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. sunsun
    May 25, 2012
    7
    Generally it's a great game but a bit disappointed as there are still many big bug like very annoying auction house and error 37 connection issues after the beta test.
  2. Capivara
    Jun 4, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Definitely a game to remember. The new Diablo mechanism with 6 active skills to be distributed and 3 passive skills is pretty great. I believe it was based on Guild Wars. The single player game is a great entertainment in normal difficult. The Nightmare is when the game really starts. In Hell, it is basically when the game calls for a multiplayer experience, which is great, by the way. The only problem with this game that makes the score a 9, not a 10, is the story. It's not a bad story, it is a normal story that the good wins, differently from Diablo 2, which Baal wins on normal game and the worldstone is corrupted on the Lord of Destruction expansion. The fact that all goes bad and on the end everything is alright is the problem of the story. What happened is something really huge and amazing when it happens, but the simple way that the "hero" solves the problem makes that problem appears really weak, which it is not. In terms of story, Diablo 2 is tremendously better, but it does not makes Diablo 3 a game to be forgotten. The gameplay and online experience will be there to hold a lot of players.… Expand
  3. VeroProphet
    Nov 4, 2012
    9
    While not a perfect game, Diablo 3 offers a tremendous experience. The game is fantastic, accompanied by a easy to learn new skill system and the much appreciated inclusion of an auction house. While the game does not have the best graphics out there, its understandable due to it being a dungeon crawler and focusing more on the gameplay. The story isn't great, and at times i found myselfWhile not a perfect game, Diablo 3 offers a tremendous experience. The game is fantastic, accompanied by a easy to learn new skill system and the much appreciated inclusion of an auction house. While the game does not have the best graphics out there, its understandable due to it being a dungeon crawler and focusing more on the gameplay. The story isn't great, and at times i found myself skipping cut scenes except for the CG cutscenes, which are fantastically animated. The game isn't all that difficult, but thanks to the recent inclusion of Monster Powers, it really takes the difficulty up a notch. There is a TON of loot for you to collect, equip, or sell on the AH. Now lets talk about the major flaw of the game: constant internet connection. Sure, if you have a decent modem the game will run just, but for the less fortunate, this is a problem. The game will lag, even if you're not playing on coop and if someone else is using your internet, say your bigger brother watching porn, the game will experience a serious lag. These weren't issues to me, since my modem is fairly decent. Overall, this is a fantastic game, one you should definitely pick up, if your wondering about the low user score its because everyone tried to log on at launch date and the game had to experience a serious lag, almost crashing the servers, so just ignore those reviews. To sum up: Story 8.5/10 Gameplay 10/10 Graphics 9/10 Lasting appeal 10/10… Expand
  4. FoxeoGames
    Jun 3, 2012
    7
    With Blizzard behind the development, Diablo 3 was set to be an amazing game. What we got was a good game -- and that's why it's so disappointing. When I play Diablo 3, I can't help but wish I were playing Diablo 1 or 2 instead. The game feels very unpolished in many ways, and it's strangely missing a lot of features you'd never think a game like this would be missing. From graphicalWith Blizzard behind the development, Diablo 3 was set to be an amazing game. What we got was a good game -- and that's why it's so disappointing. When I play Diablo 3, I can't help but wish I were playing Diablo 1 or 2 instead. The game feels very unpolished in many ways, and it's strangely missing a lot of features you'd never think a game like this would be missing. From graphical setting, to user interface issues, to key binding -- Diablo 3 is missing a lot of customization that it needs. Worst of all, there are no WASD controls; you must move via the mouse. Why do that? Why not at least give players the option of moving via WASD keys? The gameplay is solid, if a but uninspired. It's mostly just a click-fest. I'd much rather play a lot of other games if I were looking to satisfy my hack-and-slash cravings. In fact, I regret buying it for $60 -- I'd much rather have spent $20 on Torchlight 2 and then had $40 to buy something else. The user scores on MetaCritic are undeniable: people are terribly disappointed with this game. Does it deserve a 0? Of course not, that's ridiculous. Does it deserve anything above a 7? Well, I hate numerical scores, but I can say that this game is nothing more than a mere good hack-and-slash RPG. I played several hours in, trying out each of the character classes, and then put the game down. It's been over a week and I haven't touched it, and have no desire to.

    I recommend passing this one up, and buying Torchlight 2 instead. Save yourself $40.    … Expand
  5. Sevvy88
    Jun 7, 2013
    7
    I've waited a long time to say something about this game. A year to be exact, and since then, things have changed considerably. Was the game ridiculous upon release? Yes. Was it a game worthy of a 3.8 user score? No. Was it worthy of a 10? No. Blizzard did the right thing and is sticking by their game. It's hard to review their games because they constantly revise and update their methodsI've waited a long time to say something about this game. A year to be exact, and since then, things have changed considerably. Was the game ridiculous upon release? Yes. Was it a game worthy of a 3.8 user score? No. Was it worthy of a 10? No. Blizzard did the right thing and is sticking by their game. It's hard to review their games because they constantly revise and update their methods and content. It's why writing a review on WoW is kind of pointless. You may love the game one month, and hate it the next. Diablo 3 has been moving, mostly, in the right direction. The story is weak and forgettable like with most video games. You won't be coming into contact with anything but a story designed for a 16 year old boy with little expectations. (Sorry, guys!) The gameplay is solid and visceral, but it lacks the complexity of RPG's in which you tailor and custom build your own character. The game focuses on "builds" with skills and the ability to switch them out on the fly as opposed to a stat allocation system in which all decisions are final. Take it or leave it. It's fun to smash monsters, and that's what D3 is mostly about: killing demons in the most brutal fashion imaginable. The maps gets repetitive after the 200th hour of play, but then again, what wouldn't? Still, I was expecting more variation on the part of Blizzard. Some places literally are the same thing each and every time. The MP can be fun, especially with friends, it is finally better to play WITH people as opposed to running away from them and sticking to solo play. The items in the game can still feel weak in an overall sense and in the subtle sense that most items don't' really do anything but boost your stats in increments. It's very World of Warcraft in that sense, no really cool things going on with the gear. Overall, I think it's a good game, but it's not revolutionary. I find myself playing it because I feel there simply isn't anything else that is a good time sink right now, and I'm not sure that's a good reason to play a game, but there it is. Diablo 3 will eventually probably be a gem, but it is still a work in progress. It's not nearly as bad as people want to believe though. It's a solid game, it's just not "Blizzard level".… Expand
  6. Azkera
    May 18, 2012
    1
    Ya know what, this game isn't bad. Not fantastic but not exactly the worst thing out there. I'll confess to being a little...disappointed with the quality of gameplay graphics (Starcraft II from the same developers delivered better quality textures and models at an even smaller scale). The music, one of it's predecessor's greatest strengths, seems almost absent from the game and the storyYa know what, this game isn't bad. Not fantastic but not exactly the worst thing out there. I'll confess to being a little...disappointed with the quality of gameplay graphics (Starcraft II from the same developers delivered better quality textures and models at an even smaller scale). The music, one of it's predecessor's greatest strengths, seems almost absent from the game and the story really is nothing truly as gripping as I had come to expect from Blizzard Entertainment, who had previously held a fantastic track record of great storytelling. The DRM which requires you to constantly be online and constantly feeds back information causes my machine to run like an airplane that's about to take off, needlessly using computer resources and an horrible manifestation of this current obsession with anti-piracy and blocking legitimate, paying customers out of developer's games (No doubt Activision was heavily involved in this decision). All in all, this game still has alot of elements from the original series I enjoyed and certainly builds on many of them and sticks to the ones that work. It incorporates alot of traditional elements of the Diablo games which I enjoy but all of it's shortcomings and it's year of development cannot be justified so overall, a little bit of a letdown and not worth £40.… Expand
  7. PuerNoctis
    May 17, 2012
    7
    I am what others would call an "old stager", playing games since the late 80's and seeing how games progressed since then. I loved all the predecessors of Diablo 3, and in my opinion I must say: Diablo 3 is a game of the modern and it's *good*. Your experience heavily depends on what you have been expecting from Blizzard, and when you started playing games.

    For me Diablo was always a game    I am what others would call an "old stager", playing games since the late 80's and seeing how games progressed since then. I loved all the predecessors of Diablo 3, and in my opinion I must say: Diablo 3 is a game of the modern and it's *good*. Your experience heavily depends on what you have been expecting from Blizzard, and when you started playing games.

    For me Diablo was always a game where I didn't need any kind of well-thought story, or classic RPG depth you know from hardcore games like Wizardry, Ultima or the early franchises from Bioware. Just hacking through hordes of enemies and feeling happy about any new cool item drops, that's all I ever needed in this game. So there was no letdown while playing Diablo 3, that's what it is and what it was intended to be.

    On the other hand, if you are looking for such things, don't buy this game, you will be heavily disapointed. The story is rather secondary and I personally wouldn't call this game any kind of RPG whatsoever, as there is no way to customize your character at all - not even attributes or skills. The latter are unlocked as you progress through the game and can be chosen/switched freely during the game.

    The game definitely has a "World Of Warcraft" feel to it in all the mechanics presented. Especially the skills would blend in nicely with the assets of a WoW class in the way they are implemented.

    Multiplayer was realized very nicely. All the fights over rare items or gold I even had with close friends in Diablo 1 and 2 are gone. Every character sees his own drops and can never steal anything right under his teammates noses after a fight. Right on the contrary, I feel encouraged to let go of a special item to a party member that is in more need of it than I am more easily. Technically: Joining another friends session is as simple and easy as it could possibly be, by "dropping" into another players single player game with a single click from the main menu.

    One big complaint I have is the constant need of an internet connection to the Battle.net servers, even if you are only interested in a single player adventure. I don't necessarily critic the connection problems after release that have struck me as well (so gaming was not possible at all) as they are just natural for an online game at the beginning, but rather the fact in itself. Being bound to a companies infrastructure and trust, I don't feel comfortable with. But that's more a moral aspect that may not be understood by younger gamers.

    To summarize: As mentioned in my introduction, I find Diablo 3 a *good* game, providing lots of fun hours slashing the hordes of hell and waiting for the next valuable item to drop. Especially in multiplayer this game excels. On the other hand, one might think of the over-simplified character system and story line of a big failure - and I agree. As said before, this heavily depends on your expectations.

    On a personal note: If Diablo 3 is a let down to you, don't expect things to get any better in the industry though. This is the modern world and things have changed since back then. I personally would wish otherwise, but I've lost hope a long time ago.    … Expand
  8. Porknog
    May 15, 2012
    9
    As someone who played both Diablo and Diablo 2 when they were originally released, but not for long after, I am enjoying D3 so far. I'm about 6 hours in playing a Barbarian and quite happy with the progression so far. Act 2 definitely brings back some of the classic Diablo feel, the sand wasps with their poison bugs remind me of those stupid little pygmies from Act 3 of D2. I honestlyAs someone who played both Diablo and Diablo 2 when they were originally released, but not for long after, I am enjoying D3 so far. I'm about 6 hours in playing a Barbarian and quite happy with the progression so far. Act 2 definitely brings back some of the classic Diablo feel, the sand wasps with their poison bugs remind me of those stupid little pygmies from Act 3 of D2. I honestly don't give a crap about the supposed lack of customizable skills for the characters as I hated getting locked into a **** spec through ignorance in D2. And since the action bars can be set up any way you like, it does add a custom feel to each character. While I don't really like the fact you can't access single player games when the servers are down, the login problems will be sorted out soon and everyone will get to play. It's day one people, get a grip.… Expand
  9. carfo
    May 15, 2012
    6
    A great game ruined by requiring servers to be online to play.
    The game itself is great, probably worthy of 9.5/10. The problem is that in order to play, even when you want to play by YOURSELF, you need to 1) have an internet connection 2) servers have to be online. For that reason, I'm giving it a 6 on MC.
    This means that if you aren't connected to the internet, you aren't playing this    A great game ruined by requiring servers to be online to play.
    The game itself is great, probably worthy of 9.5/10. The problem is that in order to play, even when you want to play by YOURSELF, you need to 1) have an internet connection 2) servers have to be online. For that reason, I'm giving it a 6 on MC.

    This means that if you aren't connected to the internet, you aren't playing this game. At all.
    This also means that when the servers go down, even if your internet is fully operational, you aren't playing this game. At all.

    When do the servers go down? So far, fairly often. The servers will always have to go down at some point for maintenance, so during those times you aren't playing this game.

    The reasons Blizzard chose to enact the online-only play aren't entirely all that bad

    1) 24/7 Warden anti-cheat program to detect any kind of hackers
    2) DRM. You're not going to be able to pirate this game.


    Is it worth it? Probably not. There are other ways to run anti-cheats that don't require servers. I love Blizzard as a company but they really screwed over a lot of people in this. To their credit, it's not like it was a surprise or anything though. They came out a while ago and said this is what they were going to do, and people still bought it anyway.    … Expand
  10. Shimoto
    May 16, 2012
    9
    So far very happy with everything I have seen out of this game, with the exception of server stability, but honestly that was to be expected. My two favorite things are the boss fights and the cinematic. The boss fights surprised me because they have evolved so much from D2, I can't wait to meet these bosses in the harder difficulties. My current favorite cut scene is between Act 1 and 2,So far very happy with everything I have seen out of this game, with the exception of server stability, but honestly that was to be expected. My two favorite things are the boss fights and the cinematic. The boss fights surprised me because they have evolved so much from D2, I can't wait to meet these bosses in the harder difficulties. My current favorite cut scene is between Act 1 and 2, all I can say is wow.

    My biggest worry coming into this was that the world would be too small. I had played the beta and thought it was very condensed and didn't feel like a classic diablo map. Luckily, it all changed right after the point where beta ended the next couple of maps blew me away with thier size, and how much fun they were to explore.

    Now of course the 500lb gorilla standing over there in the corner is the battle net stability issues. Now don't get me wrong, they are annoying, but like I said before it was expected. I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this, but I'm glad its online only. I think in the long run it will make for a much more stable community.The sad part is that the long run isn't here yet and we are forced to watch Battle Net crash and burn multiple times until they can get it working right, but I for one think they will.

    Here's to hoping you will enjoy this game half as much as I am so far!    … Expand
  11. Kamikazenz
    May 16, 2012
    6
    As a player who never played D1 or D2, i went in with as little expectations as possible. never read any reviews, and only decided to play on a whim as fellow housemates all purchased game and roped me in.

    I love Warcraft, love WoW, love Starcraft. but by no means would I call myself a Blizz fanboy. I have to say, the game, whilst it is slightly addictive, it is very meh and mediocre at    As a player who never played D1 or D2, i went in with as little expectations as possible. never read any reviews, and only decided to play on a whim as fellow housemates all purchased game and roped me in.

    I love Warcraft, love WoW, love Starcraft. but by no means would I call myself a Blizz fanboy. I have to say, the game, whilst it is slightly addictive, it is very meh and mediocre at best. Very fun to pull a million mobs with my Barbarian, stun them and Hammer them all to death, but i see myself after running the game through once, putting it aside and never playing again. To me the game is one where you switch your brain off and spam click your mouse with no real skill depth or tactics, its a very cheap thrill that should have been developed alot better as a genre redefining RPG hacknslash and not a game that feels like i downloaded it off Steam from an indie producer...this is Blizzard we are talking about, a developer who redefined the MMORPG and Strategy genres single handedly in the 90's and early 2000's.

    Has the corporate giant Activision really sapped all creativty from the team at Blizzard?. Sadly yes.

    And to all the people complaining about server/login issues. Stop crying, its opening day. Obviously you have never attempted to login on WoW expac release day, now that is a nightmare and a half.

    All in all, im having fun, and thats all you can ask from a video game. But really, considering the hype, the legacy of previous Diablo titles and the developer, i can actually understand why the community feels let down slightly.

    6/10    … Expand
  12. ScytaleZero
    May 18, 2012
    6
    Here are my thoughts after playing several classes for a few hours last night, from good to bad:

    ***** I like the skill system. It still provides a steady stream of new stuff and the ability to customize your own gameplay through skill selections and then modifying those skills with runes. This happens without any need of a respec mechanic since you can switch skills and runes at any    Here are my thoughts after playing several classes for a few hours last night, from good to bad:

    ***** I like the skill system. It still provides a steady stream of new stuff and the ability to customize your own gameplay through skill selections and then modifying those skills with runes. This happens without any need of a respec mechanic since you can switch skills and runes at any time. I anticipate that some sort of presets would be nice later on, but that could certainly be patched in. ***** Co-op play is still great as ever with some additional enhancements. The flags in town that teleport you to other players is a nice touch. The classes seem to have skills that will work well in a team setting. It's important that a party be able to take on bigger things by working together than if they were just 4 dudes banging on the same beast. I think that is the case. ****** The gameplay is Diablo. This is not really a positive or a negative because the isometric action game is a very well established thing at this point. D3 doesn't seem to advance the genre at all in this regard, but I'm not the sort of person who thinks that's always necessary. They nailed it as expected and no more. ***** The graphics are sub-par for a AAA $60 game. I'm not talking about the art style here, just about nuts and bolts. The engine feels very much to me like something that started development 12 years ago. I honestly think it would have benefited from throwing in the towel a few years ago and moving to Unreal engine (which of course Blizzard would never do). Not only are they only on par with a budget title, but my machine was getting only 30-40 FPS on high settings which is very low for the quality of the pixels on my screen. The most common response to this complaint I see is "gameplay > graphics". I say, why can't I have both? Plenty of titles look great and play well. Also, go back to playing D2 then. ***** The DRM system is abysmal and embarrassing. Last night was day 2 and the servers went down for (notified) reboot once. I got kicked without notification several other times. Add in constant latency and frequent lag spikes and you get an experience that isn't excusable in an MMO, much less a single player game. Note to Blizz: If you are going to instance a single player game, invest in fscking servers. The infrastructure team should be fired, and I'm not joking about that. At some point there has to be some responsibility for abject failure. The Old Republic had a much smoother launch and it's a real MMO. ***** My score might be higher if this wasn't Diablo, published by Blizzard, but it is and it was.    … Expand
  13. Fingolfen
    May 17, 2012
    7
    All the years of waiting - not getting into the Beta - finally getting my hands on the game and... well, it just falls short of my expectations. It's not a BAD game, but it's not great either, and it's two predecessors were GREAT games. The graphics are reasonably good, but not earth shattering. Special powers and abilities are a bit easier to use, but my biggest complaint is what weAll the years of waiting - not getting into the Beta - finally getting my hands on the game and... well, it just falls short of my expectations. It's not a BAD game, but it's not great either, and it's two predecessors were GREAT games. The graphics are reasonably good, but not earth shattering. Special powers and abilities are a bit easier to use, but my biggest complaint is what we had to give up to get that streamlined interface - a complete lack of character customizability. Every barbarian is going to have the same skills and powers as every other barbarian; every demon hunter is going to have the same skills and powers as every other demon hunter, and so on. The ONLY way to differentiate characters at this point is through gear - hence the emphasis on artisans and paying real money for good gear. At the end of the day, Bizzard shanked this one worse than BioWare did with Dragon Age II.… Expand
  14. potsos
    May 17, 2012
    10
    Blizzard again delivers. Smooth, elegant gameplay, low CPU requirements, easy to get into, takes a moment to master. Plenty of spell/ability choices, grouping is unbelievably fast and easy.
  15. mrgold
    May 17, 2012
    9
    To say that the game is bad just because that there are some problems with the login servers is just hilarious. This game is epic and then some, easy to get in to, hard to quit playing and a storyline that blows you away.
    The People that are writing bad reviews are just blowing of steam. Ofc there is always room for improvement, there is, as of yet, no game that is flawless. It would have    To say that the game is bad just because that there are some problems with the login servers is just hilarious. This game is epic and then some, easy to get in to, hard to quit playing and a storyline that blows you away.
    The People that are writing bad reviews are just blowing of steam. Ofc there is always room for improvement, there is, as of yet, no game that is flawless. It would have been nice to be able to customize a few things, and I'm not taken with the ide of a AH with real money (but we cant review that, as its not online yet), but overall its still a mind blowing game.    … Expand
  16. Stilljester
    May 17, 2012
    9
    I'm kind of amazed at all the people who gave it zero just because of a server issue on the first day of release. I doubt any of those people will come back and revise their score after they've beaten act 4 and are bragging to their friends about their 1337 gear. This game is as addicting as the first two in the series. People who claim that there is no character customization are simplyI'm kind of amazed at all the people who gave it zero just because of a server issue on the first day of release. I doubt any of those people will come back and revise their score after they've beaten act 4 and are bragging to their friends about their 1337 gear. This game is as addicting as the first two in the series. People who claim that there is no character customization are simply incorrect. You are able to customize your character's abilities by simply checking a box in the options screen. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Simply put, if you enjoyed Diablo I and II, you'll love this game. The procedurally-generated levels are gorgeous, the combat is challenging, and after the rather linear feel of the first few quests, the game opens up quite a bit. The only reason I'm giving it a 9 instead of a ten is that you have to get quite far into the game for most of these options to open up, so people who have only played for 30 minutes will naturally feel restricted. One could say that Blizzard has overloaded the endgame to the point where new players might feel neglected. Probably the most disturbing feature of the game is the online-only play.… Expand
  17. alperoost
    May 17, 2012
    8
    I think most of the subcraders are reducing 5 or more points just because of the servers or technical problems.It is ridiculous to reduce so much point.we need to look inside the game not problems.problems can be fixed but the points you gave will remain here.now the game is awesome but it has huge problems.I am reducing 2 points because of them.the character creating screen is reallyI think most of the subcraders are reducing 5 or more points just because of the servers or technical problems.It is ridiculous to reduce so much point.we need to look inside the game not problems.problems can be fixed but the points you gave will remain here.now the game is awesome but it has huge problems.I am reducing 2 points because of them.the character creating screen is really poor.but they can expand it with updates.and the story isn't so good.but actually that problems doesn't make you unhappy.I know all the problems but I am playing it without getting bored.… Expand
  18. DarkDragonZA
    May 18, 2012
    9
    I'm all for constructive criticism, but some of you are just plain bashing this game due to some unforeseen technical difficulties and changes. Change is good, I love the way the new game is, so you can't customize your stats, so what. That makes the hunt for gear that much more fun. The graphics is awesome, sound is amazing I feel nostalgic every time I here the different sounds andI'm all for constructive criticism, but some of you are just plain bashing this game due to some unforeseen technical difficulties and changes. Change is good, I love the way the new game is, so you can't customize your stats, so what. That makes the hunt for gear that much more fun. The graphics is awesome, sound is amazing I feel nostalgic every time I here the different sounds and effects. The whole playing a single player game online is a bit of a disappointment, but I understand why it has been implemented. Then on to Cutscenes superb cinematic, Blizzard is known for this. Great game.… Expand
  19. DunhamSpider
    May 18, 2012
    9
    As a sequel, the smartest thing would be to compare to Diablo 2, as fans are expecting D3 to provide a better game overall than D2, so this review will focus on comparing the differences between these 2 games.

    1. Character customisation: D2: Talent points and attribute points were assigned by players to their character. D3: Talent points are replaced by runes, and attribute points are    As a sequel, the smartest thing would be to compare to Diablo 2, as fans are expecting D3 to provide a better game overall than D2, so this review will focus on comparing the differences between these 2 games.

    1. Character customisation: D2: Talent points and attribute points were assigned by players to their character.
    D3: Talent points are replaced by runes, and attribute points are spread automatically (not really mattering in the long run)
    Who wins? Diablo 3. Because in D2, the stats that were put by players were enough strength to wear an item, and the rest would get dumped in vitality. The mechanic was annoying, and the new attribute system takes care of that hassle. 2. Story
    D3 does not fail to deliver storywise. Where D2 revolved around the character, D3 revolves around the important figures of the world, with drama between all of them, and the Character as the mediator for world issues.

    3. Gameplay.
    Difficulty levels make a difference. In D2, a champion mob even on the highest difficulty setting would be just xp or gems/runes/magic items. In D3, a champion mob on a higher difficulty means dying most of the time.
    The bosses feel like a challenge, and no longer just an itemcheck. You need to think about the spells you bring in to the fight, and you need to have tactics.

    4. Art
    Cinematics and music is just superb, and this is already common for blizzard games. It is good to know that they invest in good quality cinematics and good ambient sound.
    Voice acting on the other hand was not of the highest quality, killing some of the immersion.

    5. Auction house:
    As items are not bind on equip/pickup, item value will decrease very fast. As far as gold action house goes, this will allow players to have access to items they wanted without the necessary grinding. As far as real money auction house goes, it is simply a way to make a passive income as a company, after the game has been launched, and prevent illegal gold selling. This is common business logic in today's market, that we as gamers have shaped. Certain products gained profit over this method and will continue to, so obviously every other game will have this feature. My opinion is we should not judge the game based on this, but rather the company.

    6. The Always-Online-DRM
    This is something no gamer agrees with. Although this may sound like an excuse, there is a reason behind it, and it is linked to the above point. Duping was a major issue in Diablo 2, and if the developers wanted to make a stable auction house, and especially a real money auction house, every item drop, stat, and inventory needs to have server side checking. This is why single player is online. So a user cannot simply hack items into his inventory so that he could earn a profit. This is understandable.
    What is not understandable on the other hand, is the fact that on a European server, with a 100 MBit connection, a user would have 300 ms lag(from Europe). Think about hardcore mode death due to lag for a second. 300 ms is a lot.    … Expand
  20. istina
    May 18, 2012
    9
    At first it was Diablo 1.
    If was a turnover in the market because of it. Huge ideas came to life, everyone was impressed because they didn't know what to expect.
    Diablo 2 - the game that every person knows. Diablo 2 represents and idea perfected for it's years. It was so fun because it was different. But years started to pass, people got obsessed with the game. When Blizzard announced    At first it was Diablo 1.
    If was a turnover in the market because of it. Huge ideas came to life, everyone was impressed because they didn't know what to expect.

    Diablo 2 - the game that every person knows.

    Diablo 2 represents and idea perfected for it's years. It was so fun because it was different. But years started to pass, people got obsessed with the game. When Blizzard announced that that they are working on Diablo 3 great expectation from the fans started to build up like this : if one was an instant classic, two the best of the best, the tree has to be better. After 5 years people expected that in the moment they will open the game they will be blown away. It is wrong to think that. There is nothing in universe that will blow away after it is anticipated for 12 years.

    Because of this they started to judge the game from the missing feelings of greatness and they closed they eyes to see what the game really is.

    Diablo 3 is perfect.

    You always got a feeling of moving through a concept art.
    The story is great, pump at the right moment a new line to keep you in the hell illusion.
    Everything is perfectly match - the stats, the weapons etc.

    The skills know are great because low level skills still get used in high levels.
    The skills are now changeable and one more thing - are exactly what a human can handle with a two click mouse

    The stats, personally i don't care about putting stats point on my own, eventually you will all agree because if you start to look at Diablo 2 - all great characters have about the same build ups in stats.

    The online thing. Well it is the future even if you don't like it. And the reason you don't like it is because probably you have an expensive internet connection or a bad one. Another thing, the online only is great because your game is up to date instant and because you're connected with others. I don't get the hype about the online because everyone who complains about it does it online : here or on Facebook.

    From my point of view Blizzard did a great job about the game, it is just plain fun and has a lot of parts that will change the market again.
    Blizzard did delivered a superb game, a Diablo game for this decade.
    My only complain is that I had to wait 12 years for the third part.    … Expand
  21. SteveHayward
    May 18, 2012
    10
    The initial launch was fairly poor, but overall the best game in the series by a long shot, if not the best game of the decade. They took out everything that was bad about Diablo 2, and put in everything that genre needed. If you enjoyed the facade that was character customization in Diablo 2, you'll be disappointed at first. They took out skill points and stat points. Though in the longThe initial launch was fairly poor, but overall the best game in the series by a long shot, if not the best game of the decade. They took out everything that was bad about Diablo 2, and put in everything that genre needed. If you enjoyed the facade that was character customization in Diablo 2, you'll be disappointed at first. They took out skill points and stat points. Though in the long run every player should rejoice- you can no longer ruin builds. In the first years of D2, most players didn't know what they were doing and when confronted with Hell difficulty, they just couldn't do it.

    The only gripe I have is the current skill system is entirely TOO simple. It feels force fed, though it barely subtracts from the other great features of the game. Casuals and Hardcores alike will delight in this gaming experience.    … Expand
  22. HoshiWolf
    May 18, 2012
    9
    Foreword. For some reason this game has a low meta, whether that's the work of some anonymous party or not is up to rumor, speculation, and the realm of possibility. I know one thing, loads of folks are buttmad and denying themselves one of the best gaming experiences of the past couple years. (It can't dwarf Portal 2, but it tried and was done by BLIZZARD.) I had negative if anyForeword. For some reason this game has a low meta, whether that's the work of some anonymous party or not is up to rumor, speculation, and the realm of possibility. I know one thing, loads of folks are buttmad and denying themselves one of the best gaming experiences of the past couple years. (It can't dwarf Portal 2, but it tried and was done by BLIZZARD.) I had negative if any expectations coming into Diablo III. That being said, Blizzard actually made a game that's very good for once in a long while. Chris Metzen and the dev team really poured their hearts into this game. The DRM was an obstacle for many people, but for me wasn't much of an issue. There were hiccups and all, but really the quality of the game makes up for that. That being said, time to get into an actual review by an actual Blizzard critic, Activision hater, et al. Diablo III's best experienced elements will now be outlined and then reviewed.A.Streamlining, what was done right for the gameplay style.a.The character streamlining adds to gameplay in my opinion, because in previous Diablo games, the skill system really just felt like a mess, even for the time. People who liked it probably had never really experienced a deep rpg. Diablo III's skill system gives you constant upgrades, probably about a thousand ways you can roll a character skillwise and has room to let you have fun in any capacity. b.Diablo 2 wasn't really an RPG, it was a hack and slash, and anyone who says differently obviously has no concept of real RPGs (a la isometric, et al.) Diablo III did you a favor and kept leveling, just in a way that would make it so that you wouldn't die to skeletons or eight hundred demons whilst attempting to level up.c.Town portals and identify scrolls are "free" and included into your character. Normally one would say that this is a shortcut, but when ransacking bookcases and such if you look closely you will see that those scrolls fall out. B.Art style, consistency, cutscene quality, storytelling, score.a.All of the above elements are of an exceptional quality, especially the cutscenes; the act one cutscene was one of the best I have ever seen honestly. It was an experience, now Diablo III in this regard is more of an experience than anything. I wouldn't say that it had a lot of early game depth, or ridiculous bugs, especially broken classes etc. The game is consistent in that you are powerful, but you are still weak; you are learning to be stronger and gaining experience as a veteran. You always feel like you're powerful, no matter what class you play you will feel like you're the best. Beyond the first act the cutscenes remain hopeful yet dark, inspiring you to keep going; to finish what you started. Diablo III is well fleshed out in lore, a lot has happened in twenty years and much has changed in Tristram and other places, the Horadrim are a focus for awhile, those of you that paid attention in D2. Companions and vendors all have their own stories and conversations, equipment and chatter.
    Diablo III is a well scored game, as are many Blizzard endeavors. However a lot is to be desired, it doesn't have an iconic score as did previous Diablo games. Some would argue that this is an improvement because if you're like me, you're done act 1 about eighteen times or more across D1 and D2. C.DIDO (Drop in drop out) optimizations, the removal of ninja looting entirely.a. Drop ins on your game are much more livable now in Diablo III, no longer can one speedrun your dungeon, killing the act boss and excluding you. Absconding with all of your loot. No, you get prompts for bosses. This change is welcome to people like me who tend to get lost, even with automap it's hard to find things sometimes.b. Loot is now instanced on your character. All players receive individual loot, the most brilliant gameplay change I've ever experienced. The previous systems were nightmares, whether a shouting match, or a ninja and log. I guarantee nobody will steal your legendaries, okay pal? D.Account wide achievements, vendor progress, and stash. a.Three things to spend your gold on to account for the up in magical item drop and usability, the blacksmith, the jeweler, and your stash. (Might I add that the jeweler is voiced by the wonderful James Hong. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0393222/) The work that went into all of this seemingly simple idea had to be very difficult. Please don't underestimate how long that probably took. A risk that pays off well, and Blizzard taking risks post 2007 is something I never thought I would see.E.Lastly and most importantly, the gameplay. a.Constantly satisfying gameplay with the potential for great depth and some of the greatest mechanics seen since Deus Ex leaves Diablo III as a strong contender for game of the year from one of the companies owned by one of the worst companies in America IMO (unofficially) . You should buy this game, nuff said. Plus all of your friends are playing it, if you have friends that is.    … Expand
  23. PsicoBast
    May 18, 2012
    10
    Best hack & Slash since Diablo II
    Smashing demons is a pleasure Art style is excellent
    Bosses are funs
    Classes are goods and differents
    What are you waiting for ? BUY IT !
  24. lpf
    May 18, 2012
    10
    Despite all the changes, it still got this special Diablo feeling and it made me smile after all these years.
    The level design is one of the best yet and the overall art style is just amazing.
  25. demongod
    May 18, 2012
    10
    The unstoppable fighting, the pure joy of slaughtering waves and waves of enemies, Diablo 3 is all about mighty destruction. The game is epic in every sense, thousands of enemies, colossal bosses, dialogue reminds me of Dante's Divine Comedy. Yes, customization is simplified, crafting has made too easy, but these are not the reason you play this game. The Internet connection is required soThe unstoppable fighting, the pure joy of slaughtering waves and waves of enemies, Diablo 3 is all about mighty destruction. The game is epic in every sense, thousands of enemies, colossal bosses, dialogue reminds me of Dante's Divine Comedy. Yes, customization is simplified, crafting has made too easy, but these are not the reason you play this game. The Internet connection is required so Blizzard can validate all the loots. I don't see it's a big problem these days. The real money auction house is a bonus since we don't have to deal with black market anymore. There is no such thing as pay-to-win, you don't win in this game, you just kill, and kill, and kill.… Expand
  26. mental12
    May 19, 2012
    7
    I feel that the majority of negative user reviews are saturated with bitterness over several technical issues that have little to do with the game itself. These technical issues, while bothersome, should be attributed to Blizzard and not Diablo III itself. It is an enjoyable game to play if you like killing things in multiple ways. My main criticisms are the lack of offline mode, and theI feel that the majority of negative user reviews are saturated with bitterness over several technical issues that have little to do with the game itself. These technical issues, while bothersome, should be attributed to Blizzard and not Diablo III itself. It is an enjoyable game to play if you like killing things in multiple ways. My main criticisms are the lack of offline mode, and the lack of freedom involved in getting new skills. The latter becomes irrelevant later on, and gives you actually more freedom to experiment with multiple playstyles, but the former is going to bother me for a while. In the end, I enjoyed myself while playing it so despite a few shortcomings I give it 7/10… Expand
  27. Nyarlathotep111
    May 20, 2012
    7
    I don't like the way that you now get what you get when you level up, rather than having actual choices and I am not happy with having to be on the internet at all times to play, because my internet connection is unreliable. But over all I am enjoying the game.
  28. McKane16
    Jul 27, 2012
    5
    I was really looking forward to playing this game, installed it, and I pressed play. Now, the cinematic videos are visually spectacular, but, the thing that really does bother me is the click this, click that style of controls, and I can't change it. Unfortunately, really addictive, I could barely move my index finger for hours after I stopped playing. A true disappointment, it lacks someI was really looking forward to playing this game, installed it, and I pressed play. Now, the cinematic videos are visually spectacular, but, the thing that really does bother me is the click this, click that style of controls, and I can't change it. Unfortunately, really addictive, I could barely move my index finger for hours after I stopped playing. A true disappointment, it lacks some things from its previous titles. I have not a clue how this sold 3.5 million copies when it was released on its first day. I don't think their next title will do so well...… Expand
  29. 00Liteyear
    Aug 31, 2012
    8
    If there is one thing that Diablo 3 can be compared to D2, it's that there is no player versus player. For me, a large amount of time was focused on PvP in D2. As I know there will be PvP in a future update, lack of this installment right limits the replay value of Diablo 3 right now.

    That said, all the character classes are different once you are able to use their max potential of    If there is one thing that Diablo 3 can be compared to D2, it's that there is no player versus player. For me, a large amount of time was focused on PvP in D2. As I know there will be PvP in a future update, lack of this installment right limits the replay value of Diablo 3 right now.

    That said, all the character classes are different once you are able to use their max potential of skills.
    There is the sadistic barbarian there tears foes apart 1on1 or in the center of crowds.
    The Demon Hunter is an assassin that deals high criticals while lurking in the shadows.
    The Wizard uses arcane magic to freeze, incinerate, or stun the forces of evil.
    The Witch Doctor raises the dead (dogs, bears, frogs, zombies) to provide defense and offense.
    And the Monk focuses on speed and dexterity, making them a very hard target to kill in close combat.

    The Boss fights provide a good challenge that requires thinking where the bosses next move will be and watching what traps are on the floor. It can be difficult, but it's not impossible to beat them perfectly

    With an already great co-op experience, the only thing left is to have Blizzard let us kill each other with our favorite characters and best gear!    … Expand
  30. birdman3
    Nov 14, 2012
    6
    I've put in about 100 hours all around playing this game. I didn't get bored until I'd played for about 60 hours already across three characters. The gameplay is initially very fun- developing a character and acquiring new skills is great, as is the system of personalizing your character according to your playstyle. With that said, the game gets old after you play through your first time.I've put in about 100 hours all around playing this game. I didn't get bored until I'd played for about 60 hours already across three characters. The gameplay is initially very fun- developing a character and acquiring new skills is great, as is the system of personalizing your character according to your playstyle. With that said, the game gets old after you play through your first time. Playing through again is kind of a chore- the plotline is pretty terrible, so that's certainly not a reason to go through again. Once you have all the skills, the runes are not that compelling of a reason to continue leveling up. Gear is hard to come by, as certain attributes are nearly useless for certain classes. Then again, you already all know this. The game is not as bad as has been said (you're pretty much guaranteed to put more than 30 hours into the game, which is, in my opinion, worth the price), but then again- I wasn't a D2 fanatic myself. I played casually in D2, and feel that D3 is an upgrade in certain ways, but a downgrade in others (plotline, atmosphere, and character customizability).… 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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