Diablo Immortal – Closed Beta Preview Impressions

A few weeks ago, Blizzard announced that Diablo Immortal would enter its next testing phase, allowing a select group of Android gamers in Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Japan to dive into their mobile version of Sanctuary. This iteration of the closed beta was going to serve as the most complete version of Diablo Immortal and includes a new character class to try (including the Necromancer), new locations to travel to, as well as a host of fixes and improvements to come. from previous alpha tests.

Although the beta is only available in remote areas of Europe, I had the opportunity to put this version of Diablo Immortal to the test to find out how the game works and if we should be happy with the mobile version of the iconic action / RPG. . from Blizzard.

From the beginning, it is obvious that this game is in very good shape. The gameplay is incredibly smooth, the graphics are impressive, typical of Diablo, and the overall experience is adjusted in such a way that it does not feel like a mobile game. I say this from someone who has often been burned by mobile gaming tropes seeing solid titles sabotaged by intrusive and truly expansive micro-transactions and gaming systems truly reduced to the bone. Sure, there are changes due to the platform, but it’s also worth noting that while Diablo Immortal isn’t perfect yet, the base experience is vast and will keep you entertained without feeling the need to spend a little money to expand. the experience.

I wanted to start with this aspect because it was my concern, and it has been a concern of mine since the announcement of this game and ever since. I had the opportunity to test it earlier this year.r. Still, after spending too many hours on Immortal over the past two weeks, I can say that the systems that can be bought seem to be handled in a balanced and moderate way, with a Battle Pass as the main method. There’s a chance things will change once it’s fully released, but if this beta is a symptom of something, then we shouldn’t be worrying about how Blizzard will handle it.

But anyway, let’s move on to the game. Diablo Immortal still looks like a good game for high-end mobile devices. Every part of this title seems to have been thought through very thoroughly, and the result is a compelling experience that (despite playing on a Canadian server with over 200 pings) I still haven’t encountered any problems.

However, the touch controls are very easy to use and never seem to restrict the player, and the game itself works incredibly well too. For this beta version, I played on a OnePlus 9 Pro (big thanks to OnePlus for sending me a unit to test) and the phone handles the game with ease, displaying smooth and amazing visuals and with performance mode enabled, as well as smooth gameplay. at 60 FPS (although this mode drains the device’s battery faster).

Most of the gameplay is that of a traditional Diablo, which means that you roam the world, slaying monsters to gradually get better loot to face new and more difficult challenges. Immortal serves this basic experience well, as it features many unique places to travel, such as the Sea of ​​Shassar and Dark Woods, and has many missions, rewards, challenges, and various other avenues to gain experience, loot, and items to aid you. on his journey, accumulating more power and strength. It might seem like a pretty quick leveling system at first, but as you progress past level 22, the amount of XP you need to level up dramatically increases and it will take you some time and lots of activities to continue increasing your rank.

The importance of this system is that the main quest line, new locations and new class abilities are unlocked when you reach a specific rank, which means that you will be able to raid challenge rifts (timed dungeons), regular dungeons, rewards or others. activities before you can visit new places. It’s not boring at all, as everything in the game serves as a source of loot; In short, you constantly grow in power and become a more lethal fighter, even if your basic level takes a little longer to advance.

It’s a very addictive system overall, as you’ll find yourself doing another dungeon run, completing one last bounty, doing one last challenge, all in the eternal quest for power, just like in a traditional Diablo game.

It is also a title that without excuse is an RPG. The player is offered a number of statistics and methods to adjust their character and builds to suit specific circumstances, through upgrading equipment, creating gems that grant attribute bonuses, and placing these gems on the appropriate equipment. to get the best result. It’s a system that has a very high skill cap, but can also be largely bypassed for a more casual experience – that is, those who don’t intend to tackle the toughest dungeons all the way up to the toughest difficulties.

Since Diablo is a game where even the ending is of the utmost importance, this beta has shown a glimpse of what it will entail, with the revamped Circle of Strife introducing a unique version of PvP for the majority of elite players in the game. a server, and Excellence Tier system is available to dramatically increase the challenge of a PvE activity for higher rewards. And all of this comes after you’ve reached a fairly high rank, which isn’t an easy or quick feat to accomplish.

Regarding the multiplayer aspect, be it PvP or grouping for a PvE challenge, the game supports easy-to-use matchmaking, a text-based chat system, and various methods of logging in and communicating directly with other players. It is a truly competent system that is hard to fail, especially since it is still only a closed beta.

In terms of classes, Immortal supports four unique saves, meaning you can have a Necromancer character, a Barbarian, a Monk, and a Demon Hunter on the move at the same time. All characters are unique and bring something new to the table, be it the ability to absorb multiple hits, deal massive damage to a single target, or rather excel at tearing apart smaller groups of enemies. I found the Demon Hunter, while fun, is a more challenging character to play alone, while the new Necromancer and his skeletal companions are a great class to take on Immortal’s solo adventure as this class deals heavy damage. and the ability to spread the attention of advancing enemy units between the Necromancer and his three resurrected allies.

I feel a bit weird and a bit awkward saying this, as Diablo Immortal doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but from what I’ve played, this is one of the best mobile games I’ve ever played. The gameplay is fun, the performance and graphics are great, especially on the OnePlus 9 Pro, and there’s a lot of depth and promise for what’s to come at launch and beyond. It’s not perfect and the extra time before launch will be used to fix a lot of areas, like controller support, which is pretty empty and limited at the moment, but other than that, it seems like Blizzard is offering complex gameplay. highly compelling mobile feature that could be considered the gold standard of mobile RPGs in general.

Considering this will be a free game, I am actually still amazed at how genuinely fun and well designed this game is, because I was so scared of optional in-game purchases and how the platform would limit the series. But Diablo Immortal is trying to be something special and I really can’t wait to find out what it will look like in its final version when it releases in 2022 as it promises to be one of my most anticipated games of next year.