Diablo 3 Game Impressions at PAX 2009

Blizzard Entertainment had quite the setup here at PAX 2009, with a huge booth stocked with PCs for playing their three major titles in development. It was a nice change of pace from some of the other booths because they didn't bother with gimmick, models and hokey displays. The just let us play the game. Thank you! Check out the gameplay videos and impressions below to see how it went.

Our time with Diablo III was much more brief than we would have liked. The long lines of slavering Diablo fans behind us kept breathing down our necks, reminding us that we had to keep moving or face forcible ejection. But we did get enough time with Diablo III to know it will be a great game.

Fans will be delighted to know that the game looks and plays much like the first, obviously with better graphics, new foes and new classes. But the heart of the first Diablo games is still there and it all feels very familiar.

We got to play in a barren wasteland composed of several different areas. Much as before you travel between areas and accomplish tasks while killing enemies and looting them. The most noticable difference from the previous games is that the battles and attacks are so much flashier than before. You will still get swarmed, and the playing style still requires a click-fest, but attacks are brighter, the blood is redder and far more plentiful, and the spells appear large and flamboyant on the screen.

We spent some time with the newest class in the Diablo series, the Monk. The Monk focuses more on hand-to-hand combat, but it doesn't have a lot of hit points. That means you can't just rush in and start swinging or you'll die quickly. The Monk requires a little more finesse and a lot more strategy, deciding how to draw out enemies, when to retreat and when to attack. The monk also has a few combo moves that allow you to deliver many attacks without staying in the same spot. One has you slashing back and forth through an attacker from many different angles. It actually looked like a move from Street Fighter or an anime movie rather than a Diablo move, but the Monk is like nothing you've seen the Diablo games anyway.

Overall, the game looks fun and the mechanics have had a nice update and polish. But that won't be enough to make it a great game. The story is going to be the big selling point. If Blizzard can create an epic story and some compelling quests (and let's face it, we know they can), then Diablo III will be a supremely entertaining and memorable game. Otherwise, it will just be Diablo II with a shiny new veneer.