Blizzard did a wonderful job crafting a version of Sanctuary forDiablo 4that takes players on a tour through a majority of the franchise’s hallmark locales, with enough varying climates and geography to stay fresh through and well past its campaign. Hell made an appearance at the tail-end ofDiablo 4, but its celestial counterpart was notably absent. Heaven, at this point, seems like it will be an inevitable content update for the game.
Given the spate of controversy haunting Blizzard’s recent public image, the studio and publisher must have taken a collective sigh of relief asDiablo 4launched to rave reviews and stellar sales. Taking the lessons learned fromDiablo 3, intermingling some of the more favorable sensibilities ofDiablo 2, and being wrapped in a package that borrows quality-of-life features from other contemporary ARPGs,Diablo 4is a game worthy of hanging on Blizzard’s prestigious mantle. It is just getting started too, as its live-service model will steadily begin to churn out new content, keeping players engaged in its ecosystem, withDiablo 4’s first season set to arrive in mid-July.
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Locational Variety is One of Diablo 4’s Strong Points
From the arid sand dunes of Kehjista, to the frozen tundra of the Fractured Peaks,Diablo 4has a wealth of varying environmentsthat help to keep its pace fresh as players traverse the game’s expansive open world. The five regions of the game all offer unique destinations with impressive attention to detail and a natural sense of transformation as players travel between them, further alleviating a sense of visual drudgery is a smattering of instanced dungeons, ruins, and cellars that add even more changes to the scenery.
The last act ofDiablo 4also took players into the bowels of Hell, a setting that has been in every entry of the series, starting from the firstDiabloas it spills from the Tristram Cathedral. Even the mobile offshootDiablo Immortalfeatured Hell as a playable zone. Heaven, the yin to Hell’s yang, has been a present and impactful force since the franchise’s inception, but has been less prominently featured, understandable given the games' namesake.
Diablo 3was the first instance of the High Heavens being a traversable location in the franchise. The setting for the game’s fourth act, its glistening intricate architecture was a wondrous change of pace from the moribund ruinous landscapes of the previous acts. Of course, it is dashed in the viscera of endless hordes of demons all the same, but that contrast was an important part ofDiablo3’s ability to abate staleness. While some were slightly underwhelmed with Blizzard’s version of Heaven, for long-time fans of the series, finally being able to explore the realm of angels was still a generous heaping of fan service.
Adding Heaven to Diablo 4 Would be Divine
Diablo 4is the franchise’s largest and most ambitious title to date, and introducing a Heaven zone to the game would be a natural addition. With Blizzard’s commitment to supporting the game long-term with seasonal content in addition to the likely expansion packs further down the line, there are few places the game could go that would bare more relevance. The campaign’s story certainly lends itself to the player eventually ascending to Heaven, perhaps to seek out assistance with Mephisto’s Soulstone on the loose and Inarius’s untimely end.
While Heaven might beDiablo 4’s most obvious addition, Blizzard can and eventually will takeDiablo 4in a multitude of new environments. Its live-service plans spell out an exciting future for the series, as the game grows from its rock-solid foundation in an effort to keep players coming back for years to come. Whether it is among the first new playable zones or saved for a larger offering of new content is yet to be seen, but what is certain is thatDiablo 4’s future is an enthralling prospect brimming with potential.
Diablo 4is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
