Even though the initial announcement in 2018 went poorly, fans of the Diablo series patiently waited 4 long years to experience Diablo Immortal.
For a mobile-first game, it was beyond what everyone expected. Diablo Immortal felt like a game that takes mobile gaming to the next level.
The game has great graphics, satisfying gameplay mechanics, lots of content, and yes of course, tons of microtransactions.
It’s the reason why Diablo Immortal has become the worst user-reviewed game in history.
But is the game really that bad? Should you give it a try?
Let’s find out.
Why Everyone Hates Diablo Immortal
It’s no secret, everyone hates Diablo Immortal right now. Mainly for its predatory monetization tactics.
Usually, it’s okay to expect some amount of microtransactions in mobile games. Especially in free-to-play games.
But Diablo Immortal took it way beyond the limits. The game is filled with hidden caps that limit your character progression, unless you spend money. It even tries to trick you into spending money with misleading deals and offers.
One YouTuber found that it takes over $100K to fully level up your gear. That’s how terrible this issue really is.
Yes, all this negativity around the game is for good reason. The sad part is that the game itself is really good. But you can’t really enjoy it without spending a ton of money.
The Other Side Of The Story
Most content creators also found this to be a great opportunity to get more views and Likes.
Yes, it’s with their help that we can bring this issue to Blizzard’s attention. But some big content creators and influencers used the issue to generate more views by repeating the same story. Just like how they used the Johnny Depp trial to get more views.
And then some came forward to spend thousands of dollars in the game, pretending to show people what it’s like to spend money in Diablo Immortal. All they did is encourage more players to gamble away their hard-earned cash.
So it’s important to consume most of such content with a grain of salt. Because it’s clear that almost all of these influencers haven’t even played the game.
My Experience With Diablo Immortal
I started playing the game only a day after its release. I mainly play on PC and also try to grind smaller missions and bounties on my phone.
I’ve spent many hours in the game so far and I’m having a blast. I still play the game every day. I jump in, do a few missions, dungeons, bounties, and log out.
I haven’t spent a single penny in the game and I still haven’t felt the need to buy anything at all.
But my case is different. Because I’m not a hardcore player that grinds endlessly for the best loot. I’m also not the kind of player who needs to climb to the top of the world rankings. Or feel the need to have the highest level gear. Or compete against other players in PVP matches. Or be the fastest to complete a raid.
I only care about doing PVE content and I do them very casually. I’m okay with hitting enemies twice to kill them instead of one-shotting. And I’m more than happy grinding for loot by completing normal dungeons and rifts, even though other pay-to-win players are getting way ahead of me.
And that’s just how I play games. Now let me tell you why I’m still playing Diablo Immortal and will continue to play for a long time.
It’s Like Diablo 3 But Better
I loved Diablo 3 and its gameplay system. And I was waiting for Diablo 4 when Immortal arrived. It felt like the perfect thing to scratch my itch for a new ARPG until Diablo 4 arrives.
There are a lot of similarities between Diablo 3 and Immortal. In fact, most of its content and gameplay seem to be lifted from Diablo 3. But that’s not a bad thing.
Diablo Immortal feels a lot like a much more improved version of Diablo 3.
It looks amazing with high-resolution graphics, especially on PC. Map and characters are highly detailed that it feels like a true next-gen game. The game runs great on my old smartphone as well as on PC, with very few minor bugs.
There are incredible cosmetics that make your character looks amazing as well.
Gameplay Is Just As Fun
The combat mechanics in the game feels so smooth that it will immediately hook you in as it did me.
Swinging your axe, using skills, and chopping down enemies feel really satisfying. And those things are nothing compared to that sound of loot dropping everywhere.
You can see other players running around the maps alongside you and you can join teams with them to complete the same tasks in real-time, just like in an MMO.
You can join a clan or make your own group of teammates to play with every day.
And the best part is how you can play the game on PC, log out, and then continue where you left off on your phone. As a huge fan of ARPGs, being able to play a Diablo game on a phone is the best feeling for me.
Simply put, this is what an ARPG is supposed to look and feel like.
Lots Of Different Activities To Do
The game has an extensive story campaign that takes you across the entire map and all of its content. This could easily take up around 20 hours.
Even after reaching level 60 and going into endgame content, the game offers lots of ways for you to enjoy the game.
As a free-to-play player, you can continue to do challenge Rifts, do raids, crank up the world difficulty to get better loot, grind dungeons, complete Shadow missions, and lots more to keep gaining Paragon levels and upgrade your gear.
Should You Play Diablo Immortal?
To sum things up, I feel like I’ve got my money’s worth from Diablo Immortal. Given that I got the game for free and haven’t spent any money, I’d say it’s an amazing deal.
I spent hours having fun in the game and I still do. I don’t have plans to spend any money in the game. Maybe I’ll consider buying the battle pass someday since it offers lots of cool cosmetics and resources. Other than that I don’t feel the need to spend money to level up my gear.
Now, if you’re a casual player like me, you can definitely enjoy Diablo Immortal. There’s no need to spend any money. Just avoid the cash shop and the cheap deals the game throws at you and you’ll be fine.
However, if you’re a hardcore player who needs to be the best in the game and have the best gear, you should try to avoid this game. Because in order to be the best in Diablo Immortal, you need to spend a ton of money.
And you wouldn’t want to do that. Even if you think you can get better as a F2P player, you will eventually reach the hidden caps the game has and be forced to spend money.
Other than that, this is a really fun game. I’m hoping Blizzard will come to their senses and fix these predatory microtransactions. Either way, I’ll continue to cover the game until Diablo 4 comes out.