Diablo 4 Beta: Mixed Impressions on Tech and Gameplay

I hope that the login issues for the Diablo 4 beta will be resolved soon. Although I have done almost everything there is to do on one character, such as finishing the story, reaching the maximum level of 25, and attempting to defeat a world boss, I still really like the game.

However, there are some aspects of the game that need improvement. These issues go beyond the frustrating login queues and disconnects that are common during live game launches. Diablo 4 doesn’t need to repeat the same mistakes made during the launch of Diablo 3. Let’s take a closer look at what needs to be addressed.

• Tech issues: The game is a memory hog, with a bad memory leak issue in certain instances that can become problematic in time. There is also a fair bit of stuttering on the PC, and some areas simply wouldn’t load at all. The game crashed roughly 75% of the time I tried to go back to the title screen or quit entirely.

• Map problems: The map has no transparent overlay, and the minimap is borderline useless due to how zoomed-in it is. The full map obstructs your view frequently.

• UI: The UI is a bit unfinished and looks too mobile-like. It’s not as good as Diablo 3’s UI.

• Fast travel: There are too many sprawling zones without fast travel points anywhere near them. The entire teleport system is a little weird, as you have to teleport back to a town and then to your party if you’re in one.

• Aesthetics: Some zones are desaturated to the point of blandness where art direction can feel absent.

• MMO things: I found myself wishing for an offline single-player version of this game. It’s odd that things like dungeons and strongholds don’t have matchmaking like Lost Ark. The world boss concept is cool, but I felt like I had zero control over my instance.

• Enemy density and diversity: I kept running into the exact same 8-10 enemy mob clusters everywhere. I wanted things to be mixed up a bit.

• Playing it safe: The game feels like a new Diablo game with a lot of Lost Ark-like MMO elements without changing much else. The biggest leap forward is probably the storytelling with fantastic cutscenes and a genuinely intriguing plot with Lilith.

In conclusion, while I like the game overall, there are several issues that need addressing. The tech issues, map problems, UI, fast travel, and aesthetics need improvement. The MMO elements need rethinking, and the enemy density and diversity need to be more creative. I also think the game needs to evolve in more ways rather than trying to “fix” Diablo 3. However, the storytelling with fantastic cutscenes and a genuinely intriguing plot with Lilith is a significant improvement.