Here comes a story like this — while Diablo has been sleeping, Path of Exile has snatched the crown which was belonged to Diablo, and now what is it going to do about that? And how does Diablo do to compete with Path of Exile? And here we will tell you how to do that, please keep reading.
I am pretty sure that all players must agree that Diablo is a beast that looms over every action Role-Playing Game, with its over 24 years of dominance and a legacy that makes other games sweat. Diablo 3, in spite of a rocky start, carried on that legacy, and Path of Exile gamers got to watch it evolve over a multitude of updates. There was the itemization overhaul, the Necromancer class, as well as an endless supply of rifts. Then the tap was switched off. With the titan falling asleep, the ever-inventive Path of Exile seems to have already taken its place. As we can see, Diablo 4 is coming, however, when it eventually arrives, it's going to have some quite tough and fierce competition.
Even though Diablo 3 continues to tick along without too many players paying attention to that, Path of Exile has not stopped growing. The studio; Grinding Gear Games continues to conjure up new seasons four times a year that shake things up with game-changing systems, for example, gardening, hideouts, or even monster collecting. And players have already welcomed this iteration and occasional reinvention just by returning in their droves time and time once again. In 2021January, it set a new personal best for those concurrent players, and the peaking point is at more than 157,000. It is doing pretty awesome. And it just like Diablo, it is also getting a sequel.
However, there is still a pretty long way to go before either game shows up, therefore, here is what the former king could do to get back on top of the Action Role-Playing Game pile.
The very first one is: Embrace Live Service Gaming:
Diablo 3 released before the explosion of live service games and this game even comes with a price tag, however, with its different seasons and stream of updates it certainly fits the model. However, the studio Blizzard never seemed to find out how best to use it. If you compare it to some games like Hearthstone and Fortnite, then you can easily notice that Diablo 3 is conservative and static. Balance changes and seasonal rewards have not made up for the fact that we are right now still playing with systems and fighting through locations that were designed nearly ten years ago.
I really doubt Diablo 4 will be free-to-play or not, and I sincerely pray that it will not come with a battle pass, however, there are plenty of other things that it could borrow from the competition, the most important thing is, the agility of other live service games. Path of Exile's seasons, generally speaking, also known as LEAGUES, have already allowed Grinding Gear Games to design enough new systems as well as experiments to cram inside multiple new games. Whenever I think I am done with it, then a weird new league appears and then I jump straight into Path of Exile character creation. The leagues have not all been winners, however, they end and it's onto the next new thing. Then the stuff that's well-received gets added to the main game eternally, allowing these experiments to leave an indelible mark.
As you can see, Diablo 4 featuring a shared world that calls to mind a Massively Multiplayer Online, the Diablo team probably looks to World of Warcraft for inspiration. It is always in flux, and something new always seems to be around the corner, just waiting for players to get bored. New storylines, raids, event quests - Azeroth's inhabitants are kept busy. It's so different from how it began that Blizzard now maintains World of Warcraft Classic servers, and running two distinct versions of that game. However, it will be a tricky balancing act, cause it would be a mistake for Diablo to venture too far into the territory of MMO.
The second one is: Let Us Just Play Game Alone:
Even though when you are venturing into a dungeon with a few friends, you should aware that Diablo has always evoked loneliness and isolation, however, this time you are going to see Randos running around, grabbing quests, and slaughtering monsters right in front of you. As a matter of fact, I will not beat around the bush over here, this seems kinda shit.
Finding players to play Diablo 3 with was quite easy, therefore, it feels like Diablo 4's shared worlds are trying to fix a problem that simply does not exist at all. If I play Diablo 4 with anyone on the Internet, that will probably be friends, and consider that point, well I'd quite like the choice to not see other gamers until I want to, however, the truth is, that will probably be never. The story quests and dungeons will still be just for your and your own group, however, the studio Blizzard's also putting in lots of multiplayer diversions, enemy camps, events, PvP, and side quests included. Even if you are now planning on ignoring that, Blizzard says that you will still have to put up with other gamers in your game.
Just like a lot of the changes introduced in Diablo 3, a lot of players might learn to love the pseudo-MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) elements, however, I suspect there will be plenty who will just find somewhere else to go on their solo adventures.
The third one is: Make Cooperation Meaningful:
If I can not escape the shared world, well, I, of course, hope cooperation is more memorable. I have never really felt encouraged to play with anyone else in either Diablo 3 or Path of Exile, and when I do, most of the fun comes from a very simple fact that it's a laugh to carve a bloody swathe through a dungeon with your friends. Apart from that, to some extent, it's never seemed like a distinct experience. If Diablo 4 wants to make multiplayer a big part of the experience, it will need to make working together more attractive, which could also give it a leg up on Path of Exile.
A lot of multiplayer features, for example, camps and events suggest the possibility for encounters that demand communication and team tactics, however, I hope that's also replicated in the less open multiplayer, where you are just on a trip into a dungeon with just a few mates. That is also the place where gamers are more likely to make a real effort to work together.
There are methods to make cooperation more engaging outside of combat, too. For example, Path of Exile, also features a few trap-infested puzzle areas. And these could be enjoyed completely on your own, but I quite fancy the idea of solving some dungeon conundrums with my much smarter friends. There are just a few obstacles that could not be solved with a sword, and which encourage teamwork, would go a very long way to making me want to play with some other players.
The fourth one is: Make Character Progression Its Own Adventure:
If you are now remotely interested in experimenting with character builds, theory-crafting, as well as getting stuck into a lot of numbers, then there is no Action Role-Playing Game that could compete with Path of Exile. The trinity of passives, gear, and active skills are absurdly elaborate, turning to nurture your character into an adventure that will take you all across the daunting map of those passive skill nodes. It will be difficult for me to go back to anything less ambitious.
As a matter of fact, Diablo 4 should not try to match the complexity of Path of Exile, it could be very nice to play an ARPG that does not come with maths homework once again, however, it could certainly do with trying to grab some of the tantalizing breadths of Path of Exile's possibilities. You should aware that is not to say that Diablo 3 has not left me tweaking and testing to create the most devastating builds, but, it always makes me feel like I am going down well-trodden paths instead of just charting my own course.
I sincerely hope that Diablo 4 could find a middle ground. Even though I love Path of Exile's skill grid, it's impossible to navigate effectively without a lot of preparation, and I have already come to completely rely on a third-party app to help me design my builds, at the very same time, I also depend on a third-party site to buy PoE currency that I need. The good news is that it might be heading in that direction. The WIP skill trees that we have already seen are much easier to digest than Path of Exile's, however, at the same time, Blizzard is also experimenting with a passive skill tree that sits below the active one, allowing you to give your character general upgrades that are not tied to your class specifically.
The fifth one is: Set Aside Set Bonuses:
A lot of players may not know that set bonuses dominate Diablo 3. Though it's undeniably more accessible, pushing players to specific gear sets erodes a lot of the joy that just comes from hunting down great loot. And I find myself dumping items a lot I'd otherwise be very excited to get my hands on, just because I do not want to sacrifice the bonus. It's such common sense for a lot of gamers that the cost of the convenience is the sense that you are following a script rather than just making your own character.
At the very same time, Path of Exile, allows you to figure out what gear to use all by yourself, depending on what Path of Exile build you have already settled on. A single item could turn a middling build into a killer, therefore, it's all about finding the right incredibly powerful items just for you. It's definitely much harder to find out what you need to stick in your gear slots, however, the bevy of options and their impressive upgrade potential means that you have a lot of opportunities to improve your character throughout the whole game.
But getting rid of set bonuses completely would be an extreme solution because they are still attractive goals to work towards; it would be a shame to lose the accessibility they offer, too. If they were an alternative rather just than a necessity, that means we could have the best of both worlds. Fortunately, Blizzard already seems to agree. Gear sets will be less prominent, it says, with individual items becoming the things that make your build quite special. With development still ongoing, we will have to wait to check if it finds the right balance, however, it's reassuring to see Blizzard identifying the problems the old system ever posed.
The sixth one is: Offer Us A Memorable Cast:
Even though Path of Exile's playable roster are all visually distinct and sport unique backstories, they are really just a frame around that you build your class. Right now, I have got no attachment to any of them. Diablo 3 was already much better in this regard, and just by leaning into its character a bit more, and Diablo 4 could give the right hook to get players to jump ship.
Indeed, what I'd like, is just to see an Action Role-Playing Game that remembers the roleplaying bit. I, however, do not mean long conversation with dense dialogue trees, and there is plenty of room to inject a bit more personality in a way that does not bog the game down or just interferes with the brisk pace. Character-specific quests, objectives, or obstacles that tie into their backstory would be an amazing starting place.
There might be a shortcut that you could only get just by getting a critter to help you, something that only the Druid could do. If there is a rogue-adjacent class, probably they will be the only one that could open some certain locked doors. Even if you do not care about the narrative, there are still methods for these characters' personalities and skills to be pushed to the fore that make them more engaging to play.
The seventh one is: Switch Out The Lights:
Aesthetically and tonally, Path of Exile feels more like a Diablo 2 sequel rather than just Diablo 3. The latter one looks quite amazing, but it's missing the relentless gloominess from its predecessor. And I miss the horror desperately.
Just from what we have already played, it does seem like Diablo 4 is officially back in grim territory. "Diablo 4's crypts feel more hateful just than Diablo 3's," Tyler wrote in his Diablo 4 preview. " They are much grimier and dustier, with Bloody Piles that explode just like popped blisters in slow motion." However, the shared world threatens to undermine it a little bit, because you know, that feeling of horror goes beyond the aesthetic quite a lot; it's more difficult to appreciate the tension and then embrace your fear when you have already got a bunch of randos with some stupid named getting in your way. Fortunately, you will not come across any in dungeons.
As you can see, it's going to take more than just grisly art, too. The audio, enemy design, lighting, narrative—these are all big contributors. It's been a very long time since Blizzard designed anything that was not a colorful, bright cartoon, however, sincerely hope, that means it's ready for a change.
The eighth one is: Give Much Better Value:
As you can see that this is going to be a tricky one. Path of Exile is one of the best value games I've ever played. So far, I have already spent a bit more than £100 on buying cheap PoE currency online, and on some cosmetics, and it was mostly out of guilt from enjoying this big-ass free game for so many years. However, you could drop no cash at all and then still get a game that is significantly meatier than Diablo 3. And if you are a frugal player, well, there is really only just one choice over here.
What could Diablo 4 offer that Path of Exile and its sequel can not? To be frankly speaking, not too much. It's got that Activision money, of course, which means there is cash to burn on extra bells and whistles and superior production values, but that does not mean the Grinding Gear Games is strapped. It was acquired by Tencent several years ago, taking away Diablo's advantage.
To be more specific, I think the cash I dropped on Diablo 3 and Reaper of Souls offered me plenty of value, but in the 2020s asking people to drop £40 on a game that is just doing exactly the same thing as one that is completely free seems like a very difficult sell.
Despite the knocks it's taken to its reputation, I do expect any new Blizzard game to have a successful release. It will probably do the numbers regardless of reviews or just the competition. And the challenge is making it last.
A lot of live service games have already enjoyed big launches and then experienced nothing but trouble. While some games, for example, like Fallout 76, have already managed to turn things around and hold onto players, there are ones like Anthem that seem destined to become a snarky footnote in the history of video games. And Blizzard's proved that it is not too big to fail-Heroes of the Storm's esports scene was killed off in the year of 2018 and development was scaled back, while the remaster of one of its most beloved games, you should aware that World of Warcraft 3: Reforged, ended up being a massive disappointment. This time, you know, it can not rest on its laurels.
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