions, sewers, and alternate spaces all large parts of what made Lut Gholein. In act 3 you are taken back to Arreat. In Arreat, guess what..., the fortress is under siege by demons again, and you also have missions that operate like in Lord of Destruction. Some including destroying demon siege weapons, or rescuing overwhelmed allies, only to learn at the end you have been betrayed by a close ally. Almost identical to the story in LOD. Another indication of the rehashed nature of the game is that Azmodan is a poor version of Baal he attacks the fortress with his army trying to get the black soul stone. Unlike Baal, his nature which is sin, has nothing to do with his actions or his Act. Also another slap in the face for fans of the series is that the third act will always be a reminder that the actions at the end of LOD have nothing to do with Diablo 3. The world stone, it wouldn't have made a difference if it was corrupted saved destroyed. It doesn't effect the story of Diablo 3 what soever. Making Baal who was a true gaming memory,and LOD, completely pointless. The writing is artificially convoluted, and acts as if the previous games never happened. Even going so far as to change the history of Diablo 1 and 2 and giving the Dark Wanderer a back story. Instead of taking from the brilliant ending that Lord of destruction had, they come up with their own reasoning to play Diablo 3, discarding over 20 years of lore. The final nail to the rehash coffin is, like diablo 2, the fourth act is half as long as the other acts. It is the only truly new area, which happens to actually be Heaven. Unfortunately even the enemies are rehashed from diablo 2 as you fight some of the similar unique monsters from hell, like Tyrael's lieutenant. Diablo herself, as Leah was the daughter of Adria and the dark Wanderer, is a repeat of the previous games mechanics even using a circle of fireballs as an attack. Also it uses the overly used nightmare world where they extend the battle by having to fight shadow versions of yourself and Diablo as well. Furthermore, all member of the horadrim are dead, Deckard dies in act one, and his niece turns into Diablo. So because of the brilliant writers there is no one to guide future heroes as you have to kill Leah, Deckard's inheritor, and cannot save her, lets face it Bizzard you've done the fallen hero bit enough. The game is just a massive regurgitation of ideas, even stealing from horror movies having the part separate only to have someone die or get captured. If the bogus premise to slay demons didn't turn you off then the annoyance of having to be online to play single player will. I had no problem playing during launch, but many others did not get to play at all, and took off of work because of love for the game. Blizzards insistence to DRM the damn single player shows it cares more for its profits then the experience.… Expand
  11. Draig
    May 16, 2012
    5
    Visually- 4/10 Subpar by todays standards. Why? Catering to the masses who apparently cannot afford any sort of decent PC? I don't know, and don't care frankly. I expected a lot more in this regard.

    Singleplayer- 0/10 DRM dictates that I must have internet. Pathetic reasoning to explain this atrocity on top of it. D2 had single player characters that could not be used in Multiplayer    Visually- 4/10 Subpar by todays standards. Why? Catering to the masses who apparently cannot afford any sort of decent PC? I don't know, and don't care frankly. I expected a lot more in this regard.

    Singleplayer- 0/10 DRM dictates that I must have internet. Pathetic reasoning to explain this atrocity on top of it. D2 had single player characters that could not be used in Multiplayer games-- therefore it could have been implemented for the times I want to get my D3 on solo, wherever I want... I shouldn't have needed to connect to the internet to play alone. Multiplayer - 10/10 Playing through with a couple friends has been a blast. Nostalgia kicks in, I can ignore the visually unappealing game and just have fun.

    Customization- 0/10 There is none. There is really nothing else to say about this game in that respect. Cater to the sheep who apparently can't figure out how to build a character through a skill tree. Justify it however you want other players- its the ultimate game for cookie cutter characters. Nevermind that games have been using skill tree type systems, and doing it well, for well over a decade now. Total fail in this facet of gameplay.

    Story- 6/10 I may have to edit this post in the future but so far (through Act II)- a tad bit predictable. Throw me a little curve or something... anything...

    Overall - 5/10.

    Basically if you want a mediocre iteration of the Diablo franchise this game is for you. Its not bad, its fun multiplayer, horrible solo, but its not mind blowing in any sense nor by any stretch of the imagination.

    P.S. The number of "reviews" on this site both good and bad that have literally no arguments to warrant either a "10" or a "0" should be removed. The reviews spamming statements should be removed, and the reviews simply insulting other users should be removed. We might then see a more realistic "User Score". Until then it will simply be a war of people who blindly vote 10 vs. people who blindly vote 0, and insult/argue about why they have justified these inappropriate scores.    … Expand
  12. Mr_Redder
    May 16, 2012
    5
    A solid meh. Without ranting about server issues, you click things and they die. Sometimes when there are a lot of things you press a number and/or q and continue clicking things. The setting, atmosphere and story is alright but not good enough to make up for the repetitive gameplay.
  13. Luamaro
    Jul 30, 2012
    5
    After a couple of month of playing I have to re-review the game. Total score 5. The game is the least fun of the 3 games of the saga, with very poor plot - linear and very simple game mechanics - decent graphic - decent music (nothing extraordinary) - very short story. In summary nothing to compare to its predecessors. In a view month it became tedious.
  14. Sweets69
    May 16, 2012
    5
    The game could have been much better if it was kept as a simple offline game, but with the entire game being online, simple things players have come to expect from a point and click RPG are now subject to latency normally only seen in MMORPG's. I am very disappointed that there is no offline mode. Being overseas means I cannot play this game. A massive waste of my money.
  15. Zeonia
    May 16, 2012
    5
    I signed up here just to write a review of this game, given all the disappointment that's floating around. I've been a Diablo fan since the first game,.. i played D2 until my eyes bled. Unfortunately, anyone hoping this would be a good continuation, are going to be sadly disappointed. For those in this boat, coming from Diablo 2, what you need to do is forget this is a Diablo game andI signed up here just to write a review of this game, given all the disappointment that's floating around. I've been a Diablo fan since the first game,.. i played D2 until my eyes bled. Unfortunately, anyone hoping this would be a good continuation, are going to be sadly disappointed. For those in this boat, coming from Diablo 2, what you need to do is forget this is a Diablo game and instead consider it a new experience. Whether that new experience is for you, is going to be a personal thing. What I would say is that the release has been so badly managed it's shocking. It's been so bad, that the game has been utterly destroyed by the press based heavily on the login experience. Which actually IS as bad as people make out. My experience was that at 5PM when everyone got home from work at the same time, the servers got hammered. At which point I managed to get in 3 times in 4 hours. All 3 times the connection was unstable and I got booted within 15 minutes. Which wasn't enough time for my friends to get a connection so we could play together. So All in all, I over a 4 hour period I played for 15 minutes, which was mostly just waiting about. Joyous.

    Eventually we did get a game in, at about 11pm, when everyone in Europe had gone to bed. For an hour or two. And we kind of enjoyed it.

    I'd say that there is also a misconception going around about the length of the game. Don't get me wrong, this is no WoW sized game, but it is much bigger than you would believe reading the reviews. People have quoted finishing the game in 2 hours. You'll only do that if you ignore absolutely all dialogue and run from start to finish as quickly as you possibly can. Ignoring all side quests, and avoiding killing most things. You can do this in almost all games. Look for speed runs on youtube, games that took the average gamer 30+ hours will have speed runs of 1 hour or less. And most of these people are just trying to look l33t. Don't play the game like this, you'll make a mediocre experience worse. Play it properly, explore, see things, do things.

    I'm giving this 5/10, I'm trying to look past the login issues and see the bigger picture with that score, it would have been lower.    … Expand
  16. Hton
    May 16, 2012
    5
    Common guys, why don't you simply skip the game and send a message?

    It was known for a long time: single player totally f****d, no stats, skills and runes, 60$ price tag for unknown reason and finaly no demo, guest passes instead. DRM is more than enough to not buy the game, and the rest is not much better. It was clear before release that you get the game for children with special needs    Common guys, why don't you simply skip the game and send a message?

    It was known for a long time: single player totally f****d, no stats, skills and runes, 60$ price tag for unknown reason and finaly no demo, guest passes instead. DRM is more than enough to not buy the game, and the rest is not much better. It was clear before release that you get the game for children with special needs who can't distribute 5 points in 4 stats    … Expand
  17. Northern
    May 16, 2012
    5
    If you make your fan base wait over a decade and force them to be online to play single player, your uptime had better be stellar.

    If it's not, every company should expect, and deserve, backlash from the fanbase.
  18. kjamesh
    May 18, 2012
    5
    My second review... Now that I've been able to actually play the game (Blizzard has 'fixed' it's down server issues for now), I must say it's really good. I did not play D1 or D2 at all, however I have thoroughly enjoyed games like Champions of Norath and such in the past. Diablo 3 plays well, however it just doesn't seem like a 2012 game. It fails to improve on the genre, the graphicsMy second review... Now that I've been able to actually play the game (Blizzard has 'fixed' it's down server issues for now), I must say it's really good. I did not play D1 or D2 at all, however I have thoroughly enjoyed games like Champions of Norath and such in the past. Diablo 3 plays well, however it just doesn't seem like a 2012 game. It fails to improve on the genre, the graphics are sub par (but fit well with the overall game), and the story is OK. It literally feels like playing Champions of Norath, with HD graphics (Champions came out in 2004, that's EIGHT years ago).

    Without ANY type of offline play or LAN only plan combined with constant disconnections/issues with Blizzards servers, I have a hard time justifying anything above a 5. To me, it feels like half a game. Seeing how I have to buy a copy for anyone in my family to play at the same time (again, no LAN or local play), it's an expensive investment. Also, there is ONLY co-op play, so no battling friends/strangers.

    Overall I am enjoying the game, and maybe with enough time Blizzard can fix their server issues. Until that time, I cannot possibly give the game anything above a 5, it just overall feels like HALF the game is here (although that HALF is good). If local play was included in the game, I would give it an 8 overall.    … Expand
  19. Astonim
    May 16, 2012
    5
    Honestly, I'm disappointed at first with this game. I wouldn't call it Diablo III. It is rather revamped Diablo II. Let alone the entire bumpy experience of the launch. I had to log on to Asian server to start play, and my highest level character is still on Asian server. Well, everybody trusts Blizzard that we should be fine from here on. But let's look at the game itself. First, it isHonestly, I'm disappointed at first with this game. I wouldn't call it Diablo III. It is rather revamped Diablo II. Let alone the entire bumpy experience of the launch. I had to log on to Asian server to start play, and my highest level character is still on Asian server. Well, everybody trusts Blizzard that we should be fine from here on. But let's look at the game itself. First, it is not truly a 3D game, although it is 3D modeled, the camera is locked in place. In east Asia, this is called 2.5D. And if you look at the character setting, it smells Korean. Now, let's look at the game play. It is really Diablo II or even Diablo I, exactly the same formula, you head into a dungeon, kill some monsters, loot, and sell your loot. You don't even have any choice to develop your character, everything is preset. The only random thing is what item you can find, and what you can make by crafting. Then you can sell them in the auction house. All in all, it gives you a really retro feeling. I'm like back to my childhood when Diablo I on 1024x768 looked really stunning. All these being said, why I didn't score it in the reds? Because like every other Blizzard game, I found this game still very addicting. This is exactly because the game play is streamlined and simplified. Diablo III is a GAME. You have a simple set of rules (controlled by computer), and you choose from a set of strategies to beat it. There is no fancy plots, tough choices to make. We have enough fancy plots and tough choices in our real life. Why want more? A lot of games now a day tries to be thoughtful, tries to give you another life. People likes them (including me) because it gives the feeling of another life. But sometimes, you just want to sit down and play UNO with little kids. And that's what Diablo gives you. Just sit down forget about your life and play. I think I'll sink countless hours into Diablo III just like the previous two.… Expand
  20. ddr
    May 16, 2012
    5
    I got this game for free from Blizzard when I signed up for a one year commitment to play WoW. The free price tag is a part of my more or less positive review. If I had spent more than $20 or so on this game, I would have been upset. But as a gamer that played Diablo I many years ago and never played Diablo II, this game was about what I expected. A fairly simple hack and slash withI got this game for free from Blizzard when I signed up for a one year commitment to play WoW. The free price tag is a part of my more or less positive review. If I had spent more than $20 or so on this game, I would have been upset. But as a gamer that played Diablo I many years ago and never played Diablo II, this game was about what I expected. A fairly simple hack and slash with nice looking graphics and good sound. Iâ… Expand
  21. Pridexs
    Sep 1, 2012
    5
    I thought the game was pretty good in the start, but the end game content is just sooo boring!
    I still had fun with my friend in the first 10~15 hours.
  22. IronVarmint
    May 16, 2012
    5
    I keep seeing garbage about 'setting the bar high' and other nonsense. First off, it is too easy, and I'm not going to be the only one saying that. Second, it's boring. Enemies throw nothing new at you. Third, there are limited combinations. Supposedly it gets harder the second time through and even harder the third time. But honestly, what's the point if the only thing that differsI keep seeing garbage about 'setting the bar high' and other nonsense. First off, it is too easy, and I'm not going to be the only one saying that. Second, it's boring. Enemies throw nothing new at you. Third, there are limited combinations. Supposedly it gets harder the second time through and even harder the third time. But honestly, what's the point if the only thing that differs is more HP?… Expand
  23. Captain_jonno
    May 16, 2012
    5
    Finding it hard to play with fairy land version of 2002 graphics. The immersion of the graphics to a game style as diablo is pretty key. Pretty sad when the richest company cant even work that out. I saw make another warcraft (not wow) and bring it back to your fans. Grow a brain over there
  24. Asgarv
    May 17, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall, Diablo 3 was a little disappointing compared to what Blizzard and everyone else hyped it to be. Gameplay was by far the best thing about this game, and abilities are really **** satisfying. I loved playing my Barbarian and ripping through enemies while needing to stop and strategize if you see some rare pack of unburied. The gameplay had a lot of drawbacks, though. For one, the game doesn't get at all difficult until you trudge through the first difficulty to just play the same game only slightly harder. Randomization helps a bit, but it was fairly annoying to not be able to choose your difficulty right off the bat and it really adds an element of forced replay value. Game was laden with cutscenes that cut into the flow of the game and don't really do anything but say what already happened. Did I mention it was short?

    Graphics were "eh". The art style was fine and got sufficiently grimdark for my tastes at some places (notably king leoric's torture basement, whatever its name was). The actual implementation of the style was a little **** Even on max settings, Diablo 3 looked like it would be a great game for a smartphone, and the technical graphics are crappy. Textures were terrible, and there were jaggies errywhere. The art direction kind of seemed like the lazy way out.

    The story of the game, as expected when it was announced to be written by Metzen, was **** Most dialogue was extremely generic, and character development was nonexistant. Your followers had a few backstories, but they were relatively short and none of them were particularly original. There were a lot of retcons present (Izual and Butcher coming back, some various things involving Diablo, and quite a few dialogue points). Characters like Leah and Tyrael (apparently now Tyrone) were pretty unlikeable and bread and butter. Tyrael gets tricked like 3 times in the game by different people, and decides to throw Diablo off the bridge WITH THE **** SOULSTONE INTACT, and then takes his place as "Wisdom". Nice one Blizzard. At least, it provides some evidence of an expansion pack that will no doubt be overpriced.

    My main gripe with this game is the **** DRM. Having to be online and WAIT IN A QUEUE for singeplayer is absolutely unacceptable. The constant server updates and mantenience eats into the time you'd otherwise be enjoying yourself, and sometimes these restarts can place you all the way at the beginning of the Act you were on, causing a lot of frustration. If you don't make it to a checkpoint in time, these server problems WILL make you start to a point 30 minutes earlier. Not to mention the game was nearly unplayable the day it was release, when Blizzard had months to iron out things through stress test results. The game was laggy in singleplayer, too. Coop is fine but people tend to rush everything so I don't really suggest going into coop unless you have friends with D3 or if you've already completed the game.

    TL;DR Game is fun, but that's pretty much all it gets right    … Expand
  25. Cymek
    May 17, 2012
    5
    It's Spore all over again. The game isn't really bad, it gets good reviews by critics, but there's something so terribly wrong with it. Let me start out by stating how shocked I am that this game has received universally positive reviews, many stating that it has improved upon its predecessor. Have any of these critics even played Diablo 2? This game eliminates much of what made itsIt's Spore all over again. The game isn't really bad, it gets good reviews by critics, but there's something so terribly wrong with it. Let me start out by stating how shocked I am that this game has received universally positive reviews, many stating that it has improved upon its predecessor. Have any of these critics even played Diablo 2? This game eliminates much of what made its predecessor great.

    Here's a list of things that displease me:

    -No more choice when leveling your character. Everything unlocks automatically
    -You can't distribute skill points

    -Items have, for the most part, the same size. You can carry many more things than you could in Diablo 2. Some people might like this better, but it makes things feel less valuable.
    -No more scrolls of town portal. You have to use waypoints.
    -Potion healing is drastically changed.
    -You can't actually use your weapon when you feel like it. As in, the game doesn't allow you to swing your weapon if you feel like it with certain classes.
    -I don't think the graphics are bad, but they don't fit the atmosphere. Whereas the first one was dark and gritty, this one seems cartoonish. -The writing is uninspired and has that "oh look at me I'm so epic" quality that I've noticed is becoming increasingly common in Blizzard games

    Overrall, the game just feels watered down and simplified. Some people disagree with me and are having the time of their lives. All I know is that I wasn't having fun even after a few hours of playing.    … Expand
  26. apathyguy
    May 17, 2012
    5
    Fours days in and I still can play for more than a few mins without getting bumped out. This is a one player game here. As far as what I have been able to do (20th lvl Barbarian) its been unimpressive. Graphics are good but not great (highest setting). The skill system and accompanying skills are decent and functional. Sadly there is no wow factor what so ever to them. Gems and black smithFours days in and I still can play for more than a few mins without getting bumped out. This is a one player game here. As far as what I have been able to do (20th lvl Barbarian) its been unimpressive. Graphics are good but not great (highest setting). The skill system and accompanying skills are decent and functional. Sadly there is no wow factor what so ever to them. Gems and black smith suffer the same fate as the skill sets. Combat is in truth very satisfying. After about lvl 10 the fights stop being easy but the game manages to ramp up the difficulty in a way that allows your tactics to grow with your skill sets and quit often leaves you feeling a sense of accomplishment even with the fights you know you wont loose. For this style of game the story line is certainly above average to good. Though its never going to surpass the likes of Mass Effect, but that isn't why you buy a Diablo game so I give them credit in this area. So in the end it grieves me to say this but none the less I recommend waiting for it to go on sale, by then the on line aspect will be repaired. It is nothing short of crippling at this point (its not an exaggeration). If you haven't played Torch Light yet then get it instead. Once the server issues are fixed the score will boost to 8 for me. Good luck.… Expand
  27. Shinju
    May 18, 2012
    5
    Half good half bad. Too easy. Real â
  28. DrMutomofobo
    May 18, 2012
    5
    This game brought me right back to where I was twelve years ago, hacking and slashing my way through the legions of hell. This game is true to it's sequels, that much is certain. But there lies the problem as well.

    It's too old-fashioned. Gameplay is based on principles that are long since outdated. Simplistic point-and-click with very little room for finesse. A lot of basic features you    This game brought me right back to where I was twelve years ago, hacking and slashing my way through the legions of hell. This game is true to it's sequels, that much is certain. But there lies the problem as well.

    It's too old-fashioned. Gameplay is based on principles that are long since outdated. Simplistic point-and-click with very little room for finesse. A lot of basic features you expect to see in a modern game, are also non-existent. There's no 360-degree perspective, and everything feels way too generic. From character customization to environmental interaction, from how the character moves to how it fights. The world is static, the animations are stocky and clumsy and built around simplistic and old-fashioned principles that leaves very little room for personal interaction.

    There's no flow in it, none of the realism you need to truly feel immersed.

    In fact, moving about and fighting in Diablo 3 feels even more "stocky" than it does in World of Warcraft, which is disappointing considering the fact that it's predecessors were pioneers when it came to fastpaced/skillbased actiongames.

    This game, is no pioneer at all. It's a sequel that, if you disregard the graphics; could just as easily been released ten years ago. There's no innovation when it comes to gameplay whatsoever.

    All that said... It's still Diablo. The nostalgia it provokes alone, will keep me entertained for at least a couple of weeks. It may not have presented me with a "wow this is brilliant" kind of response, but it certainly propelled me back in time to an era long lost and had me rediscover the enjoyment I felt back then. And for that, if nothing else; Blizzard deserves credit :)    … Expand
  29. Power-Cosmic
    Aug 11, 2012
    5
    I'm updating my score from a 1 to a 5 in anticipation of patch 1.0.4. I truly hope this patch will bring out the game that we all paid $60-$100 for. Below are the preview details of patch 1.0.4 - release date is still unknown.

    System Changes, by Wyatt Cheng Senior Technical Game Designer Wyatt Cheng is preparing a high-level summary of some of the system changes planned for 1.0.4.    I'm updating my score from a 1 to a 5 in anticipation of patch 1.0.4. I truly hope this patch will bring out the game that we all paid $60-$100 for. Below are the preview details of patch 1.0.4 - release date is still unknown.

    System Changes, by Wyatt Cheng
    Senior Technical Game Designer Wyatt Cheng is preparing a high-level summary of some of the system changes planned for 1.0.4.

    Legendary Item Improvements, by Andrew Chambers
    Senior Game Designer Andrew Chambers is working on a blog detailing all the ways we    … Expand
  30. Rsharp254
    May 18, 2012
    5
    Overall the game is good, but we all would think this game would be better if we were not comparing it to the game we all played 12 yrs ago...since it plays almost identical to it. That being said I have to say I am extremely disappointed in the fact there are hardly NO decisions to me made by the player. For all intense and purposes this game could be played my an ape or my dog for thatOverall the game is good, but we all would think this game would be better if we were not comparing it to the game we all played 12 yrs ago...since it plays almost identical to it. That being said I have to say I am extremely disappointed in the fact there are hardly NO decisions to me made by the player. For all intense and purposes this game could be played my an ape or my dog for that matter. The only decisions that Blizzard left to the players are:
    1-Which damage dealing ability to I pull out onto my available slots. 2-What special ability do I activate......And that's about it.....seriously?????? Other than those 2 items and I guess what do I buy/wear, there really is no customization to this game at all. Before in D2 if I wanted to put a ton of points into Whirl Wind and just WW everything to death, I could. If I wanted to dump all my skill points into Strength....I could. As I stated before, this is a good game...but its also a game that feels like it could of been made 8 yrs ago. Did I seriously need to wait 12 yrs for "background environment that can be destroyed"???
    ----Give me my freedom to make my character play and feel the way I want it to---Is that too much to ask for? Sigh :(

    Everything aside, I should not be spending more time on a simple, easy, $15 game from Steam 'Dungeon Defenders', which I have spent several hundred hours playing and is what I actually logged into last night after only playing D3 for 3hrs....and I was up till 4am play DD.    … 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

All reviews »
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]
    Read full review
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