One of the three big pillars upon which the mighty Blizzard has built its empire, Diablo has long been a staple for those of us who like to put sharp bits of steel, or powerful magic up against the forces of darkness for fun and profit. Two years after its last titular release Diablo III, and including all current patches and DLC, Diablo is back (Diablo will always come back) and now on the PS4 and Xbox One with Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition.
Release Date: Aug 19, 2014
Consoles: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4
Rating: M
The defining game in the Isometric dungeon crawling, loot gathering, monster slaying RPG genre, Diablo is the description marker for all other games, as in – ‘It’s a Diablo Clone’, or ‘It’s a Diablo style game, with…’. Diablo has long been one of the Granddaddies of the gaming genre. With Diablo III, Blizzard had fans waiting for a great long time and seldom (if ever) do they fail to deliver. Thought of primarily as a PC title, Diablo III was a ground breaker, with releases on both Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Landing like a loot bomb back in 2012, Diablo III has done very well selling huge numbers across all platforms. Never one to abandon a game simply because it’s been released already, Blizzard, through patches and DLC have continued to support and improve the already rewarding demon vanquishing experience. With the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One out and amongst us, it’s only fitting they should join the party. Combining everything Diablo III up until now, including the Reaper of Souls DLC, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition might just have the ‘Ultimate Edition’ part correct.
It’s true, Diablo is really meant for the PC, or, it has been traditionally, these new consoles might finally be making some compelling arguments. Graphically, the hardware has finally delivered a console experience that can sit at the table with PC. Running at a fixed 60 FPS, the PS4 and Xbox One make it sing. Regardless of what console you play on, gain access to Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Upon defeating Diablo, all the evil in the world is gathered into an artifact called the Black Soul Stone, and that’s not the sort of thing you want laying around. While delivering it to a final resting place, a fallen angel shows up (those guys have the worst timing) calling himself the Angel of Death, and then more or less walking the walk, killing a lot of people before taking possession of the Stone. As well as taking on the Reaper himself (after running some dungeons and looting your dead enemies) Diablo III: Reaper of Souls introduced Adventure Mode. Unlocking upon completion of Act V, Adventure Mode opens waypoints, giving players access to Nehalem Rifts and Bounties. With Nehalem Rifts, players hop into alternate dimensions which essentially act as a randomized dungeon system, ensuring a unique experience every time. Bounties act as an objective system, provide you with new and unique things to kill, and as usual, help you reap more and more treasure for your horde, and equipment to earn more of said treasure. If you like your Paladins, Reaper of Souls also introduces The Crusader, a heavy hitter/ caster hybrid, he’s great if you like magic, but also smashing things really hard with big weapons. Apprentice Mode solves the problem of friends at different levels, allowing players to team up despite skill gaps, and Nemesis Kills is a fun excuse to tackle a challenge and avenge a fallen friend. Last but not least, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition enables 4 player split screen,
Whether you’ve put it off, forgot about it, or if you played it day one and have been itching for a go at some horrible monsters, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition would like your attention. Particularly if you’ve found yourself with a lovely new piece of hardware and need something fun to play. Get everything Blizzard has come up with so far, some new shiny features, and a very slick looking crusade against Evil, in what might be Diablo III’s ‘Ultimate’ form.
Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition is available for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and the Xbox One
