Diablo 4 is easily one of the most anticipated games on the horizon, despite how far its horizon might be. Fans have been eagerly awaiting any news about the next iteration of the iconic series and many are likely going back to enjoy previous titles. Diablo 4 is continuing a major legacy, but will find itself surrounded by much more competition that its immediate predecessor Diablo 3. After helping establish the ARPG genre, the games that were inspired by Diablo are now going to be its strongest competition.
Diablo has had an enormous impact on the gaming landscape. It helped revitalize the ARPG space and ended up creating essentially its own subgenre with its fast-paced isometric action, brooding atmosphere, and tongue-in-cheek humor. It's obvious why so many fans are excited about Diablo 4, but the game will find itself having to do a lot more to distinguish itself in order to earn player's money. Diablo 4 is likely still at least a year from release, and the ARPG market is swamped with quality titles in a way that Diablo 3 didn't have to contend with.
Games That Will Give Diablo 4 Some Competition
Since helping invigorate the genre as a whole, other games from numerous studios and even some from Diablo's original creators have risen in quality to a point where they are now in direct competition with the iconic hack n' slash. The obvious example being Path of Exile. Its free-to-play nature, expansive skill trees, and large endgame have helped make Path of Exile one of Diablo's strongest competitors. The game also has an aesthetic and general tone that likely scratches the same itch as Diablo does for many of its players. The game also regularly updates to add new content even now.
The Torchlight series is another solid example of games that have followed the formula originally created by Diablo to great effect. The game has a lighter tone overall and features a charming steampunk setting and cast of characters. While Torchlight 3 is likely nearing the end of its lifecycle the series overall has still picked up a dedicated following that enjoy the game for its familiar gameplay formula but fresh twist on the darker and more somber tones that pervade so much of the ARPG space.
Popular series like Warhammer have also jumped into the space with the Vermintide series. While not as well-received as some of the other games in the genre, Warhammer has a fanbase that is nearly rabid for its properties and has created a solid groundwork for the franchise to continue. And fans are still looking for games to play on the long wait to Diablo 4, so any game with a fresh setting or set in a universe they're already fond of could pull a lot of attention.
While Diablo is still largely considered the king of ARPG, it has a big legacy behind it. Diablo 4 will need to reinvigorate the genre in general in order to live up to its own hype. When Diablo 3 first released it was still undisputedly the king of the pack in the ARPG space. But with Diablo 4 still likely at least a year away, the landscape it helped to create will be packed with its own strongest competitors.
Diablo 4 is confirmed in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.