Diablo Immortal: the greediest game of all time is actually great

Diablo Immortal is one of the most hated games of all time. 

Right after the release, it’s been surrounded by crushing reviews and disappointed fans. But you know what they say, you cannot hate somebody you don’t really love. 

That’s exactly what’s happening with the new chapter in the Diablo franchise. So let’s find out everything great about Diablo for phones.

“Stay a while and listen“

Deckard Cain

After successfully climbing all the way to level 60, I can honestly admit that the game has everything to be labeled as ‘The Blizzard Game.’ 

Today, it may be a forgotten term, but it was a mark of excellence and supremacy back in the day. 

I enjoyed the big-time whole Diablo-3-like vibe from the game – it screams at you from every corner – style, combat, classes. 

Sometimes, you have to aim your abilities, and the game knows how to do it the best way possible. Generally speaking, the gameplay is the best thing about Diablo Immortal. 

Being a hardcore PC player, myself, I couldn’t help but forget that I keep a phone in my hands. While it may be safe to say that Blizzard successfully transferred D3 to phones to some degree, they gave us so much more to play and explore in Immortal.

Diablo Immortal PvP

First and foremost – PVP. 

Diablo Immortal introduced us to Battleground – a three-stage event for two teams of 8 players. 

And Blessed Heavens – is it perfect? Yes, it is! At long last, players got an opportunity to fight for something more valuable than EARS! I got two of my six epics from daily PvP rewards. 

It goes without saying that Blizzard managed to maintain the balance between classes – each one has its role and purpose on the battlefield.

The only bad thing I can say about PVP in Diablo Immortal is that it’s a time-gated event. But I grew up thinking about it as a joyous moment since it guarantees the flow of players at a specific time to ensure your fun.

Don’t waste your gems

Gem Transfer is another feature that comes in handy. 

Each time you want to switch your gear, you’ll get an opportunity to transfer your gems to the new piece.

You don’t have to be afraid of a misclick –  you can always socket out your gem by salvaging old gear.

Challenges and Activities

Diablo Immortal is exceptionally successful in prolonging your time in the game. You always have something to do in your duty towards the Sanctuary. 

The developers brought back Bounty missions and Nephalem Rifts (Elder Rifts) from Diablo 3, but accompanied them with brand-new activities for solo and party progressions.

You can always try your luck in 8-people Raids, prove your worth at Battlegrounds or participate in the Challange Rifts to push your limits as a demon slayer.

The same goes for the open world. When you’re on your watch on the plains of Sanctuary, there’s always something extra for you. 

Trigger events spawn here and there, bringing you more loot and gold. You can find additional gems while cleansing Hidden Lairs; hell, even old good casual slaying delivers a bunch of goods thanks to Horadric Altar (Diablo’s Encyclopedia of Monsters). 

And none of this takes a lot of time! Five minutes here, a couple of minutes there – before you look up, you’ll have spent several hours in the game.

You HAVE to play with friends

There are a few types of alliances in the game, but only two are permanent: warbands and clans. 

Honestly, it’s even a bit of overkill. The main difference is that in warbands, you form closer bonds with your teammates. 

It’s the best form to spend time with friends because Diablo Immortal rewards you with extra quality loot after clearing a dungeon or raid.

On the other hand, a clan is just a group of people united by one common factor – often having nothing to do with the game. 

So, during my travels around Sanctuary, I often met clans of players from one country. Seeing different tags of people from England, Sweden, Denmark, Croatia, and Ukraine just adds globality to the game; you feel a part of some massive world.

Lore

What amazes me the most is how good Diablo Immortal fits into the existing lore of the universe. 

For those wondering why there is a Deckard Cain, the game’s events are happening in the middle of Diablo 2&3 – ten years after Tyrael shattered the world stone.

It doesn’t just tease you with familiar names but expands the already known by telling the fate of former brothers-at-arms and revealing the aftermath of the franchise’s previous installment. 

Quite harmoniously, the prerequisites to the events of the Diablo 3 are also woven into the game.

You’ll stumble upon the reason that Malthael abandoned Heaven, how the Demon Hunters were founded, what the golden age of Westmarch was like, and the schemes of Adria and Maghda.

But all these Easter eggs won’t distract you from the full-fledged main story that re-establish the old Good vs. Evil narrative. 

Everyone here has a purpose in the grand scheme of things. But I won’t spoiler you anything today, don’t worry.

Upon reaching the maximum level, you will unlock Paragon – an additional pumping system for those who do not want to stop at level 60.

Unlike previous versions of Diablo, Immortal doesn’t force you to go through missions you’ve already memorized repeatedly; instead, you are presented with an open world with various quests of different difficulty.

Instead of another global conflict, you have to solve local quests; help your comrades in arms and other adventurers. And these are not ordinary tasks like bringing ten bear asses, but complete stories.

Personally, I was touched by the tragic fate of the guard Vayle, who, due to his service, spent little time with his families, only to find a burnt village and his dead wife and daughter upon his return.

How many mobile games do you know that have such a muscular story built-in? 

How many have actual plots with wholly voice-acted cutscenes? I bet none, and it’s an achievement itself. Good job, Blizzard.

Diablo Immortal rewards

Most of all, Diablo Immortal is extremely rewarding.

Outside monetized content, every bit of gameplay always brings you a bit on top with Battle Pass.

It’s no shame to admit that every Diablo player loves when loot pops out on the ground (Blizzard is counting on it!), but such things make every achievement and decision so many times more satisfying.

Players see free materials from Battle Pass as a taunting carrot to lure them into buying the whole thing, but it’s also a way to highlight the progress you’ve made to such a stage.

Aftermath

Diablo Immortal could have easily been the best mobile game of all time.

Gameplay, story, new features – the game has everything to be a worthy entity of a beloved franchise. But everything good about it is buried under the insane amount of monetized mechanics and publisher greed. 

There is no way free-to-play gamers will ever be as good as paid ones, no matter how much time they invest into the game.

Blizzard didn’t just implement pay-to-win tools; to maximize the effectiveness of paid content, they diminished the progress of casual players.

Even those who pay thousands of dollars are still not guaranteed to archive in-game greatness. That’s a real tragedy of modern the gaming industry, and we have no way to help it.