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. silentmmo
    May 15, 2012
    2
    Lag in a single player game - really terrible and unplayable if you are Oceanic or not in the USA with 180ms lag. Not to mention bad indicators of where the monster is on your screen vs where you can clearly see the spell hitting.

    The error 37 and other network crap to get on are just icing on the cake of fail that this is.
  2. foo_bar
    May 15, 2012
    2
    The Diablo franchise has always been a distillation of the roguelike RPG experience, which bears the mechanics of a slot machine at its twitching heart, but D3 takes this minimalism a step further: in the absence of narrative tension (like Witcher, Deus Ex, Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate), atmosphere (say Diablo 1, Fallout series, Metro 2033), puzzle solving (Planescape: Torment, Ultima IV),The Diablo franchise has always been a distillation of the roguelike RPG experience, which bears the mechanics of a slot machine at its twitching heart, but D3 takes this minimalism a step further: in the absence of narrative tension (like Witcher, Deus Ex, Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate), atmosphere (say Diablo 1, Fallout series, Metro 2033), puzzle solving (Planescape: Torment, Ultima IV), character development (Fallout 1? Dragon Age? Forgotten Realms gold box titles?), or gee-whiz visuals (e.g., Skyrim), Diablo3 quickly devolves into a repetitive exercise for the reptilian brain, a glazed over mash-off where the only uncertainty is the Simoleon value of your next King's Kryss of Waste. Which is fine: plenty of gray-hairs wile away their last days in front of a Sex and the City video slot awaiting a semi-unpredictable dopamine rush, so it's not like this exercise in limbic system massage is inherently bad or anything. At least it wouldn't be inherently bad, were it not for the authoritarian DRM "features"...

    Needing validation from the mothership to play single-player sucks on principle, but that doesn't matter; it just means the suits are in charge and the "talent" has little say as far as creative and engineering decisions go. The real problem lies in user experience, which robs the game of what little immersion a glorified slot machine can provide: as everyone and their grandmother knows, the Blizzard servers were down the better part of the day in the US, which meant no Diablo, c'est la vie, that's life in the cloud. But even when things are working more or less as they should, there's unfortunate consequences to this centralized approach, the biggest one being that you often have no idea where you'll end up on your own fictional timeline when you try to stop playing the game (and like many modern slot machines, D3 makes you watch a 10 second countdown timer before graciously allowing you to quit the game) ... for instance, if you use the old Rod of Recall to teleport into town, stash your swag in a dropbox, and then leave the game temporarily to sell your junk on D-bay, you'll find yourself time-warped to the last checkpoint except with the inventory and stats you didn't even have yet. Which is bearable, albeit disconcerting to anyone accustomed to the novel concept referred to as "Save Game" (which doesn't exist in this multiplayer-as-singleplayer paradigm), but the game unceremoniously boots you out of the present with alarming regularity ("connection lost"), so you end up fighting the same boss 5 times in a row, like some kind of solipsistic Groundhog Day MMORPG from hell. A different kind of time-warp occurs in real-time whenever the server burps, such that you end up rubber banding 5 second intervals like the Matrix scene with the black cat, thus the very fabric of reality depends on Blizzard's haphazard ability to dish it out. All told, this is the most disturbing sequel since Highlander 2 (or Dragon Age 2), and I hope some of the backlash bites the bums in the pocketbook.    … Expand
  3. seriousgamer
    May 15, 2012
    0
    How can they call this an RPG?!?! No stats, abilities, character customization, no nothing. Streamlined, 10 year old WoW cartoon candy graphics that I played through in 5 hours. I have absolutely no interest in playing it again, i only managed to keep my interest up for 5 hours (it took that long to finish because I was constantly interupted by stupid mini-movies that I hadnt asked to see,How can they call this an RPG?!?! No stats, abilities, character customization, no nothing. Streamlined, 10 year old WoW cartoon candy graphics that I played through in 5 hours. I have absolutely no interest in playing it again, i only managed to keep my interest up for 5 hours (it took that long to finish because I was constantly interupted by stupid mini-movies that I hadnt asked to see, the actualy gameplay was probably less than 3 hours) because it felt surreal how bad it was. So bad that I had to keep playing it as some ironic devine joke.
    This is an action game for mentally challanged kids with attention problems. FU blizzard...    … Expand
  4. Euphio
    May 15, 2012
    3
    I can forgive them for messing up the launch. I can forgive them for DRM, but I can't forgive them for making a game that bores me within 30 minutes of playing. Where's the Diablo Magic? It's just bland and repetitive and such a grind. High production values not a game make.
  5. Tizen
    May 15, 2012
    0
    No offline mode, even for single player. Their servers are down? Oh well, you don't get to play the game you shelled out $60 for. Deal with it, they already have your money, suckers. Think this money will go towards improving their infrastructure and making the servers for Diablo 3 more stable? Wrong. This money is going to line their pockets. Heck, some of it may even go towards theirNo offline mode, even for single player. Their servers are down? Oh well, you don't get to play the game you shelled out $60 for. Deal with it, they already have your money, suckers. Think this money will go towards improving their infrastructure and making the servers for Diablo 3 more stable? Wrong. This money is going to line their pockets. Heck, some of it may even go towards their next incremental franchise cash-grab; with which you will lovingly allow them to violate your wallet. The secret cow level is YOU. They are milking you all of your hard-earned cash. MOOOOOOO!… Expand
  6. NeueZiel
    May 15, 2012
    0
    very very awful experience. Too many error on installing and downloading. when i finally login and play, its bad sever's problem loom. i m sure its the end of blizzard.
  7. Lanopo
    May 15, 2012
    0
    Pay to win and always online DRM, two things I do no support. Shame on Activision and Blizzard entertainment for making this an industry standard.
  8. NemesisR3
    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.
  9. kingbobii
    May 15, 2012
    8
    It's Diablo, if you have played one of the previous ones than you know what your getting yourself into. Don't expect it to be like Skyrim because it's not even the same type of game.
  10. jpainterpc
    May 15, 2012
    10
    If you have come here to read reviews that accurately reflect the current state of the game, you will find yourself sorely disappointed. All you can find is the unified sound of complaint derived from those that find the lack of offline play unsatisfactory. Reality is they knew all along, but waited until today to complain about it. As for the actual game play, it's amazing, possiblyIf you have come here to read reviews that accurately reflect the current state of the game, you will find yourself sorely disappointed. All you can find is the unified sound of complaint derived from those that find the lack of offline play unsatisfactory. Reality is they knew all along, but waited until today to complain about it. As for the actual game play, it's amazing, possibly one of the most addictive and fun games i've ever played. the music is great, the graphics aren't the BEST in the world, but the simple fact that it can run on my old P.O.S. Machine and my Brand new one alike, makes me even more satisfied. There are so many little things that make this game incredibly fun. Just try it yourself, you will see. After this nonsense dies out and people realize it's really not that big of deal, they will calmly re-approach the subject and apologize for their outlandish behavior.… Expand
  11. Dilbert1
    May 15, 2012
    10
    I love this game! The art direction the feel and the flavor of the characters is spot on. The story so far has been masterfully told and I find the game is very immersive and hard to put down once you have started. I have not yet used the auction house. I probably will dabble it it a little in the coming days.

    I did have log-in issues on launch night and was unable to play for 1 and a    I love this game! The art direction the feel and the flavor of the characters is spot on. The story so far has been masterfully told and I find the game is very immersive and hard to put down once you have started. I have not yet used the auction house. I probably will dabble it it a little in the coming days.

    I did have log-in issues on launch night and was unable to play for 1 and a half hours and while that does reflect poorly on Blizzard it is not related to how I score the game. Knowing Blizzard, by the time you read this, server issues will be sorted and we'll enjoy years of trouble free entertainment.    … Expand
  12. AJH16
    May 15, 2012
    0
    In fairness, I'm not a huge fan of dungeon crawlers to begin with, but the effort by Activision wearing Blizzard's cold dead carcase here is embarrassing. The game has 5 classes, no ability to customize your character, no ability to use the keyboard for movement, glitchy mechanics that make it so you can't click to move if too many mobs are on the screen, only 2 zoom levels, no ability toIn fairness, I'm not a huge fan of dungeon crawlers to begin with, but the effort by Activision wearing Blizzard's cold dead carcase here is embarrassing. The game has 5 classes, no ability to customize your character, no ability to use the keyboard for movement, glitchy mechanics that make it so you can't click to move if too many mobs are on the screen, only 2 zoom levels, no ability to rotate your camera, graphics that look like they are from 10 years ago (running on max settings on a high end rig), a dis-interesting story line that is slow moving.

    I got the game for "free" through the 1 year wow subscription and I still feel ripped off. I don't know why anyone would pay anything for this game, let alone $60+. The only point I can see to the game is to be a farmville in dungeon crawler form to let people buy stuff with real world money so Activision can skim their cut off the top. I've played games that are literally given away by their developers that are better made than this.

    Add to that the fact the game can only be played online and that the servers that allow you to play (a game that runs LOCALLY) were down preventing it from being used, so you also will lose the game whenever Activision decides they've milked all they can out of this stillborn disaster.

    If you want a good old school dungeon crawler, get Torchlight instead, far better game play, better graphics, better story, and far cheaper.    … Expand
  13. xxhippycrusherx
    May 15, 2012
    0
    I can not even begin to describe my disappointment, the entire game is a bug. EA servers are terrible and there speed is at a crawl. Offline gameplay, lol nope.flv
  14. ikar05
    May 15, 2012
    0
    You love Diablo II? So... Don't buy D3! No more attribute points to distribute, skills unlock automatically as you level you, character personnalisation = 0. And the DRM... THE DRM!
    We can't play to the solo game when we want.

    Bad game Blizzard, very bad game.
  15. Jweezy
    May 15, 2012
    10
    Diablo 3 is **** awesome even if i didn't get to log in all the time today! It's hrpahnasdf;lkajdfa;ldfkj graphics are really awesome and the story telling is awesome. Although this is the first Diablo game that i have gotten so far i think that i will love it and play it for a long time 10/10 !!
  16. Madrix
    May 15, 2012
    10
    One of the greatest games i've played in years. People complaining about the servers, I played most of the day on launch, servers were down for four hours. While this is unfortunate, i don't think it should have any baring on the rating of such a great game. 10/10. Oh and have played 6 hours now, still in Act 2, those who are buzzing through the game are ignoring everything there is toOne of the greatest games i've played in years. People complaining about the servers, I played most of the day on launch, servers were down for four hours. While this is unfortunate, i don't think it should have any baring on the rating of such a great game. 10/10. Oh and have played 6 hours now, still in Act 2, those who are buzzing through the game are ignoring everything there is to do. Great game.… Expand
  17. Deversant
    May 15, 2012
    0
    Game govno do not play this. Getting disconnected from single player all the time. Very buggy, unfinished with dumbed down customization and cartoon graphics
  18. Classzero
    May 15, 2012
    1
    If you are hoping for a third edition to the Diablo series, and have play the past two, do not have high hopes for this version. It reminds me of what they did to the Dungeon Siege series. They used the name, but removed everything that made it great. If you have never played Diablo I or II go for it, you probably will enjoy it. This game IMHO should have had a different title, maybe IIf you are hoping for a third edition to the Diablo series, and have play the past two, do not have high hopes for this version. It reminds me of what they did to the Dungeon Siege series. They used the name, but removed everything that made it great. If you have never played Diablo I or II go for it, you probably will enjoy it. This game IMHO should have had a different title, maybe I wouldn't feel so let down. This game was the final straw. I am no longer buying New releases. I am going to wait until user reviews come out, and price drops.… Expand
  19. Wapniak
    May 15, 2012
    1
    Online DRM, graphic from 2003, audio quality (no eax etc.), i cant play (payed 50 euro), its a joke? BLIZZARD? I ask you, its a f... joke? :/ Errors in game, errors in connect, oh no i dont have internet in night (i cant play!)
  20. alienbaby
    May 15, 2012
    0
    Major dissapointment on release. Huge problems and game breaking bugs. Unable to play single player (even an isolated char with equipment etc.. restricted to just that game) because of always-connected requirement.

    Had to restart the game several times due to bugs and server issues and incorrect default install options, and I'm not certain if I ca be bothered to replay the beginning over    Major dissapointment on release. Huge problems and game breaking bugs. Unable to play single player (even an isolated char with equipment etc.. restricted to just that game) because of always-connected requirement.

    Had to restart the game several times due to bugs and server issues and incorrect default install options, and I'm not certain if I ca be bothered to replay the beginning over and over...

    Stay Away until they fix the issues and release it much cheaper in a few months! dont fall for the hype and pay the extra cash to play it now.    … Expand
  21. PoopNig420
    May 15, 2012
    0
    Probably one of the biggest let downs of the year, When I purchased D3 I was expecting the epic conclusion t0 D2 one of my favorite games of all time. What I got instead was an insane amount of lag and game play that feels about ten years dated. I seriously hope you guys don't consider buying this game.
  22. gameplayerhaha
    May 15, 2012
    0
    I can't really think of anything good about this game, so I'll focus on the bad.

    Features that existed in previous games are gone less customization need to be online to play poor launch classes are extremely unbalanced game is absurdly short blizzard clearly put no effort into making a good game because they knew the success of their other titles would ensure people would play this game    I can't really think of anything good about this game, so I'll focus on the bad.

    Features that existed in previous games are gone
    less customization
    need to be online to play
    poor launch
    classes are extremely unbalanced
    game is absurdly short
    blizzard clearly put no effort into making a good game because they knew the success of their other titles would ensure people would play this game without question. I'm pretty disgusted by what occurred here and I really hope that it can be made to stop. The game has been dumbed down to just clicking and nothing else.    … Expand
  23. kokotron
    May 15, 2012
    8
    Game is great but the problems with servers at release were insane. You just can't release a game like Diablo III and not be prepared for so many people logging in.
  24. SweetVagoo
    May 15, 2012
    0
    It's one of the greatest blunders of the year (if not the biggest). It doesn't improve anything from Diablo II, It has WoW graphics and it's 2 hours long. Also you need online to play singleplayer, what the **** I mean, this sucks.
  25. nmackey
    May 15, 2012
    10
    My god, these trolls. The game is fantastic. Apart from a few server hiccups, it plays very well. I'm looking forward to spending 7 more days playing this beast of a game.
  26. Mark2412
    May 15, 2012
    2
    They removed many well loved diablo features and replaced them with world of warcraft features. This is basically WoW 2.0.

    People have already beaten this game in 4 hours.4 hours to beat 4 acts and kill diablo, severe lack of content. You are forced to be connected to blizzard servers even if you just want to play single player, which means that whenever they go down you can't even play.    They removed many well loved diablo features and replaced them with world of warcraft features. This is basically WoW 2.0.

    People have already beaten this game in 4 hours.4 hours to beat 4 acts and kill diablo, severe lack of content.

    You are forced to be connected to blizzard servers even if you just want to play single player, which means that whenever they go down you can't even play. Blizzard servers go down every tuesday and they have been up and down constantly since release making it difficult to just play single player. This game is not an mmo so this is ridiculous. They claim this is to stop people using bots and cheating, which is a terrible excuse for this terrible DRM. There is no link between allowing people to play single player offline and stopping people from cheating online. Once again this is a horrible form of DRM.

    They removed a bunch of well loved features from the previous game and replaced them with features from their world of warcraft game. You no longer have stat points to customize your character with, and by the maximum level you have every skill available to your character, making your character exactly the same as every other one of the same class by level 60. Skill points have been removed.

    People have already cleared acts 1-4 and killed diablo in 4 hours, although there are more difficulties where you just replay the same content where monsters are given higher hp and damage. Still the amount of game content is lacking.

    At least in normal difficulty it seems impossible to die which makes the game quite boring. I'm not particurally fond of lazy difficulty systems where you just multiply monster's hp and damage by a certain amount, either.

    You are not even allowed to fight other players like in the previous games, but they promise they will put world of warcraft style pvp arenas into the game at some point.    … Expand
  27. Dexarde
    May 15, 2012
    10
    this game rocks! There is some first day problems but the game is still awesome and will get just better and better!And people cant read that's why they have so much problem with the connecting to this game but if you follow the community you will have no problem with the game!
  28. bloodydaydream
    May 15, 2012
    0
    It's just a horrible game. I will leave my opinion of DRM out of the rating system, since even if the system is horrible, the industry has to do what it can.

    This "game" is nothing but a dumbed down click adventure. Hold down left click, win everything up to Hell mode. Do not buy this game until it is around $9. It's worth maybe $4. I was not a die-hard fan of Diablo 2, but I do have    It's just a horrible game. I will leave my opinion of DRM out of the rating system, since even if the system is horrible, the industry has to do what it can.

    This "game" is nothing but a dumbed down click adventure. Hold down left click, win everything up to Hell mode. Do not buy this game until it is around $9. It's worth maybe $4. I was not a die-hard fan of Diablo 2, but I do have slightly fond memories. There was no lost nostalgia here, this just felt like someone's school project submitted under a major label.

    The story was lazy, the combat boring, and the music repetitive. I enjoyed the voices, but that wasn't much of a comfort. Honestly, if you have to go through the full game and change a mode to "see the real thing" as I was challenged to do, the product has already failed.

    Gave it a chance, Diablo 3 simply does not deliver.    … Expand
  29. Obleguk
    May 15, 2012
    2
    The complete lack of character customization takes all the joy out of progressing in this game. They try to overcompensate with story but that's never been good/important in diablo games. Game is incredibly short, and they artificially increase the length by unlocking the harder difficulties. Get "Path of exile" if you want a better experience.
  30. fatehasfans
    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
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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.
    Read full review
  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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