"Gothic, medieval, dark." After Zelda, after Final Fantasy, it may be exaggerated to talk about another great game called to mark this year. But things are as they are: the pandemic and the supply crisis delayed several of the big games that were called to go on the market in recent years; which has led to a 2023 of concentration, with some of the works that are called to mark the future of interactive digital art during the next decade. Now it is the turn of Diablo IV, which seeks in those three adjectives mentioned above (pronounced by its artistic director) the foundation of its best weapon: a sublime and macabre atmosphere, which will catapult the game (which goes on sale tomorrow) to the top of the year.
The journey of the Diablo saga is curious. The first game came out in 1996 and greatly influenced PC gaming, establishing some of the basic visual and mechanical foundations (isometric view, mouse-clickable inventory management) of the games to come. The second part, from the year 2000, sublimated the formula, and from there the next two games (Diablo III, 2008, and especially Diablo Immortal, last year and designed for mobile) received criticism for the use of real money in the game or its microtransaction system. Diablo IV was eagerly awaited to overcome a franchise from which you could get a lot of juice. He has not disappointed.
'The Garden of Hell', the recreation of Blizzard with the characters of 'Diablo IV' based on the work of Bosch.
Diablo IV is a more RPG experience, which takes elements of massively multiplayer online games, which delves into the improvement of all its mechanics, which earnestly seeks a very powerful visual identity and that, in addition, throws the remains in the cinematographic section, with some cinematics (the story of the invocation of the monstrous Lilith and her gradual conquest of the world) and a narrative to take your hat off. With these elements on the cursed altar, Blizzard has invoked a visually wonderful, extremely addictive game, with a very well measured gratification in the difficulty / satisfaction axis and, to put it badly and soon, very good.
Promotional image of the 'Diablo IV'.
John Mueller, the artistic director of Diablo IV, has stated that not only the old masters serve as inspiration for the game, but more modern ones, such as Frank Frazetta or Brom. "A medieval masterpiece," he says they are looking for. In a video screened in Madrid on the 30th, Mueller recalled how, during his studies of art history, he was influenced by Bosch. In fact, in that presentation they showed a triptych, The Garden of Hell, with the characters and stylistic tropes of the Devil directly inspired by The Garden of Earthly Delights. It is clear: this new installment bets on the visual identity as the foundation of the whole experience. For those who sign this, they have hit the nail on the head.
This 2023 is exceptional. And maybe Diablo IV is not crowned as the best game of the year. It may not invent the wheel, but it reformulates all its sections to offer a very complete experience. The world (the real world) is eager to get lost in the (virtual) world of Sanctuary in which the struggle between the forces of evil and those of good will take place. We can only ask for the best to win. And enjoy the show.
Promotional image of the 'Diablo IV'.
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