Realm of Gaming Preview - Diablo III
Diablo fans rejoice! The rumored third game has finally been announced. Blizzard recently made the announcement at its event in Paris.
The story is set 20 years after the likes of Diablo and Baal. It has been revealed that one of the well-known non-playing characters will return in Diablo III, Decard Cain. Cain returns to the remains of the Cathedral of Tristram, searching for ideas as to a new evil that seems to be approaching. Following that, a comet hit ground where Diablo once entered the world… Heroes of the world must now save humanity from the great evils that have arisen from the underworld.
Who will you choose to be?
Two classes of characters have been confirmed at this point in time. There will be female versions of each class, as well, and armor will be specific to each character class.
The barbarian is back and comes with fury and some other familiar characteristics. Other abilities have been added or revamped. A few of his known skills include the ground stomp, leap, whirlwind, seismic slam and cleave.
The witch doctor is one of the newly added character classes in this sequel. His tribe is the tribe of the Five Hills. These people were thought to be legend, but they do exist. The witch doctor has the power to summon undead creatures to literally tear apart his enemies. His (or her) skill set includes the firebomb, locust swarm, mass confusion, soul harvest and horrify.
More information on these character classes and others currently unannounced will inevitably be revealed in time. Keep watch on the official Diablo III website.
The Undead will again rise along with the following enemies that must be fought off: the Khazra, Gnarled Walkers and Dark Cultists. The Undead are skeletons that have risen up from various parts of other former living and breathing beings. They are easily summoned if pieces of skeletons lie around. They can be ‘organized and directed’, unlike other types of enemies. Also known as ‘goatmen’, the Khazra were originally human but sought only to prevail over other adversaries and now only partially resemble the semblance of a human being.
Various enhancements have been made to the game overall. A new dropped item is an orb of life, which is supposed to save you from having to click a potion to heal when in the heat of battle. This should make things interesting. The mana and vita bars are more animated and look cool. A hotbar to easily choose different skills is now available, making it much quicker. The mouse can be used to quickly switch between skills. The game seems to be more colorful than I remember Diablo 2 being. Case in point, the barbarian may be using an axe with lightning and it is lit up with blue and white flickering animation. The visuals that I’ve seen from the trailer (of cutscenes) are astounding, with the candle looking almost indistinguishable from the real thing. The glimmering reddish-orange light emanates from the wick while the wax slowly melts. The environmental aspects of the game will come more into play in Diablo III, such as massive walls being destroyed. Oh, and the game will be represented in 3D this time around!
From what we currently know and have seen so far, Diablo III looks to mark the sensational return of the classic franchise. With the success of World of Warcraft, I expect no less with Diablo III. Keep your eyes open for more information to be released!
Source: Realm of Gaming