Diablo 4is still in development with no confirmed release date, but thankfully fans of theDiabloseries will have their hands full for a while with upcoming titles.Diablo 2: Resurrectedis just around the corner, withDiablo: Immortalfollowing some time afterward with a release window of 2021. The lastDiablogame to be released wasDiablo 3in 2012, with expansions releasing in 2014 and 2017. It has been some time since fans gotDiablocontent, and it has seemingly never come this frequently, withDiablo 4rumored to possibly release in the next few years.
Blizzard’s website updates fans with blog posts pertaining to each of its games, and most recently a blog post aboutDiablo 4’sart direction was released. Not only did it showcase the art direction shift sinceDiablo 3and a new Physically-Based Rendering (PBR) system, but it revealed there will be character customization for each class. This is a big deal for fans of theDiabloseries, as they haven’t had any way to really personalize the look of their characters in the past aside from the gear they equip.
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Character Customization in the Diablo Series
TheDiabloseries has always been about slaying hordes of demons, sifting through loot, and building a character based on a chosen class. Ever since the originalDiabloplayers could see how their character looked with the combination of gear they equipped. This has since been a staple for many games in the Action-RPG genre, though it has steadily improved in theDiabloseries in particular. However, withDiablo 4,players can truly customize their class charactersfrom the get-go according to the June 2021 Blizzard blog post.
The originalDiablowas limited in how customized a character could look, as many different swords would look the same despite varying degrees of power.Diablo 2took this further and added many more prerendered sprites for all sorts of armor and weapons.Diablo 2had a social hubthat showed everyone’s character in a chat room, which gave the sense of community among players. There, players could see what other characters looked like based on the gear they had equipped. This was scrapped inDiablo 3in favor of a more invasive inspection system more similar toWorld of Warcraft.
It was revealed in Blizzard’s blog post thatDiablo 4will offer players more customization optionsfor their chosen class than ever.Diablo 2’sclasses were gender locked and this was changed inDiablo 3,allowing players to choose their gender with each class. NowDiablo 4will go even further allowing players to not only choose the gender of their class but also the option to customize their character’s features. This includes what face preset the character will have, including the style of hair, beard, eyebrows, nose and ear piercings, makeup, tattoos, and body paint. Many of these options, including skin and eye color, will also be open to changes.
What Diablo 4’s Character Customization Means
Diablo 3introduced the transmogrification system, which not only helped characters look distinct from one another, but added a new layer to the item acquisition as players probably wanted better-looking pieces of gear.Diablo 4’sJune 2021 blog post mentions keeping the overall look of the game grounded in reality, which means the over-the-top armors seen inDiablo 3will more than likely stay withDiablo 3. Returning fromDiablo 3,however, will be an improvement to the dye system. While players can dye the same types of armor as before, thanks to the new PBR system parts of the equipment will reflect light more realistically.
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A player’s character will be shown up close throughoutDiablo 4,including the inventory paper doll, the social screen, and in real-time cinematics.Real-time cinematics are a new feature inDiablo 4that will show a player’s character zoomed up-close during the action. This means that despite the faraway isometric camera angleDiablogames are accustomed to having, all the customization and detail players have put into their characters will be front and center at certain points. This is all the more reason to spend extra time perfecting that Rogue look.
Diablo 4will feature an open-world aspect that will allow players to see each other in real-time and the Fields of Hatred PvP area. Much like how players could see each other’s character in theDiablo 2chatroom before selecting a server, players will be able to get a glimpse at what other players are rocking in terms of equipment. This can be skewed if the transmogrification system makes its return, but being able to see avastly different looking Barbarianfrom another should be helpful to differentiate who to focus on in PvP.
Diablo 4’s Social Hubs
Diablo 4will allow players to help save settlements, which will then act as social hubs for players to buy, sell, or trade loot. Though seeing another player in the world will be sparse so as to notmakeDiablo 4feel like an MMORPG,the few players that fans will come across should stick out. Thanks to characters being more customizable than ever, this gives each player a unique sense of who they might be coming across when they encounter someone else in the wild. A player could see someone in town, and then later see them with different gear at a large boss event, helping add to the social growth aspect.
Though it is uncertain if players will be able to inspect each other’s equipment, skills, and stats like inDiablo 3,being able to simply recognize another player in the field from a previous encounter could help cement a new way of being social. BothDiablo 2andDiablo 3had a more menu-focused social engagement,so being able to possibly make friends in the Fields of Hatred would be unique for theDiabloseries.
Diablo 4is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
