Diablo fans could not be more excited now that two long-awaited games Diablo 4 and Diablo 2: Resurrected have been revealed. Although a release date has not been officially announced for either game, Diablo 2: Resurrected is expected to come out at some point this year and Diablo 4 will hopefully follow soon after it in the next couple years. With the remake of a beloved title and a fully new game on the way, Diablo fans new and old will soon get to enjoy an updated experience and a delightfully familiar new experience with one of the most iconic characters in the game’s history, the Barbarian.
The Barbarian class has been a mainstay character in Diablo since its game-changing appearance in the original Diablo 2. Some players may even remember it as a playable class in the Hellfire Expansion Pack for Diablo 1. Although Diablo 3 was less popular with fans of the franchise due to its more cartoony approach to the world's aesthetic, Diablo 4 looks like it's shaping up to be a return to form in the style choices of early Diablo games that will hopefully satiate players' craving unholy gore.
Surviving numerous roster change-ups, The Barbarian will be included in Diablo 4 as one of the more largely untouched characters to span multiple titles. The ways in which the two Barbarian classes featured in the next two releases will be different or similar from past iterations is of interest though.
Comparing Looks
The artists behind the Barbarian wanted to stay as far away from stereotypes as possible and create a unique Barbarian look that people would associate with Diablo and not Conan the Barbarian. This class usually resembles a stout melee brawler with incredibly strong legs and arms, who can jump, scream, dual wield weapons and use fury as a resource. In Diablo 4, the developer combined the looks of previous Barbarian classes with classic depictions of barbarians throughout history.
Some have compared the Barbarian in Diablo 2: Resurrected to the actor and professional wrestler Dave Bautista. The facial features and stature of the Barbarian tank definitely resemble the WWE superstar, and the character modeling would absolutely make sense for the style of fighter the Barbarian imbues. The Barbarian has a blue stripe painted down the right side of his face and chest like an inverted version of Kratos from God of War. Kratos sports bold red line art painted down the left side of his face and chest. The Barbarian is usually wearing an outfit of leather and animal hide, more focused on leather, for a lighter look that appears to be crafted for agility and warm weather.
In Diablo 4, the Barbarian has a much warmer, heavier look. He has black ink line art tattoos across his face and down his right shoulder. He wears leather and animal hide clothing that focuses more on soft animal hide than leather. It has a furry, fuzzy appearance that gives off the impression that this Barbarian was made for fighting in colder conditions than his Diablo 2: Resurrection brother. He also wears a bold metal headband, chest buckle, and belt buckle that paint a somewhat more respectful, noble, and yet slower appearance than the down and dirty appeal of his predecessor.
Both Barbarian looks are held in higher regard than Diablo 3’s Barbarian character, despite it being one of the more preferred classes in the game, which had a much more dwarf-like appearance. The Barbarian was the only character that carried over from Diablo 2 to Diablo 3. Although Diablo 3 was less popular with fans of the franchise due to its more cartoony approach to the world's aesthetic, Diablo 4 looks like it's shaping up to be a return to form in terms of style choices that fans have every reason to get excited about.
Comparing Abilities
The Barbarian is a rough physical character who does not use magic, primarily because it is deemed as a crutch and therefore a weakness in Diablo's Barbarian culture. He’s a brutal warrior that will satiate any player's blood lust. Though the Barbarian class has remained largely untouched throughout the series, only really getting improved upon from game to game, there are a few new abilities in store for Diablo 4.
The Barbarian in Diablo 2 was made to be self-sufficient, deal major physical damage, and enjoy a large life pool, which led it to be one of the most well-rounded class choices to use during the single-player campaign. This brawler provides the perfect front line for any team going into battle. The general style of the Barbarian’s approach to fighting has remained the same throughout Diablo titles, but the way the class capitalizes on its own special abilities and the weaknesses of enemies has continued to evolve.
One new mechanic set up for the Barbarian in Diablo 4 is the Arsenal system. It’s a passive ability that gives the Barbarian the ability to have four weapons equipped at one time: two one-handed weapons and two two-handed weapons. While the Barbarian can only use up to two one-handed weapons or one two-handed weapon for each attack, the Arsenal allows the Barbarian to swap between all of the equipped weapons to use specific tools for particular purposes. The Barbarian's skills in Diablo 4 can be assigned to each item in the Barbarian's Arsenal which leads to a wide range of customizable options and approaches to battle.
All of the basic skills that the Barbarian possesses in Diablo 4, with the exception of the lunging strike, are updated skills from the previous Diablo games, the original iteration of which will be present in Diablo 2: Resurrected. However, a new category of skills has been added to Diablo 4’s Barbarian known as brawling skills that will include Kick, War Cry, Leap, and Charge.
Comparing Longevity
Although Diablo 2’s Barbarian was the class so nice the developer made it twice, Diablo 4’s Barbarian has a wonderful design and sounds like it will add some tremendous abilities and gameplay options that may continue on into future games.
The Barbarian earned its place on Diablo's roster and likely aims to protect its spot as a mainstay character. Nothing will ever have the same impact as the original, but Diablo 4’s Barbarian feels like the wonderful new imagining of this iconic character that hardcore fans and new fans deserve.
Diablo 2: Resurrected and Diablo 4 are currently in development.