Diablo III 2.4 ― On the Edge

The creators of Diablo III seem to be shy about charging money for their work, as if they haven't heard of words like DLC and “microtransactions.” They stubbornly continue to release free updates, providing fans with the opportunity to stay in the game for several more dozens of hours.

Blizzard looks unusual in the modern gaming market. The creators of Diablo III seem to be shy about charging money for their work, as if they haven't heard of words like DLC and "microtransactions." They stubbornly continue to release free updates, providing fans with the opportunity to stay in the game for several more dozens of hours. First, we admired the work done in versions 2.0.1 and 2.3. And now, another massive update, numbered 2.4, invites us back to Diablo III, luring us not only with a new island and its grim secrets. It is primarily intended for high-level players. 

Let's start with the small things. They don't immediately catch the eye, but there's a feeling that everything has become somehow more convenient and clearer. And it's true. The developers have redesigned the display of positive effects: now they are shown next to and directly on the skill bar. You can immediately see what is active, how many times the effect has stacked, and when the action ends. Finally, the unthinkable happened. Blizzard changed the cursor design! The canonical armored gauntlet that guided us through the world of Diablo for two decades has disappeared. It has been replaced by a large arrow, much more noticeable in the heat of battle.

In the PC version, there is now a need to continuously slaughter monsters and destroy everything around. This allows for a significant increase in earned experience and temporarily boosts the hero's movement speed. This feature, known to console users, must now be taken into account, as the bonuses from gems for increasing experience gained have been significantly reduced. 

It is now possible (praise Tyrael) to expand the stash space — by purchasing one additional tab. And by completing challenges in Seasons, you can unlock the remaining tabs, thereby significantly increasing the useful volume, which is always in short supply! And it's nice that decorative pets no longer just aimlessly get underfoot, but have learned to pick up gold dropped by enemies. 

As usual, all classes have undergone a total overhaul. Many abilities have been changed once again — removed and replaced with new ones. Some legendary items have acquired new properties. Dozens of new legendary items have appeared. This will undoubtedly have to be taken into account when creating your hero and will add variety to the set of ultimate warriors familiar from version 2.3.

As for the need to spend gold... Hundreds of accumulated millions run out very quickly due to the new ability to upgrade Greater Rifts. Upgrading costs millions (the amount depends on the rift level), but in the end, after completing the dungeon, you can upgrade a gem not three, but four times. This is of great importance, as gems are now used in a new Kanai's Cube recipe, but for this, their level must be at least 30! This recipe serves to upgrade ancient items, so accumulated resources risk running out quickly. 

If we talk about new content, there's a lot of it, and it's very diverse. First, a new location, Greyhollow Island, has appeared, with its depressive atmosphere, bloody rituals, and dark history. We learn it gradually, not in one go, by collecting diary pages and repeatedly killing a strange madman. Here we encounter new types of enemies, heavy rain pours down, and the ocean washes sea creatures ashore. Overall, it's interesting. 

Secondly, some familiar territories have been expanded. The Ruins of Sescheron have been supplemented with the icy Eternal Woods with scurrying yetis. And Leoric's Manor has received an extension, so you can see the conditions in which the famous king lived. The latter location also serves as a starting point for completing the so-called Set Dungeons. 

Each class has 4 sets of armor, with 6 items in each. They are tailored to specific abilities, which allows for quite predictable heroes. Blizzard developers decided to take advantage of this, and for each armor set, they created a separate dungeon with its own set of challenges. This location with a fixed level of monsters and their placement is considered completed only if certain conditions are met. In some, you have to suffer quite a bit. The reward for this is not only the realization of your own exclusivity (after all, collecting and preparing 24 sets for all classes is not given to everyone), but also beautiful green wings fluttering behind your back.

The beloved Adventure Mode has expanded with many new challenges, some of which are more like timed sports competitions. In a small location, you have to chase sprawling monsters, destroy shamans summoning undead, and fight your way through a dense crowd, trying to activate all altars. An excellent addition to traditional "kill 'em all" style bounties. 

Diagnosis

For years, Diablo III continues to evolve. The creators tirelessly generate challenges for us, stimulate players to change tactics, open new locations, and tell eerie stories. Once you start exploring the features of update 2.4, it's hard to tear yourself away. A lot is new, and even more has changed. Finally, the fifth Season is starting, with its own set of challenges. As before, you have to start it with a level one character, without access to the shared stash. This time, however, the developers have made a concession to players. In Season Five, there are no exclusive items, so all new legendary items can be dropped in normal mode. But this Season makes life a little easier: after completing the challenges, we are promised not only a new stash tab, but also a full set of armor. 

Blizzard definitely has big plans for Diablo III. As with World of Warcraft, each major update deserves a separate review. This is undoubtedly pleasing, but we want to believe that work is simultaneously underway on a second major expansion that will introduce us to a new class (or classes?), entertain us with an interesting story, and slightly improve the rendering of armor and weapons. Looking at the hero up close is simply painful.