Diablo 3 Game Review

Title: Diablo 3  Format: PC, Mac Release Date: May 15th, 2012 Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Price: $59.99 ESRB Rating: M

Diablo 3 was one of the most anticipated games of this year, and now that it has been released, you have to get your hands on it.  Its living up to the hype quite nicely, in my opinion, and only seems to get better.

Presentation and Story:
The story of Diablo III takes place in the Sanctuary, basically, its a dark world filled with lots of fantasy.  The narrative in the game is simple, you are sent to return to the Sanctuary to help fend off evil that plagues the place.  This serves as a sturdy enough foundation for all the killing you'll be doing in the game.  If you've never played a Diablo game, the style might look a familiar to you.  Diablo sports an overhead view, similar to Torchlight, and other dungeon crawl games.  Visually, the game looks great with the settings maxed out.  Even if you don't have a good gaming PC or Mac, the visuals are still solid.  My crummy Macbook runs it well with medium settings applied, and it still looked good.  Player models are crisp, human and NPCs alike.  The environments doesn't drop the ball either, the lush and varied locales where you'll be slaying dozens of enemies will never get old. The music is fantastic in Diablo, right along side the stellar voice acting. Atmosphere is a big part of Diablo, making you really feel apart of the war against evil in the Sanctuary.
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:
Diablo III is a pure hack and slasher with a mouse, you'll be clicking away for hours at your hearts content.  There is a lot of action here, enough to hold you for quite some time.    With its excellent pacing complementing the action, you'll never be comfortable in the midst of a big battle, as you will always be introduced to more unique and tougher enemies.  I should note, in order to play Diablo 3, you'll need to always be connected online.  The co-op mode is where the real fun lies, you have the option of playing with 3 other companions, friends or just randoms you meet.  When other players join, the game does a great job of balancing itself out.  It beefs up the enemies making them tougher, as more players join, the harder they become.  You have a variety of options to choose from, if you haven't played the beta.  You have the option of choosing a barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter.  I myself chose the monk because of the speed advantages that come along with class.  They each present their unique style of punishment that the evil running about the lands will come to fear. From players who like to stay back and support teammates, to players who like to wreak havoc on the frontlines, you'll fit in perfect.
Final Thoughts:
Diablo III is one hell of a game, that pun was definitely intended, and you should definitely give it a shot if you're still skeptical about it.  After a decade of hype surrounding this sequel, it has finally lived up and even surpassed its expectations.
Final Rating = 9.5/10