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Gameplay
The gameplay in Diablo 3 looks to be similar in how it played in Diablo 2 with the classic overhead view of the action, but Blizzard has made a few other additions and improvements that should make things much more fun. Dungeons and quests will have a randomization element to them to try and eliminate linear gameplay and allow players to experience different kinds of content.

The environment of Diablo 3 is much more interactive as you can destroy walls, furniture, and other objects that get in your way. You can even use this to take out enemies at times. Knocking a wall down on a troop of skeletons is not only a quick way to get rid of them, it’s pretty funny too.

Remember how we always had to stock up on potions before heading out into the world? We even looked for belts with more potion slots because some just didn’t hold enough. Enemies in Diablo 3 will drop health that you can grab instead of burning up a potion every few seconds.

One thing that drove many people nuts in the older Diablo games, me included, was the fact that you couldn’t select your gender for a class. Whatever that class was you were stuck with it. In Diablo 2 you could choose from a barbarian, necromancer, druid, or paladin, but all were male. Likewise, you could only play as the preselected female for the sorceress, assassin, and the amazon. Luckily, in Diablo 3, the developers have added the option to choose your gender for any class. The restriction that existed in the old games is no more. Rejoice!

Classes will once again have skill trees to choose from, but the developers are adding a few new juicy options to the mix. For example, Skill Runes drop randomly through the world and can be socketed to boost your skills much like the runes and gems in Diablo 2. Unlike the last game, the runes don’t lock once used, so you can change them out if you want, so experimenting with different combinations will be possible without losing all your runes. Using a Multistrike Rune to enhance a skill can turn a single blasting fireball into a rolling ball of fiery death.

One thing that drove me nuts in Diablo 2 and also probably played a part in my character alt addiction, was building up that character only to learn I had botched my build, forcing me to roll up a new character and try again. Luckily, in Diablo 3, a respec system is being designed to allow those oh so popular talent changes. On a sad note, the stat system is going to be automated, so you won’t be able to choose how to allocate your strength, intelligence, and so on.

The developers are also working on ways to make a fun economy where gold might actually be useful. You know, as opposed to “WTT 25 SoJs (Stone of Jordan) for Stormshield”! And according to game director Jay Wilson, most items in the game will remain tradeable and not bind on equip, except for some of the really good stuff from the high end game.

Loot is certainly one of the best part of the Diablo games and Diablo 3 will be offering up a lot of different shiny stuff. Jay Wilson explained in his Ten Ton Hammer interview that items will be randomly generated, but each will offer varying stats. A unique item may come up with different stats rather than just being static in design. Developers have also learned from the last game and are adjusting the way loot drops. Instead of having a mob pop and players go every man for himself, loot will drop on a per-player basis in Diablo 3. Each person will get their own drops and only they will be able to see them.

Diablo 3 will be played over Battle.net and while not a lot of information is available on how the new Battle.net 2.0 will function with Diablo 3, some things that have been mentioned in relation to Starcraft 2 that that could possibly be added to Diablo if they happen include downloadable content, a way to facilitate trades for players, ladders, and Battle.net will even have a way for players to play online from their work computer if they want without having to transfer any files. Way to cost half America their jobs Blizzard. One thing we do know for sure is that players will be able to come together on Battle.net and group up to kill some enemies or try to kill each other as online play is a big part of the Diablo franchise.

Diablo 3 will be a game of nostalgia and new experiences as the developers are adding more to the game with more involving scripted events and quests. While we haven’t gotten all the information on what’s in the game yet, it’s already shaping up to look like a lot of fun. At times it seems like this game will never get here, but let’s face it, it’s been almost ten years and people never stopped waiting for this game. What’s a little while longer?