Diablo® IV (Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S)

Game description:

Diablo IV is a 2023 online-only action role-playing dungeon crawling game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth main installment in the Diablo series. Announced at BlizzCon 2019, the game was released on June 5, 2023 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S, and Microsoft Windows. Players create a character from one of six playable classes-Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, Sorcerer, or Spiritborn-and use their skills to complete quests through combat.

Staple features returned from previous installments in the franchise, such as a focus on replayable, procedurally generated dungeons and loot-focused character-building, while also featuring mechanics new to the series, including an open world and player versus player combat.

Gameplay:

The core formula for the series' gameplay revolves around gradually obtaining stronger equipment by defeating increasingly difficult enemies. Enemies are fought using different character class skills which can be customized by equipment and talent trees. This concept is used to progress through the story and quests. Enemies are split into monster families which are defined by a theme, combat style, and their location. Each family contains different archetypes that hold different roles allowing for synergies of specialty abilities between family members. To differentiate between them, they have unique silhouettes, stances and weapons.

Creative director Sebastian Stepien explained that the goal was to create a more "grounded" story than Diablo III. In order to achieve this, the plot revolves around the simple folk of Sanctuary rather than "politics, kings, or another high-fantasy theme.

Game review:

Diablo IV received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the game's narrative and atmosphere. The game generated $666 million in revenue within the first six days after launch; as of September 2024, it has surpassed one billion dollars in total revenue. Its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, was released in October 2024.