User Score
4.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 10199 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. May 15, 2012
    4
    Ill try to point out what bothers my, cause we all know the things that this game does correctly. We've been told by journalists, ads, developers etc.
    1/ No connection. Seriously? The biggest MMO company and i cannot play single player at all (even if it was achievmentless, or limited, or just a class try-out). They had 2 000 000 preorders so they had to see this coming. As I was logging
    Ill try to point out what bothers my, cause we all know the things that this game does correctly. We've been told by journalists, ads, developers etc.
    1/ No connection. Seriously? The biggest MMO company and i cannot play single player at all (even if it was achievmentless, or limited, or just a class try-out). They had 2 000 000 preorders so they had to see this coming. As I was logging in I saw D3 ad sayin "available now". Trust me, its not.
    2/ Graphic style. A bit to WoW-y for me. Of course we all saw the game videos before the premiere, still i have this feeling that Diablo's atmosphere is fading away with every minute i play ( if log in is possible of course). If I wanted Torchlight I'd wait for Torchlight 2. 3/ Tech. It's old. textures suck. And the graphics aren't biggest issue for me. Have You tried Drakensang online? It's a BROWSER GAME that looks pretty similar to this 15GB monster. And I'm saying this as a big SC2 fan - the graphics should serve the gameplay, and in this case they're not helping and i still can see all the slips. Oh, a game 12 years in making and some weapons look like copied from WOW. 4/ Voice acting. I'm in act 2 and it's not event close to deep, charismatic voices from D2. I can still remember characters from Diablo 2, and i cannot enumerate even one char from act1 except for Cain.
    5/ It just doesnt feel Diablo that much...
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  2. May 17, 2012
    4
    I was against buying this game for all the stupid crap blizzard has done like the always online drm and the real money auction house but bought it at the last minute. What a huge joke the game is down for maintenance most of the time. Why would blizzard not put pvp in the game but they sure are able to tell you when they are adding in the stupid real money auction house. Shows whereI was against buying this game for all the stupid crap blizzard has done like the always online drm and the real money auction house but bought it at the last minute. What a huge joke the game is down for maintenance most of the time. Why would blizzard not put pvp in the game but they sure are able to tell you when they are adding in the stupid real money auction house. Shows where blizzards priorities are with developing this game. Expand
  3. Jun 11, 2012
    4
    Diablo III is cheesy, soulless and seems to be made for ten-year-olds. Still, it's an okay game gameplay-wise -- on harder difficulties. However, and this is a big however, you have to start the game on Normal, play through the entire game on Normal, before you get there. And Normal is way to easy. It presents no challenge -- just keep clicking on the screen around your character and youDiablo III is cheesy, soulless and seems to be made for ten-year-olds. Still, it's an okay game gameplay-wise -- on harder difficulties. However, and this is a big however, you have to start the game on Normal, play through the entire game on Normal, before you get there. And Normal is way to easy. It presents no challenge -- just keep clicking on the screen around your character and you win every encounter. This is truly boring, and it's a 40-hour introduction to the game that you're forced to take. Not really worth it in my opinion. Expand
  4. May 25, 2012
    4
    More than a week on and I'm still rather disappointed. Game feels rather shallow compared to previous iterations and is selling on name alone.

    Decent, but nothing more.
  5. May 18, 2012
    4
    Diablo 3 would have been acceptable years ago, but games and their players have advanced since the last update in this series. Seems odd that it took so long for a game that seems essentially a higher-resolution version of D2 to become reality. Perhaps I set my expectations too high, but I've seen better versions of this genre from smaller developers, at a lower price, and without theDiablo 3 would have been acceptable years ago, but games and their players have advanced since the last update in this series. Seems odd that it took so long for a game that seems essentially a higher-resolution version of D2 to become reality. Perhaps I set my expectations too high, but I've seen better versions of this genre from smaller developers, at a lower price, and without the always-connected limitations. Expand
  6. May 15, 2012
    4
    Never played it. And now thanks to all of your reviews i will never buy it and play it. Thanks for saving my money. I don't usually follow what people say but the majority is overwhelming.
  7. May 15, 2012
    4
    +Decent graphics. -Always online DRM, -Lack of skill diversity, -Connection errors, -Play to win, -Short story. This game is a step back from Diablo 2, so I recommend avoiding it.
  8. Jul 10, 2014
    4
    When I played, Diablo 3 was a greedy auction house fest, with loot algorithms designed to force people to buy items from each other while giving Blizzard a cut of the money spend. Considering the price of the game and the impact it had one quality of game play, this was extremely unacceptable.

    They supposedly fixed these issues and removed the auction house in the mean time, so my
    When I played, Diablo 3 was a greedy auction house fest, with loot algorithms designed to force people to buy items from each other while giving Blizzard a cut of the money spend. Considering the price of the game and the impact it had one quality of game play, this was extremely unacceptable.

    They supposedly fixed these issues and removed the auction house in the mean time, so my review from back then is no longer valid. Not gonna waste more money or time on the game though, so I'll just set my score as close as possible to the average player score and then clearly state that I have no idea if the game still sucks in the current version.
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  9. May 15, 2012
    4
    After having spent the better part of a day playing Diablo 3, I am disappointed to say that it has not lived up to the promise we would expect from a company of Blizzard's eminence. The visual style is, I can say it no more gently, generic. The uniqueness of design that once made Blizzard iconic has been aped and copied so often that its impact here has been diluted. The audio design isAfter having spent the better part of a day playing Diablo 3, I am disappointed to say that it has not lived up to the promise we would expect from a company of Blizzard's eminence. The visual style is, I can say it no more gently, generic. The uniqueness of design that once made Blizzard iconic has been aped and copied so often that its impact here has been diluted. The audio design is pretty standard fare. The music isn't bad, but at no point is it riveting. The gameplay is hack-and-slash--and really, that's about it. You kill things, you loot things, you upgrade your character. Somehow they have managed to take what was most memorable about this game's predecessors and turn it into a chore. The harder modes are difficult, yes--in the same way that driving with a blindfold on is difficult. Rather than legitimately increasing the difficulty, they just stat-pad the enemies and buff all their attacks. This is the kind of cheap trickery I expect from arcade fighting games, not action-RPGs. One "feature" that I find a horrible detriment is requiring a constant connection to Blizzard's servers. Though I haven't had much difficulty logging in, others have consistently seen "Error 37", indicating an inability to connect to said servers. If Blizzard wishes to enact Draconian DRM, so be it; but if they make it a prerequisite to playing the game, they are damn well obligated to ensure that it works, and that it works all the time. Ubisoft tried this, and it didn't work for them. The multiplayer portion of the game is basically the single player, but with other people added. This can be great if you know them and want to talk to them. Otherwise, it's really not much different than playing with bots. I can honestly say that Gauntlet Legends was more entertaining from a multiplayer perspective than Diablo 3. There is a measure of expectation gamers have created for this title. They have built it up in their minds to being something it could never hope to be; this isn't the Second Coming of action-RPGs. That's what's even more disappointing. To measure this game strictly by its own merits, it is still severely lacking. The inability to consistently play, the mediocrity of its design, all of this add up to a game which is really quite...standard. The only thing bringing the score down is this ridiculous DRM. In the coming weeks, I'm sure someone will find a way to break it.

    And do you know what that means?

    That means the only people playing the game without enduring "Error 37" are the people who didn't even pay for it. That's just bad service, and THAT is unforgivable.
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  10. May 15, 2012
    4
    The 15th may used to be a good day, it was my birthday.. From now and forever it will remain as the day of the blunder ! I wont cry for stat's disappearance, i will let the game a chance to prove that there's good in the new skill system. 2 years ago i was playing titan quest, and it was good. last Summer, i've dig up Diablo 2 with friends and enjoyed this summer. But i don't know why, itThe 15th may used to be a good day, it was my birthday.. From now and forever it will remain as the day of the blunder ! I wont cry for stat's disappearance, i will let the game a chance to prove that there's good in the new skill system. 2 years ago i was playing titan quest, and it was good. last Summer, i've dig up Diablo 2 with friends and enjoyed this summer. But i don't know why, it does not feel the same with D3. Maybe it's me, or maybe it's the mechanics, but the combat gameplay feels blank.

    I put a 6, minus 2 because of the **** drm and the auction house, so it's 4 .... :'(
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  11. May 15, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. it's now an industry standard that just what your game's objectives are constantly shoved down a player's throat. as is that developers seem to think everything that might require a bit of thought needs to be streamlined, and that human beings can't recognize simple patterns, and things need to be much more "cinematically focused". and anything beyond this is "entitlement."
    and while this should not be suprising, it has happened to blizzard's diablo 3. how, you ask? how hasn't it been?

    players click and click as per usual. it's how the game works. as players level, they use runes to help with skill customization, and attribute points are distributed automatically like many a jrpg. these changes from diablo 2 are worth mentioning in a positive note, but unfortunately there is absolutley no influencing what skills are learned and what points are gained, a luxury those same jrpgs will usually grant. this system did need some fixing from diablo 2, granted, but not an entire revamp. essentially, 2 seperate player's witchdocters will be exactly the same, sans wargear. a standard melee attack damaging GROUPS of enemies is cheap and console-gameplay-esque (wonder why). the health drops that you simply walk over coupled with the low, low chance of an enemy actually hurting you means that besides where bosses are concerned, health is rarely an issue. something new to the environments are the red barrel kills - the scripted segments that, frankly, are so out of place for the series, and usually result in the KILL-STREAK +25XP! PROMOTION TO SERGENT MAN! messages, very Call Of Duty. the classes skills are extremely overpowered from the get-go, and they like to talk, a lot - but do players need 3 ways of the game telling them that they don't have enough mana for a spell they try to use?
    then there is the wow-like art style. it completely betrays the Gothic scenery of it's predecessors, and it looks like it was made to run on a machine from 2005.
    a glaring issue is the DRM. it is absolutely deplorable that players are forced to connect to a server constantly for single player just to make sure you are the only person playing with that copy of the game. you're even at risk of being kicked for simply idling. the possibility of lag in single player is a joke and as one final laugh, the real money auction house is just legalizing Chinese item farmers. i laughed quite heartily when i was in my EB games store and saw the posters saying that the game was avaliable for purchase after 9 am, but the servers would not be up until 4:30 pm.
    like many a "AAA title" these days, a single player playthrough will generally see 6-10 hours, depending on how many side quests are squeezed out. another low point, considering the first two go for MUCH longer.
    concerning the story, it is not terrible - predictable and unpolished, not to mention blizzard still has not grown tired of old tropes, and has brought a "kerrigan" into this franchise. but passable, in all meaning of the word.

    did you love the first two games?
    do you want a worthy sequel?

    go soak your head in a bucket of ice water and wake up. this is selling purely on it's name, not the game.

    are you looking for a flavour of the month game?
    an mmo with a focus on single player experience (TOR dead yet)?
    a calladooty with a fantasy feel?

    go for it. buy it. just remember. you paid for it.
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  12. May 15, 2012
    4
    This game really gets my jimmies in rustle. The characters in it move way too slow. How can anyone enjoy a game where nobody can into fast? What a joke. You can't fight the power and pierce the heavens if you're moving at turtle-pace speeds. Blizzard, I am disappointing. But enough with this - I'm off to sit on my throne in Bel-Air.
  13. May 15, 2012
    4
    Game had a bery bad launch. The graphics looks like they took WoW and turned it into an isometric game and slapped the name Diablo 3 on it. Very disappointing.
  14. May 15, 2012
    4
    So after having played this game for around about 3 - 4 hours, I can confidently say that staring at a screen saying 'error 37' is not fun. would not recommend if you like fun things.
  15. May 15, 2012
    4
    I expected more after so long in development. With maxed out graphics @ 1920x1080 this game still looks kinda old and ugly in my opinion. Graphics are from 2007-2008 or so I'd say. It's moderately entertaining for a while although honestly I'm tiring of it already after 1 day. It might have gotten 5/10 instead of 4/10 but the price is too high. Also, I haven't taken into consideration theI expected more after so long in development. With maxed out graphics @ 1920x1080 this game still looks kinda old and ugly in my opinion. Graphics are from 2007-2008 or so I'd say. It's moderately entertaining for a while although honestly I'm tiring of it already after 1 day. It might have gotten 5/10 instead of 4/10 but the price is too high. Also, I haven't taken into consideration the login problems alot of people have or it would have been 2/10. So don't believe the hype about D3, it's an ok game nothing more (except for grapics wich suck). If you consider getting it atleast wait until the price drops and they've fixed the problems so you can actually log in and play. Expand
  16. May 15, 2012
    4
    Apart from the awful launch and connection issues, the game is really nothing special. Graphically average, and clickfest gameplay. It does nothing better than Diablo 2 (they even removed all character customization while levelling). Very repetitive and generally disappointing.
  17. May 15, 2012
    4
    It is a very good game, VERY GOOD!!!!
    It even comes with a challenge, beat the login server, error 37 is the prime evil, if you beat it, all will obey your orders.
    Now seriously, if you don't mind spending 3 hours to get in, you should totally buy, if not, don't waste your money.
  18. May 15, 2012
    4
    First off, whoever says Blizzard couldn't have anticipated this, they are WRONG. Battle.net was the only digital distributor, and they would have known how many of the ones sold would roughly be online. Between Error 37 to Error 3005 there hasn't been much here to review. The game works, while you're connected. Even once in game its hard to enjoy the lag and disconnections bringing youFirst off, whoever says Blizzard couldn't have anticipated this, they are WRONG. Battle.net was the only digital distributor, and they would have known how many of the ones sold would roughly be online. Between Error 37 to Error 3005 there hasn't been much here to review. The game works, while you're connected. Even once in game its hard to enjoy the lag and disconnections bringing you back to the dreaded login screen. Having to always be online to play a game by myself is ridiculous. Oh its because of hackers you say? So the people who play only offline single player might hack, and then go just for the fun of it? Fail Blizzard, fail. Expand
  19. May 15, 2012
    4
    I have suspected for months now that fans would have this reaction. I would like to say I disagree but I can't. My biggest gripe is the mediocre "one style fits all" design. Making a game more mainstream in its art and content is the last thing diablo needed. I would have loved to see a similar kind of bold steps that the witcher 2 took in their game to appeal to a more mature audience.I have suspected for months now that fans would have this reaction. I would like to say I disagree but I can't. My biggest gripe is the mediocre "one style fits all" design. Making a game more mainstream in its art and content is the last thing diablo needed. I would have loved to see a similar kind of bold steps that the witcher 2 took in their game to appeal to a more mature audience. The moderate amount of complexity that d2 had is what distracted from the fact that the story was not what drove players through to the end of the game. Selling out to mass appeal is what caused a giant to have what some would call its first big mistake. Expand
  20. May 15, 2012
    4
    After development for more than a decade, this game is a complete downgrade from Diablo 2. Personally the biggest disappointment of the year. It's basically a simplified, toned down version of the highly successful D2. It's playable and fun for a while, but has nearly zero replayability due to no skilltrees, customization and overly scripted gameplay. A graphically updated D2 would beAfter development for more than a decade, this game is a complete downgrade from Diablo 2. Personally the biggest disappointment of the year. It's basically a simplified, toned down version of the highly successful D2. It's playable and fun for a while, but has nearly zero replayability due to no skilltrees, customization and overly scripted gameplay. A graphically updated D2 would be miles better than this. Expand
  21. May 15, 2012
    4
    Considering Blizzard had nearly a decade to develop this game, it really does not show. The graphics are a bit disappointing for a game released in 2012, but I'll give them the appreciation for trying to be compatible with as many computers as possible while maintaining decent aesthetics. The game has been made way too easy for continuing players of the series (no stat allocation, youConsidering Blizzard had nearly a decade to develop this game, it really does not show. The graphics are a bit disappointing for a game released in 2012, but I'll give them the appreciation for trying to be compatible with as many computers as possible while maintaining decent aesthetics. The game has been made way too easy for continuing players of the series (no stat allocation, you receive every skill, etc.). Blizzard's biggest mistake was creating a real-money auction house. Given the fact that items have many random power-ups and bonuses, a Windforce say might sell for about $20 but then another one with just +1% extra damage would sell for probably 5x that amount. Who is benefiting from this? Blizzard is benefiting by taking significant percentages of each real money transaction. I understand companies are in this business to make money, but this is a pretty bad move by a company trying to take advantage of their fans. If another game company without a great fan base were to do this, lots of gamers would be trying to boycott it for trying to pull this off. Expand
  22. May 15, 2012
    4
    Score the game based on it's gameplay folks, not a temper tantrum. I'm giving it a 4, because they gutted so much of what I loved about D1/2, the graphics are pretty weak, and the online DRM is inconvenient to say the least. It would pass as an iOS game or a $10 indie title, but as a follow up to one of the best games of all time, it is a disgrace.
  23. May 15, 2012
    4
    All the build up for release, planned, calculated. EPIC Fail on release with DRM Servers keeping everyone from logging in. There should be an offline mode, and furtharmore DRM needs to be throttled back a bit.
  24. i20
    May 16, 2012
    4
    Decent game, huge production value, repetitive but deep gameplay. Yet deeply flawed because of the DRM. I feel like I don't own the game. I payed 60$ for 15gig of game data. I OWN them and I want to play them WHEN I WANT TO. So there: Blizzard fished up.
  25. May 15, 2012
    4
    Played 1 and 2, and waited and waded through the hype for a game that feels mechanical, stale and sadly offers less than the previous games. Graphically lovely, it just doesn't grab me by the balls. Something is badly lacking. If anyone has experienced WoW pug PvP, it kinda feels like that. I'll explain, I started playing earlier and joined a few parties, not one person spoke and it feltPlayed 1 and 2, and waited and waded through the hype for a game that feels mechanical, stale and sadly offers less than the previous games. Graphically lovely, it just doesn't grab me by the balls. Something is badly lacking. If anyone has experienced WoW pug PvP, it kinda feels like that. I'll explain, I started playing earlier and joined a few parties, not one person spoke and it felt as though I was being simply carried along. No one picked up anything (gold/items) or even stopped to fart! I couldn't help but feel like a low level vacuum cleaner running behind Dysons. Overall, I think the game is average (esp after the wait) and it is further spoiled by the sad fact that modern gamers seem too eager to pursue end game glory and have forgotten, or better yet (given their ages), never known the pleasures and satisfaction of the in-between. Everyone's in a hurry to be no.1 and the game suffers as a consequence. 4/10 - By today's expectations/standards, and in view of what had gone before it, a real let-down. Expand
  26. May 15, 2012
    4
    Negatives: online DRM and online singleplayer, cartoon graphics and wow style graphics(its like a wow mod), nothing new in gameplay and high price; only positive thing is sounds and musics are from diablo 1-2.

    its a big disappointment, i was expecting something different.
  27. May 15, 2012
    4
    Can't play a single player campaign without the servers up. Inexcusable. The graphics are average, but the game play is fun...if you can play it. There is no customization with your characters, which is also a minus.
  28. May 15, 2012
    4
    The game in itself isn't bad, but Blizzard is clearly using this as a quick cash grab, a game that hardly feels like it's predecessors, and taking few steps backwards in terms of creativity and innovation. The lore has been butchered completely and most boss fights are people you have already fought previously in Diablo 1 and II (Skeleton King, Butcher, Izual, and of course Diablo who hasThe game in itself isn't bad, but Blizzard is clearly using this as a quick cash grab, a game that hardly feels like it's predecessors, and taking few steps backwards in terms of creativity and innovation. The lore has been butchered completely and most boss fights are people you have already fought previously in Diablo 1 and II (Skeleton King, Butcher, Izual, and of course Diablo who has the same exact skill set from D2 even though he has absorbed all the other prime evils). Incredibly lazy on Blizzard's part. Not to mention requiring an online connection for single-player and real money auction house. Expand
  29. May 16, 2012
    4
    Most of this has already been said, but I thought I'd throw in my own two cents. As a big fan of Diablo 1 and 2, I was greatly disappointed by Diablo 3. I played the open beta back in April with my brother and friend and found myself too bored an hour in to even finish it. Here's what I took issue with: 1. Atmosphere and writing - I had great expectations for this end, and these did NOTMost of this has already been said, but I thought I'd throw in my own two cents. As a big fan of Diablo 1 and 2, I was greatly disappointed by Diablo 3. I played the open beta back in April with my brother and friend and found myself too bored an hour in to even finish it. Here's what I took issue with: 1. Atmosphere and writing - I had great expectations for this end, and these did NOT include short, meaningless dialogue delivered with mediocre voice acting; bright, cartoonish colors and particle effects; the ability to jump down giant holes and wells, be skull-bashed with a chandelier, buried under a pile of rubble, etc. without injury. 2. Graphics - not too bad, but definitely not nearly as good as many other games of recent years. I downloaded a low-texture pack to play skyrim and some of those textures still look better than some diablo 3 textures (which I have set to high). Also, in general the graphics and movements look pretty unrealistic, which definitely eats into the atmosphere score. 3. Character leveling - It seems like they tried to get rid of the issues of diablo 2's somewhat unbalanced skill system while keeping the dynamics of different character builds, and to an extent they succeeded, but they also removed one of the core aspects of gameplay, specialization. Diablo 2's skill sets, while certainly not perfectly balanced, allowed the player to take pride in the things he specifically had done to make his own unique character build, and to play a unique role in his party that no one else could fill. D3 character builds are much more simplified, which means every person's lvl 50 monk is going to be exactly the same, only with slightly different flashy effects. It has its pros to be sure, like not getting bored with only a few combos used the whole game, but hits the immersion aspect in the process for people trying to get more into their character. 4. Difficulty level - why on earth didn't they put in a difficulty level setting, besides the one where you have to beat the whole thing just to play it all again? playing co-op was so boring, most of the monsters weren't ever scary or dangerous more than the were just objects we couldn't run past until we clicked on them. 5. And worst of all, the auction house. what the crap were they thinking, allowing real-world money into item trading? Pay-to-win isn't a new concept, I don't know how they missed that one. I wonder how they're going to reconcile that when pvp rolls out. Whatever. Anyway, in the end casual gamers may like this game because, let's face it, it's a solid enough hack-and-slash game if you don't care much about the franchise. For me however, having wondered for years what sort of pants-wetting nightmarish world with optimized skill/combat system would await me only to find this flashy, lame excuse for a sequel, I feel nothing but disappointment. Expand
  30. May 15, 2012
    4
    This game is only really popular because of the Diablo title and world. By itself it doesn't stand up. They changed major portions of the established lore, changed the art style and feel of the game, and crammed always online DRM in.

    The level design is taken straight out of Torchlight (made by those who made Diablo 1 & 2) and doesn't add anything new to the series that is a positive
    This game is only really popular because of the Diablo title and world. By itself it doesn't stand up. They changed major portions of the established lore, changed the art style and feel of the game, and crammed always online DRM in.

    The level design is taken straight out of Torchlight (made by those who made Diablo 1 & 2) and doesn't add anything new to the series that is a positive other than perhaps crafting. In fact, they have dumbed down many of the elements from the two previous games including character customization. The presentation, though an improvement is dated by today's standards and even the standards set in WarCraft III and StarCraft II set by Blizzard themselves. It is a shame. Taken with the horrific Americas region launch, it's Blizzard's weakest game and the only fun that can really be taken from it is that its in the Diablo world; strip that away and this game is nothing special.
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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 81 out of 86
  2. Negative: 1 out of 86
  1. 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.
  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. 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]