Made bigger for the blind as effin bats folks: Just to get this out of the way before I jump into the review, any future editorial contribution to the site by me, I will file under the section name "The Ramblings of a Moron" so you know who it's written by, and to expect non-perfect editorial skills. (Not to mention the high probability of completely moronic things being said.) This is me trying to improve my written communications as well as contribute at the same time. Without further delay:
The Ramblings of a Moron, Articles by Cynagen
This post does not reflect the views, opinions, or stance of Widescreen Gaming Forum and it's staff. It is only of my own, so anything you have against it, PM me or comment.
Deckard Cain, beloved uncle, seer, Horadrim decoder ring, you will be missed. Yes, spoiler alert, he dies in the first act. This was a tremendous blow to my perceptions of Diablo III very early on as I was under the impression I would be greeted with his old stand-by every time I came into town... it wouldn't be the last time they'd mess with me. The storyline, while stuffed with twists and turns, can end up becoming a little predictable at times. However, that which is the final battle and how you get there, I found has surprised many including myself.
Starting off is just the same as Diablo, and Diablo II. Run your quests and grind through the hoardes of enemies you encounter in the fields, dens, and catacombs. If you like hack-and-slash, you're going to have a slightly difficult time here only because they've added enough of an RPG element to force you to have to keep up with your armor more closely and stop to inspect your loot frequently as well as pick correct attacks depending on the mobs you face. There is no one-spell/attack-fits-all like in Diablo II with an "Ice Queen" (Ice-oriented Sorceress), however if you stack and train just right, you can become extremely deadly with just a handful of attacks/spells. If you're not careful though, you will become extremely dead, extremely quickly. I will say that I started off with the originally overpowered Monk class in order to give myself the best chance at finishing the game, however, shortly after purchase and getting about halfway through they patched my Monk, turning him into a pin-cushion. The added benefit of an aid by NPC is welcome when you wish to play single-player without worrying about being murdered too quickly and easily, and every class/build has an equally awesome class/build out of the 3 NPCs you may select as a companion, which are as follows: Sorceress (DII throwback, although younger), a Templar (aka Paladin another DII throwback), and Thief (this one is new). The one drawback is if you start playing with an NPC right away, you become severely dependent on that NPC later on in the sense that you're expecting them to save you with a last second heal.
Taking away from my full play-through experience on normal, I found the music to compliment the game very nicely. A lot of good hard work and uniformity between the themes created for each act, never a let-down. The visual and audio effects applied are well rounded and received. I was especially enamored with the ability to press Z and get a zoomed in view of my character though at a cost of line of sight. There's some RPG elements thrown in which kind of don't feel like they belong, such as the ability to color your clothing once you reach Act II, however if that's how people choose to waste their hard earned gold, then they have the ability to make themselves stand out. I won't get into the Auction House for obvious reasons, however I will say it's a nice respite from having to barter in chats with people for items, and for those with no lives, an easy way to make a quick real buck to support their Cheetos and soda habit. There's enough of the old feel from Diablo II not to make it alien and drive players away, and there's enough new to keep people going "Hey, this is TONS easier to play now" by shoring up little oversights from previous versions. Oh, before I finish this review, INDIVIDUAL LOOT. Finally no more getting that rare drop snaked by some unsavory person you'll likely hunt down and gut for an ear (really? just an ear? I just MURDERED them... I want their HEAD as a trophy if I'm going to show it off!).
For the uninitiated, pick up Diablo, Diablo II & Expansion, and Diablo III. Play them in order, "stay awhile and listen" to the story of the prime evil who just does NOT give up, and savor that moment when you've killed him for the THIRD time (chronologically speaking, expect tons of replay).
Scoring:
Graphics: 10/10 (All new shiny 3D rendering for the world, creatures, and characters!)
Audio: 10/10 (A new fantastic soundtrack to maim the minions of hell to!)
Action: 9/10 (Where you have lulls, you usually find a special/elite of some kind to wipe the ground with your corpse.)
Re-playability: 10/10 (Seriously? Do I have to comment here?)
Value for cost: 9/10 (If they had sold it at a price point $10 lower, they likely would have netted far more sales from the beginning.)
Overall score: 96% (NEW HIGH SCORE!)
The thread is open for comments, light talk about the game (since there's already another discussion thread), but mainly for myself, seeking literary aid on what I'm sure was a massacre on the English language in all sorts of cruel and unusual ways.
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