Diablo is one of Blizzard's most prestigious titles and with Diablo 3 having recently reached its 10th anniversary, it's safe to say that the third Diablo game is still going strong and relevant. The same can be said for Diablo 2, now on its 22nd year of relevance. Either game is a testament to Blizzard's craft with Diablo 3 waving the flag high as always.
As it turns out, slaying the Prime Evils and their minions never gets old. But underneath that simple premise is decades of innovation and mastery, as well as community feedback which shaped Diablo 3 into what it is today. So it's high time to take a look back at what keeps drawing the players to the world of Sanctuary and what makes them stay awhile and listen at the very least.
8 Leagues
The main aspect of Diablo 3 that keeps reeling in players both old and new is, of course, the Leagues. These are quarterly events that incentivize players to start fresh with a new character and rush to the endgame or max-level gameplay in order to obtain League-specific rewards.
These League rewards are usually cosmetic but just wearing them alone is indicative of a player's effort and veterancy, which earns them respect from the community. There's the fact that Leagues also introduce new unique or set items which shake up the meta and make restarting more exciting. It's a tried-and-tested Diablo tradition made more accessible and refined in Diablo 3.
7 Class Builds
While Diablo 3's class diversity and complexity are vastly different compared to its predecessor, it still allows for some impressive combinations that shape up the meta. At the same time, the builds in Diablo 3 have been streamlined to the point where it doesn't intimidate beginners and newcomers to the franchise.
This kind of balancing act makes Diablo 3 more favorable for the general crowd. Meanwhile, their classes are highly diverse when it comes to gameplay and the powerful items they keep adding to every league also somewhat comes in as a form of balancing.
6 Smooth Gameplay
Where Diablo 3 excels compared to its predecessors is with the smooth gameplay. Gone are the days when the latest Diablo game will tax players with carpal tunnel syndrome due to its archaic mechanics and animation schemes. Diablo 3 is as smooth as butter when it comes to action and presentation.
The gameplay is energetic and empowering where every hit can be felt and no attacks go unannounced or unnoticed. This is the case even for low-level gameplay. Come the endgame or late game, Diablo 3's modular class builds allow players to experiment with many wacky or outrageous playstyles; the best part is that they can ease into this with relatively little investment.
5 Loot & Rewards
Diablo 3 follows a different philosophy when it comes to presenting its players with loot. The two previous Diablo games rely on scarcity to make their rare loot more rewarding (though more frustrating and disheartening to collect). Diablo 3, on the other hand, is all about rewarding players for every little progress they make.
This approach definitely feels more gratifying in the short term and leaves players feeling like achieved a lot within a League's limited timeframe. Players can jump in for 10 to 15 minutes and still come out feeling rewarded. Also as mentioned above, the League rewards are some of the most generous out of all the Diablo games; if they want, players can even add the quick dopamine fix to that reward pile.
4 Paragon System
In the old Diablo games and even in other isometric ARPGs, there's not much to do for progression after hitting max level. Diablo 3 shook this tradition up by introducing the Paragon system or levels. This auxiliary level bar that players can keep progression adds up to the character development.
Paragon levels add stat bonuses to the characters as well as a new character icon frame that players can use to indicate their Paragon level. Again, this provides even more incentive for players to keep playing past the usual stopping point for many other isometric ARPGs. It's safe to say that Diablo 3 wouldn't have retained its veteran players the same way it does today if it weren't for the Paragon system.
3 Transmogrification
Apart from becoming more powerful, another motivation for players to keep gambling their time and efforts for loot is fashion. It's all about that bling for many RPG fans as these can be a status symbol or a mere show of the player's creative and artistic side. Thankfully, Diablo 3 understands this aspect of player motivation when it introduced Transmogrification.
It's an import from World of Warcraft but nevertheless fared well in Diablo 3. Because it meant that players no longer have to sacrifice style for substance. Both can be achieved by simply replacing weapon and armor models for a small fee. Many RPG players wish their favored RPGs have this system (hence the mods).
2 Greater Rifts
For veteran players looking for a challenge, Diablo 3 also offers something that will sate their lust for demon blood. Greater Rifts made Diablo 3's endgame a lot less stale or repetitive (at least when compared to its predecessors. In other ARPGs, for example, endgame players are confined to grinding areas they visited and killing enemies they've already killed in the main quest.
Greater Rifts are different as they present tougher, more dangerous, and fresher gnarled faces to slay. It's an endgame challenge that will also test the most diligent min-maxers and theorycrafters, meaning there's something for everyone in Diablo 3. Sure enough, that's one of the reasons why it has lasted as long as it did.
1 Casual-Friendliness
But of course, one of Diablo 3's greatest strengths since its release was its streamlined gameplay systems and quality-of-life improvements. This is a game where players don't have to worry about lacking respec tokens or running their build. The impact of this simplicity reverberates well through endgame as players who want to try out a new League or a new build don't have to try too hard if they're looking for a change of scenery.
Moreover, even old-time players can just log in, complete a Greater Rift rush in a few minutes, and still yield some precious rewards before logging out. This feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment in bite-sized pieces made Diablo 3 a lot friendlier to its players— it's a friendly, low-maintenance friend that everyone keeps checking out every so often.
Diablo 3 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.