Diablo 3

It's been a while since I've ventured into the world of PC gaming... and I had forgotten how much of a pain in the ass it is.  I've been spoiled by the console world of popping in a disc, maybe waiting for an install and then being able to play the game immediately.  Not so with PC games!  First you have to install the game, then you have to make sure all your equipment is up to spec, then you have to update the drivers for your equipment.  As I started the game up for the first time, I wondered if Diablo 3 would be worth all the effort I had just gone through to play the game... 

And the answer is, yes. 

Having only played the original Diablo in the late 90s, playing Diablo 3 feels like putting on an old pair of jeans for the first time in years.  They still fit pretty well and they remind you of all the good times you had in them. 

Diablo 3 makes pointing and clicking fun again.  There's something satisfying about clicking a monster until it dies and explodes into a pile of gold and loot.  The choice of the five different character classes seems to have something for everyone.  The barbarian for players who enjoy melee, wizards for people who enjoy spell casting, demon hunters for those who enjoy ranged attacks, etc.  Each of the classes play differently and you may want to experiment with different character classes to find the best fit to your play style. 

Though the story is a little lacking (how many times has Diablo threatened reality?) the game encourages multiple playthroughs and multiple playthroughs with multiple co-op partners with the random dungeon generation. You're almost guaranteed to have a different experience on your various playthroughs.  I do miss the completely random maps of the original Diablo, but updating the randomness to only include the side dungeons you encounter along the main quest is a little easier for new players to acclimate themselves to the game. 

A lot of the updates to Diablo 3 have made the game simpler compared to its predecessors.  You still have potions that you can activate with a key press, but there are also health orbs that you can walk over (or near) to replenish your health.  Items can be automatically identified with a right click, so there's no need to stock up on identify scrolls.  And teleporting back to town is as easy as pressing "T" on your keyboard and waiting a few seconds.  The simplifications in the game do a have a few drawbacks.  As you level up, your stat points will be automatically assigned.  For those of you who want to customize the growth of your character, you're going to have to look somewhere else. 

A major disappointment is the need for a persistent internet connection, even when playing through single player.  At times it's merely an inconvenience having to log in and have an internet connection.  Other times, it can make the game more difficult and/or unplayable because of lag.  There were times that I've been running for my life, only to have the game lag on me and plop me right in the middle of the mob I was trying to escape. On other occasions, I'd walk into a dungeon, only to have the game freeze on me and when I could finally control the game again, I'd be dead. 

In spite of what, to be fair, are minor drawbacks, the game is a lot of fun. There's a lot to discover in this game and with Blizzard continuing to patch the game with new features (i.e. the real money auction house and PVP), it seems like that will be the case for the foreseeable future. 

Rating

I think Diablo is probably an acquired taste.  Either you like the clicking or you don't.  I'm firmly in the "do" column. This is a "buy" for me.  Though, you can't really rent this game can you? 

By the way, if anyone out there is looking for a co-op partner, feel free to friend me on Battle.net.  My BattleTag is chamber715#1160.