As a longtime fan and early adopter of the Diablo video game back in the 90s I was, as always, a little apprehensive to approach the mobile version of one of my favorite games. With over 10 million installs within the first week of its June launch, I have to say that technology has definitely caught up with what we were using on our desktops in the early 90s because not only does Diablo Immortal run smoothly it’s as dynamic and engaging in the original PC game.
What’s the Storyline in Diablo Immortal?
There are two factions of “good” within the game both working to keep evil sealed behind Hells gates. The first group are the immortals. The Immortals were divinely chosen with leading the battle against the forces of evil. The shadows are a group of individuals who are also divinely charged to keep watch over the Immortals and ensure that they do not abuse their powers and that they maintain their task in combating evil and are not corrupted by power.
Diablo immortal is no small game and there is a lot to learn and cover! Leveling up was exceptionally easy and didn’t take much time at all. But before players can enter the realm of Diablo Immortal they’re going to have to create their hero.
What is Character creation like in Diablo Immortal?
Players can create up to 5 different characters to level up to level 60. Diablo Immortal allows players to pick between 6 different classes and have up to 5 different characters saved. Players are able to customize their character to their liking with some pretty dynamic character creator options.
The warrior classes that are available are: the Necromancer, Demon Hunter, Monk, Crusader, The Wizard, and the Barbarian.
Necromancer
- The Necromancer is a master of the undead. This dark magic summoner uses the reanimated corpses to help fight evil. Definitely a good choice for the Goth lovers.
Demon Hunter
- The Demon Hunter is a ranged vigilante who uses an arsenal of arrows and mechanisms to combat the evil plaguing the world. The Batman of the Demon slayers!
Barbarian
- The Barbarian is a an all meat and potatoes melee bruiser who uses brute strength and force to vanquish evil with Haste and prejudice. Barbarian smash!!!
Monk
- Unlike the brute force of the Barbarian the monk channels magic and movement into their melee attacks. The Monk can also summon aides in combat to help them and their allies.
Wizard
- The Wizard is a ranged magical user that conjures dark magic to deal damage while maintaining a safe distance. They can pull more than a rabbit out of a hat, that’s for sure!
Crusader
- The Holy Warrior of the group the Crusader summons their faith in good to bring the hammer down on evil with relentless melee attacks. Don’t get them started on religion though.
Once a player chooses their character class they can customize the players appearance with a wide variety of options from skin tone, facial hair, as well as minor details like face tattoos, eye-color, and even the space between the brows, width of the mouth, and cheek bone depth. There are lots more options that players can experience and play with. Have at it!
What’s the Gameplay like in Diablo Immortal?
Gameplay in Diablo Immortal is done in the classic “Diablo” over the top third person with the fixed camera view. Players can direct their character with a digital joystick on the left side of the screen, just like most console controllers. The game has teamed up in advertisements online with Backbone, the peripheral add on device that connects to the back of the phone and turns the phone into a handheld controller, if players are looking for a more comfortable gaming experience. The thought has crossed my mind while playing Diablo Immortal, my hands got tired and my fingers went numb on a few occasions.
If you skip the additional controller add on, the right side of the screen is where the characters skills are located. These are set on individual cooldown timers and are activated by tapping on the preferred skill icon. Players unlock skills as they level up their character. Players are only able to use four skills at a time but they can be changed out whenever the player likes. the game gives players tutorials on the use of predesigned combos that are effective in PVE and PVP combat.
As players kill mobs they drop coins and random items like gems, hilts, weapons, rings and armor. Some items are common while others need to be identified by the “Identifier” in game for a small fee. These items are usually “Epic” or “Lengendary” in status and are equipped with special abilities.
One of the cool details of Diablo Immortal that I really appreciate was the attention to graphic detail. All of the armor and weapons have a unique design and some even have special environmental effects as well.
How does Travel work in Diablo Immortal?
The game world is massive! The game map is divided into different regions and have suggested minimum level requirements. Players should try to hunt in areas that correspond to their levels to maximize experience and minimize the chance of dying. Players use the left control stick to direct the character in the direction they want them to move in.
What happens when Dying in Diablo Immortal?
If an adventurer succumbs in battle they can chose to resurrect in that same spot or be teleported to the nearest waypoint. If the player decides to resurrect where they fell, they will need to be prepared to fight immediately, the mobs that killed them may still be in the area.
If the player decides to teleport to the nearest waypoint they will be relocated to whatever waypoint they’ve discovered is nearest to where they died. This is usually a safe area where players can re-examine their strategy or get help from nearby players.
What is the CODEX in Diablo Immortal?
The Codex is located in the upper right side of the GUI and is where players can keep track of their “battlepass” rewards.
The Battlepass is Diablo Immortals reward incentive program the gives players items for reaching in-game milestones. Players can also upgrade the “Battlepass” for $4.99 or $14.99 for additional rewards and items. As players complete quests and achievements Battlepass points will be applied and unlock reward chests.
What kinds of Quests and missions are there in Diablo Immortal?
The main story of the game is only just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what players can do to level their characters. The leveling in this game is one of the great aspects about Diablo Immortal. Although some story missions are level restricted there’s plenty to do to “grind” which isn’t really a grind at all!
One of the first Quest features that is introduced is the “bounty board”. Players are able to get 8 bounties a day, 4 at a time. The bounties are all located in the same area of the gameplay map, so it’s advantageous for players to collect all 4 and do them all at once. Some of the bounties might be a ways to travel but players simply have to touch the mission description icon located on the left of the screen and the character will instantly teleport to the appropriate area. Characters are also self navigating and will run to the area with the active quest mobs. Mobs can be seen as little red dots on the game map compass which is located at the top of the GUI. Once the player completes the bounties they can teleport back to the bounty board and collect their reward. For every 4 bounties completed the player is rewarded with a treasure Chest. There are only 8 bounties active every 24 hours and they will reset once a day.
There are rifts in hells gate and the players have to venture into hell to defeat the demons and keep them at bay. These are known as the Elder and the Challenge Rifts.
Players can complete the Elder Rift mini-dungeons to collect Legendary Gems and gem pieces. These dungeons usually have a few dead ends but they could be worth exploring for hidden treasure chests. The players have a limited time to find the Rift guardian and destroy them to collect the full reward.
Players can also compete in the Challenge Rift
Either in solo or groups in increasingly difficult dungeons. Players who do well have a chance to earn rewards based on their leaderboard rankings. If players are in a group, the dungeon level will be based on the highest level unlocked by the players in the group.
What is the Helliquary in Diablo Immortal?
The Helliquary is a device forged in game that aides the warrior in challenge rift combat and is powered by “Scoria”. Players have to refine “Scoria” at the blacksmith. Scoria is found in drops from high level demon remains. Yummy!
What kinds of Weapons, Armor, and Trinkets are there in Diablo Immortal?
No Diablo game would complete without an assortment of weapons and armor for your adventurer to wield.
Depending on the class the player has selected will determine the types of weapons and armor that the players are able to use on their hero. I chose the “demon hunter” class which uses ranged weapons in the form of two handheld crossbows. Every weapon has its attributes, both positive and negative. Players can upgrade individual weapon levels by visiting the blacksmith and paying a small fee. As the player collects better items they are able to transfer the gems and level upgrades to the new item.
Gems
Higher grade weapons and armor are able to be slotted with gems. Gems add additional conditions and benefits to the item. Gems can also be upgraded by visiting a jeweler. Additional gems can be purchased from the jeweler or by completing the challenge rift.
EXTRACT/INHERIT
There is no doubt that the player will become encumbered with loot from their questing. Players can choose to store these extra items in a lock box, refine them at a blacksmith for crafting materials, or put them up for sale to the community in the market.
Some items have certain attributes that players might want to keep. Players can do this by having the essence of that item extracted at the “essence” NPC. This NPC will remove the special attribute from the item and destroy it but will allow the player to apply the extracted ability to their new item. The tribute is available for all future items to “inherit”.
Clans and Warbands
Players can take on dungeons in groups called “Warbands“. Warbands are permanent groups of 8 players.
Players are also able to join larger groups of players in “Clans”. Similar to Warbands, a clan is a permanent group of players playing in the same server cooperating together to achieve goals and complete quests. Players have to apply to join clans and once approved will have access to all of the benefits including a specific chat window for clan members only. Players who are in a clan are designated by a clan tag located underneath their character name.
I’ve been playing Diablo Immortal for a little over a week and I feel that there is still so much to learn and to do that I can’t wait to get back into the game. One of the major downsides to Diablo immortal is that it is a battery demon! This game drains your battery quickly so I advise to play at home or while connected to an external battery source. Other than that, this game is a damn near perfect port of a video game classic that is sure to be a legendary hit all of it’s own! Enjoy!
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